Do you know your metabolism well? Maybe you wish you could speed up your metabolism. There are plenty of gimmicks and so-called solutions out there promising to boost your metabolism and get you FAST results. But what does that really mean? Are we able to “BOOST” our metabolism? Do we need a fast metabolism? Dr. Jade Teta, the author of Next Level Metabolism, says no. we don’t. Instead, we need a flexible metabolism. Here’s what you need to know in order to better understand the metabolism and keep it flexible.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process of turning food into energy. It is a sum of complex chemical reactions that take place within our cells. The energy generated from these reactions is needed for bodily functions that keep us alive. Even if we are lying still, not moving a muscle, we need a good amount of energy for our lungs to breathe, our liver to function, our brain to think, and so on.
The rate at which we use energy is called the metabolic rate.
The total energy we use at rest is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Beyond using energy at rest, we require energy for all movement (walking, activities, exercise) and digestion (the thermic effect of food.)
Any easy way to think about metabolism
Jade starts his book, Next Level Metabolism, with a great analogy. He says we can think about metabolism as a barometer and thermostat. It’s always changing in response to the conditions to which it’s exposed. Much like your thermostat in your house when it is set to 70 degrees, it is constantly striving to maintain that temperature and, to do so, makes adjustments based on what it is sensing in the environment. Your metabolism does the same to maintain balance. It is constantly sensing the environment.
What is your metabolism sensing?
The simplest answer is STRESS. Anything that threatens the status quo of your metabolism can be seen as metabolic stress. Doing the following for a prolonged period of time can result in a stressed-out metabolism.
Intense cardio workouts
Psychological stress (lots of cortisol)
Calorie Restriction/Dieting
Dieting = Stress On Your Metabolism
It’s no wonder, then, that when you are on a diet, your metabolism fights back with all its might to fix the problem. It senses that something is wrong and focuses on helping you survive this stress. Typically by signaling you to move less or eat more. Dr. Jade Teta uses a rubberband to explain this. When we go on a diet that has us exercising more and eating less, it’s like pulling on a rubberband so far that it snaps back, often overcorrecting itself. He goes on to explain that we can look for certain signals that indicate the metabolism is under stress.
How do you know when your metabolism is under stress?
When the following is out of check, the metabolism is likely under stress:
Sleep
Hunger
Mood
Energy
Cravings
Exercise performance and recovery
Digestion
Libido
Menses
How Do You Support a Healthy Metabolism?
Reducing stress (both mentally and physically) can support a healthy, flexible metabolism. Stress-reducing activities like walking at a comfortable pace, deep breathing, yoga (with a focus on breath work), meditation, tapping, getting a good night’s sleep, and so forth may be far more beneficial than hitting the gym for that 1-hour cardio session.
Monitor your hunger, cravings, mood, energy level, and so forth for any major disruptions. These will provide feedback that you’ve pulled the rubberband too far. Instead of intense workouts coupled with way too few calories, try…
A) eating enough to fuel your workouts
or
B) swapping out the intense workouts for more relaxing movements/walking while eating a reasonable amount.
Want to explore this topic further?
Tune into the Health Geeks Book Club Podcast, where Eleanor Russell and I (Kristen Norton) share many more tidbits we learned from reading Next Level Metabolism.
The nervous system is at the heart of our daily experience and works in the background outside of our conscience awareness. It can shape the way we experience the world, including how we think and feel about food and our bodies. It also can affect our digestion, heart rate, and immune system.
You’ve likely heard of the gut-brain connection. Part of that connection includes thevagus nerve, which carries an extensive range of signals from the digestive system and organs to the brain and vice versa.
Image Source: https://www.nicabm.com/
Did you know there are 3 modes that your nervous system supports and will switch between throughout the day? According to the polyvagal theory, they are:
Safe and Social mode – feeling comfortable, connected, and safe in our environment
Fear or Flight mode – feeling anxious, threatened, fearful, or wary of surroundings
Shut Down mode – feeling dissociated, numb, disconnected, tired, shameful
All modes are helpful in some way for our survival, but as you can probably guess we feel and function our best in that safe and social mode.
