Welcome to Thursday night in Carol’s Corner. We continue to have beautiful weather in Central New York this week. In fact today was a scorcher going into the ninety’s. We just don’t seem to get any spring weather. It seems to jump from cold right into hot. I would be fine with 75-80°. But guess we can’t complain after the long hard winter. Took today’s picture on the property next to us, to take advantage of the flowers blooming there. It’s vacant right now and probably will be till the fall college season starts again. It’s owned by a rental company so they keep up the property. The college professor who lived there moved out a couple moths ago. Well back to the picture. Calling this one ” Beauty In The Jungle”. The blouse seems to say that to me somehow . This blouse is actually a thrift store purchase I got last summer. I like the style and the contrast between the dark tones and the beautiful peachy tones of the tropical like flowers.

This FitBit band is just perfect with the theme of my outfit and the delicate jewelry set I made goes quite nicely.

Well the topic I have decided to pursue tonight is how to boost your metabolism, something many of us are interested in doing. I’m going to start with something from webmd.com. It’s in the Diet And Weight Management section and shows ” 10 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism”. After this I will put links to other places to read more on the subject. So let’s get started.

CAN YOU MAKE YOUR METABOLISM BETTER?

Boosting your metabolism is something weight watchers everywhere want to be able to do. But how fast your body burns calories depends on several things. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. Gee don’t men usually have it better? LOL!!! And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Although you can’t control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to improve your metabolism. Read on to discover 10 ways you can do this.

BUILD MUSCLE

Your body constantly burns calories, even when you’re doing nothing. The resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat only burns 2 calories daily. ( interesting statistic) That small difference can add up over time. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.

STEP UP YOUR WORKOUT

Aerobic exercise might not build muscles, but it can rev up your metabolism in the hours after a workout. ( exactly what our walk guru Leslie is always saying) The key is to push yourself. High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than moderate-intensity workouts. To get the benefits, try a more intense class at the gym or include short bursts of jogging during your regular walk. ( something us Leslie walkers know already, don’t we? In fact I love those short boosts.)

FUEL UP WITH WATER

Your body needs water to process calories. ( not sure I knew this little nugget of info) If you’re even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who drank 8 or more glasses of water a day, burned more calories than those who drank 4. Guess I better try harder. This is something I am bad at. In fact I would really be bad if I hadn’t found Sparkling Ice Flavored Water, that I really like. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. Also snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, rather than pretzels or chips.

SHOULD YOU TRY ENERGY DRINKS?

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They’re full of caffeine, which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have Taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can help speed up your metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy Of Pediatrics doesn’t reccomend them for kids and teens. I wouldn’t be able to use them for a number of reasons, one being the sugar content and also the caffeine content. Both would be issues for me.

SNACK SMART

Eating more often can help up you lose weight. When you eat large meals with many hours in between, your metabolism slows down between meals. Having small meals or snack every three to four hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day. Several studies have shown those who snack regularly eat less at mealtime. ( of course I’m sure they mean you to have healthy snacks)

SPICE UP YOUR MEALS

Spicy foods have natural chemicals that can kick your metabolism into a higher gear. Cooking foods with a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate. The effect is probably temporary, but if you eat spicy foods often, the effects may add up. For a quick boost, spice up pasta dishes, chili, and stews with red pepper flakes.

POWER UP WITH PROTEIN

Your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does eating fat or carbohydrates. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtimes. Good sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

SIP SOME BLACK COFFEE

If you’re a coffee drinker, you probably enjoy the energy and concentration perks. Taken in moderation, one of coffee’s benefits may be a short-term rise in your metabolic rate. Caffeine can make you feel less tired and even increase your endurance when you exercise.

RECHARGE WITH GREEN TEA

Drinking green tea or oolong tea offers the combined benefit of caffeine and catechins, substances shown to rev up the metabolism for a couple of hours. Research suggests that drinking 2-4 cups of either tea may push the body to burn 17% more calories during moderately intense exercise for a short time.

AVOID CRASH DIETS

Crash diets-those involving eating fewer than 1,200 (if you’re a woman) or 1,800 (if you’re a man) calories a day–are bad for anyone hoping to quicken their metabolism. Although these diets may help you drop pounds, that comes at the expense of good nutrition. Plus it backfires, since you can lose muscle, which in turn slows your metabolism. The final result is your body burns fewer calories and gains weight faster than before the diet . (There are some real nuggets of information here.)

I found this to be quite informative and enlightening in many ways. I always learn something every time I do an information blog.

Next I’ll give you some other links to read on the same subject.

http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/weight-loss-how-boost-metabolism-high-metabolism-diet. Rev Your Fat Burning With Our High-Metabolism Diet.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306911,00.html. The Best Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.

http://greatist.com/health/11-scientifically-proven-ways-boost-metabolism. 11 Science-Backed Ways To Boost Your Metabolism.

http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/15-easy-ways-to-speed-up-your-metabolism. 15 Easy Ways To Speed Up Your Metabolism.

That wraps it up for another edition of Carol’s Corner. I think that’s enough information for you to read and process tonight. So keep moving, stay motivated, and keep that metabolism revved up. Till next time, God Bless.