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Burn calories without breaking a sweat: use these seven tips to make your metabolism work overtime even while you're resting
Men's Fitness, April, 2003 by Andrea Platzman
While extra protein can help boost your metabolism, don't go overboard: A protein-only diet is difficult to stick to and is nutritionally unsound. Just remember to include protein in your frequent meals. If you're trying to put on muscle, an easy guideline is to aim for one gram of protein per pound of body weight a day.
4 SPICE IT UP
Certain spices can give your weight loss an added zing. "Ginger, cloves, cayenne, coriander, bay leaves and dry mustard have all demonstrated a thermogenic, or fat-burning, effect, thus raising metabolism," says Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S., author of The Fat Flush Plan. Another positive effect of consuming hot herbs is that they stimulate thirst, so you'll drink more (we're talking ice water, not margaritas).
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Try sprinkling some cinnamon on your next nonfat latte. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown that just a quarter of a teaspoon to one teaspoon of cinnamon taken with food can help boost metabolism twentyfold. This extraordinary spice makes fat cells much more responsive to insulin, the hormone that regulates sugar metabolism.
5 CHEW GUM
Believe it or not, you can actually burn some extra calories by chewing gum. "Besides being good for your breath--especially if you eat a lot of protein--researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that chewing gum will burn an additional 11 calories per hour," says Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., author of Nutrition for Serious Athletes.
It's estimated that if you chew noncaloric gum during waking hours, and if you do not make any changes to your eating or exercise routines, you can lose 10 pounds of body fat in a year.
6 FIDGET FURIOUSLY
You re stuck in traffic, waiting in line, or even waiting online. All of those predicaments may put you into a funk, until you realize you've been presented with a fat-burning opportunity. "It has been shown that people who fidget or who have more involuntary muscle movements increase the rate of caloric burn compared to people who have less involuntary muscle movements," says Benardot. But we're not talking about the kind of natural fidgeting that accompanies aggravation or anydety. We're talking about self-aware fidgeting, as crazy as that sounds.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., believe that conscious voluntary activities--such as changing posture, stretching your arms above your head, and getting up from your seat--are responsible for burning many more calories than unconscious fidgeting. The researchers have termed this type of movement NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and estimate that it zaps an additional 300 to 800 calories a day. It's a no-brainer. If you have an opportunity to move, move.
7 BREATHE
Going outside and getting some fresh air several a day might shrink your gut as well as clear your head. Some experts believe that better breathing can ultimately help your weight-loss endeavors.
"Learning how to breathe more naturally and efficiently, the way our bodies were designed to breathe, can have a powerful influence on our metabolism and overall sense of well-being," says Robert Fried, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Hunter University in New York City. "Healthy, natural breathing makes us feel better physically, emotionally and mentally, and thus has a beneficial influence on the quality of our exercise, the way we look and feel about ourselves, the kinds and quantities of food we eat, and our levels of energy. All of these have a powerful influence on metabolism."
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