A high level of stress/anxiety or unresolved trauma can make it hard to stay or get in the safe and social mode. This can make eating mindfully and being in tune with your body quite challenging.
That is one reason why your Well Balanced dietitians encourage you to build up your self-care toolbox. These activities often build resilience and support a calmer nervous system. It’s part of the mind-body connection that can improve your well-being, support a healthy digestive system, and make it easier to build healthier eating habits.
4 ways you can support your nervous system.
Listen to your favorite music while paying close attention to the lyrics and instrumentals.
Breathe in slowly to the count of four and release to the count of seven. Do this for 5 minutes.
Do some gentle stretching, even if it’s for just a couple of minutes.
Watch something funny.
Hungry for more info about your nervous system?
Listen to this episode of the Health Geeks Book Club Podcast.
I’m usually pretty good at this, but recently, I fell apart.
It was crazy at my house for a few weeks in a row as we scrambled to get our house ready to be put on the market. The stress in my home was palpable, and the to-do lists were endless between work, home, and kids. Our comforting routine was all out of sorts, which left me floundering.
Luckily, all the hard work paid off, and the house was under contract before we knew it! That meant when we were away on vacation in Florida, we didn’t even need to worry about dealing with an open house or incoming offers. What a relief!
Bring on the relaxation.
Warm weather, family time, and a blank to-do list had me feeling like….awhhhhhhh. I think I relaxed a little too much because, toward the end of the vacation, I wasn’t feeling too stellar. My diet was a bit off track, my sleep was lacking (my kids always have a hard time sleeping in new places), and my physical activity level was embarrassing.
I knew I didn’t have to make it up, just make it back on track. On the way home from Florida, I reflected on the things I did well and the things that I could have done differently. This builds on the ideas Lucy shared in part one about being picky and sticking to what works well for you.
Fun foods are fun, but only if they don’t stop the fun for YOU.
I reminded myself of what we remind the tribe all the time. Your diet doesn’t need to be perfect. Annnnd there is a little more room (in my book) for fun foods while on vacation, because, well, it’s vacation! However, having so many fun foods that you feel terrible or wreck your goals doesn’t serve you. Tapping into your intuitive eating skills can come in handy here.
I’ll give you an example. I went out to eat one night in Florida and wanted to enjoy a cocktail. So I had one. Unfortunately, cocktails can include a lot of juice or flavored syrups that make me feel sick. The one I ordered was delicious and fruity – but definitely loaded with sugar. That night, when we returned to the house, I was offered another sugary adult beverage. It sounded fun at the time, but I declined. I knew it might be enjoyable for a bit, but the next day, I’d likely have a headache and an upset stomach. That’s no good when you are headed to the beach!
Your body will usually tell you when you are overdoing it.
Sometimes we don’t end up saying no to that second drink or the dessert. That’s okay. Nothing to beat yourself up about. It happens. If your body responds in uncomfortable ways like feeling bloated, having indigestion, or not being able to sleep well, for example, don’t ignore those symptoms. Take those into consideration next time. In the meantime, you can do this yoga routine to try to feel better.
I know a few people who push through those things and completely zone out from their bodies’ cues. Continously ignoring these signals can lead to health problems, weight gain, and a loss of well-being. Go ahead, tune in, take note, and know where to draw the line next time.
5 Creative Ways To Get Your Veggies In on Vacation
You know we love veggies at Well Balanced Nutrition, so it will likely come as no surprise when I encourage you to find a way to eat them while on vacation. Veggies provide fiber, water, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Here are some things I did on this trip.
BYOV. We had some greens in the refrigerator that we took with us in a cooler so they wouldn’t go to waste while we were gone. When we stopped at Chick-fil-A, I carried in a small container of my arugula and ordered nuggets to go with it. Sorry, not sorry! It was the light and yummy meal I needed to get me through the car trip.
Once we were there, my husband picked up a veggie tray from the grocery store. It was a simple way to make sure we had veggies that were easy to incorporate. Raw veggies and dip can be a great snack or round-out lunch.
Make an egg casserole for breakfast. I love egg dishes because you can make them ahead and sneak veggies in at breakfast. We made this breakfast casserole and even my dad who doesn’t dig most veggies, enjoyed it.
Get an order of veggies on the side when you eat out. From my experience, even when the description on the menu lists an array of vegetables in a dish, the amount of vegetables present in the meal is very small. One night, I enjoyed a creamy pasta dish with broccoli at a table overlooking the water. I was right, it didn’t come with much broccoli at all. So I asked for a side of steamed broccoli that I tossed into my pasta to double up the portion.
If veggies are just really hard to find or get,focus on fiber-rich fruits like pears, kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Beans can be another good source of fiber.
What didn’t go so well:
After a whirlwind of two weeks, I was ready to rest. Taking it easy is great, but movement is also good for you. I went into sloth mode a little too hard. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find the right balance. In hindsight, I wish I had found a few more opportunities to walk.
If you have young kids, you know – going on vacation is not restful at night. Getting a good night’s sleep can feel impossible.
Make it back!
Vacations are awesome! If you come back from a vacation feeling worse than when you left, maybe it’s time to revisit some of your habits while away. Being an intuitive eater, splurging smartly, and fitting in those veggies may help you come back refreshed and balanced. Or maybe you did the best you can, and giving yourself grace is what you need. In the end, it’s a week or two – it is not an end-all-be-all kind of situation. Don’t beat yourself up. Live, learn, and make it back to habits that make you feel your best at the first opportunity you can.
This week came up fast. It has been a busy month at my house. Longer than usual work hours have meant less family time and more stress. That’s the way it happens. We don’t plan to get stressed out. We just find ourselves all of a sudden overwhelmed. Then the holiday comes. We say that the holidays are stressful but sometimes it’s just life that is stressful in the first place, and the extra holiday activities are just icing on the cake.
Stress can make healthy eating decisions challenging in general, and this time of year we are often forced out of our comfortable routines and put into more situations that feel beyond our control. How do you handle the stress and the abundance of food without letting it derail you from your goals? A holiday wellness planning session is the place to start! Here’s how some of my clients and I are planning to stay well-balanced.
Jan* is traveling back home for Thanksgiving. She has been on a steady journey of changing the way she eats and drinks. She’s lost weight, feeling great, and doesn’t want the momentum to stop. At her holiday wellness planning session, we discussed her favorite foods this time of year. She will thoroughly enjoy those foods that are special to her including pumpkin pie. At the same time, she will balance her plate with some vegetables and start her day with a healthy, balanced breakfast (a veggie-packed crustless quiche). She also intends to start a new tradition with her aunts and cousins to play Wii sports or have a little Wii dance party. Her plan allows room to enjoy those things that are unique and nostalgic while keeping her meals balanced and finding a fun way to build movement into her family time.
Keri* is on a mission to live well-balanced and have a healthy relationship with food. She gets a little stressed out over the abundance of food still left after her family’s big meal. One piece of advice I often hear is to not worry about one or two indulgent meals – it’s not enough to throw your progress off track. This is true. But when you have lots of sweet and starchy leftovers like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cookies, and pies to eat for days and days, that’s when things get tricky. At her holiday wellness planning session, we brainstormed some ways to get back to well-balanced eating even with an abundance of leftovers. One strategy was to use the freezer, using this advice on what freezes well and what doesn’t. And another idea is to be more mindful when planning the meal. Here’s a handy tool that helps you decide how much food to buy based on how many “big” and “small eaters” you will have at your celebration.
As for me, Thanksgiving meal is all about homemade mashed potatoes with gravy and rolls. This combo is the ultimate comfort food from my past. I will be adding turkey, a salad, and mixed roasted vegetables to balance out my plate. I’ll also be doing my best to journal, drink tea, and meditate to help me get a handle on any stress that might pop up. Lastly, exercise brings me mental clarity, makes me stronger, and keeps me energized, so I’m going to plan for movement 2-3 days a week.
Food for Thought: What’s your holiday game plan?
Making a plan in your head is helpful but often does not equate to action. Talking it out with a Well Balanced dietitian will help you put your goals into action and give you some accountability as well. Knowing you get to check back in to review your progress will keep you motivated to follow through. One client says, “I’ve received very practical, concrete solutions. The coaching I receive is invaluable to learning how to approach food with a balanced mindset.”
P.S. If you want to talk about your personal game plan, create action steps, and follow up for accountability, reach out to your dietitian today! Not working with us yet? Your first call is always free and meetings are virtual so you can easily fit them into your schedule!
How in the world did we go from using chia seeds to grow green “fur” on Chia Pets to eating the seeds as a health food? Is this hype or are chia seeds really a health food?
In history, Mayan and Aztec cultures consumed chia seeds for their supernatural powers. I don’t know about supernatural powers, but I can speak for their nutritional power. They are small and mighty! Just one tablespoon of chia seeds pack in 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat (much of which is Omega-3)… all for only 80 calories. WOW!
Why are fiber, protein, and omega-3 fat good for us?
The right kind of fiber – found in foods like Chia Seeds, supports our body’s waste removal systems. Dietary fiber can increase the size and weight of our poop! It can even soften stool. Chia Seeds are a healthy and natural fiber that can help you have healthy bowel movements regularly.
Protein is an essential part of a balanced diet because it provides the body with the building block, or amino acids, that are necessary for muscle and bone health and development. Having a tablespoon of Chia Seeds is a great way to get a dose of protein in a salad or a sandwich that may be lacking in protein. The average American should eat between 25 and 45 grams of protein each meal- depending on activity level.
Lastly, Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients for heart health! We need to protect our cardiovascular system and Chia Seeds provide a great source for Omega 3s that don’t taste like fish. Is anyone else over the fish oil burps? Get the Omega 3s you need and check the fish oil at the door. Omega 3s reduce blood pressure and triglycerides that can cause heart disease or strokes. I’ll take the tablespoon of chia seeds with that, please!
Let’s shine the light a little brighter on these nutrition qualities:
Chia contains soluble and insoluble fiber- making them a great aid for maintaining a healthy cholesterol level and digestive tract.
Chia seeds contain 3 grams of complete protein – meaning they contain all the essential amino acids. Three grams of protein may seem like a small amount but pair it with the 4g of protein in a tablespoon of almond butter or 1/2 cup of milk and you now have more protein than a large egg.
Chia seeds have an impressive amount of calcium as well!
Wait, there’s more! The dry seeds deliver more antioxidants than blueberries.
First of all, what are antioxidants? We hear antioxidants a lot in today’s diet news but what do they really do?
Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation – which is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals in the body. Free radicals have been associated with Cancer because they cause damage to cells in our body over time. Antioxidants like those found in Chia Seeds can work to reduce free radical reactions, allowing our body to live in proper homeostasis.
When it comes to Chia Seeds, the ORAC value (antioxidant level) almost doubles when the seeds are soaked overnight. How? Because when you soak them, it initiates the early stages of sprouting, and that creates more bioavailable nutrients. (So cool!) Ideally, you would soak your seeds in water or a plant-based milk.
You’ll notice white and black chia seeds are available. White seeds have fewer antioxidants than black seeds but still contain more than most foods. Some people prefer white seeds because they aren’t as noticeable in baked goods and smoothies. Given that some variety of Chia Seeds are black, it is easy to spot them in yogurt, or on a salad, but in a smoothie or baked good they tend to blend in with other seeds or the color of the baked good making them less obvious and adding great nutritional value to your snacks.
Chia seeds have a very mild nutty flavor that won’t be noticed in smoothies or baked goods too, making it easier for some to eat. They can be crunchy if they are dry, so baking or soaking allows the seeds to become soft. These components add to the ease of enjoyment when adding them into your daily meals. That mild flavor goes well in smoothies, yogurt, cereal and even makes a great pudding-like treat.
So it turns out these trendy seeds are truly a health food! They are versatile, user-friendly, exceptional and a unique low-calorie source of omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, antioxidants, complete protein, iron, calcium, and magnesium.
