Metabolism and Eating go hand in hand.

Metabolism and EATING with ways to control it throughout the day.

The metabolism goes through peaks and valleys, high points and low points throughout the course of 24 hours.  It is our energy and the foundation for how we feel.  When a person wakes up in the AM after sleeping the recommended 7-10 hrs for adults, their metabolism is at the very low end of the spectrum.  So, how to increase it to have energy in the AM?  Simple, put food in the body, because food is calories and calories are energy. This is why breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it jump starts your metabolism.

No longer will I reference eating a meal, bur refer to eating by saying  the word “feeding.”  Ideally, an adult should have 5-7 feedings a day.  A traditional example of 5 would be, breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner to cumulatively make up 5 feedings for that day.  The thing is if a person is only eating 2 times a day they are INTENTIONALLY LOWERING their METABOLISM through habit.  The idea is to take our daily calories and spread them out then put them into the body during massive feeding times.  A good strategy for a person eating 2 times a day is to not eat more, but spread out all that food over more feeding times.  
Every time food is put into the body, the metabolism increase, so more frequent “feedings” will consistently train your body metabolism to work in a more cyclic pattern.  In order to lose weight a person MUST EAT many small feedings throughout the day and this action in itself will increase a person’s metabolism.

Now, if you are not eating several feedings throughout the day or always skip breakfast the idea is to make a small change.  If not hungry in the AM, then start with eating just a bit of something healthy and slowly increase that desire to be hungry over time.  It takes many months for the body to change habits depending how long we have been doing the opposite.  So by adding one cheerio a day from week to week with adding a couple more each time, soon enough you will be ready to have a bowl of cereal in the AM. 

How to lose weight.

Metabolism and how to control it.

Burning calories is accomplished by the conversion of energy into work.  For instance
if a person was to lay in bed all day with zero movement or physical activity, just for brain, heart, lungs and liver function to work a person has a base line basal metabolic rate (BMR).  BMR is how many calories a person burns at rest to stay alive.  The idea is the more a person moves the more they will increase energy output in the form of burning calories.  Burning more calories through metabolism of food put into the body by eating is how a caloric deficiency is created.  Create a caloric deficiency of 3,500 calories and that will equal 1lb of FAT LOSS.


Example:  Negative 500 calories a day over the course of 7 days (1 week) will equal 3,500 calories burned.  It breaks down that if a person is measuring what they eat with a food log/journal and is calculating calories burned during physical activity (PA) and exercise with figuring out their BMR then the example is as follows:


Calories Eaten:  2,000 for the day
               BMR:   1,800 calories burned for basic body function    
    PA/Exercise:   700 calories burned from movement

      
What is the best way to increase your metabolism for both BMR and Exercise?  Well, before we get to that I want to lay out a few foundation principles to understand first.  This blog for the month of Feb. will have a several posts on the topic of metabolism because because it is the basis for how a person feels and truly a person CONTROLS it with every choice throughout the course of a day (yep, 24 hours).  I will be identifying basic concepts of eating and moving that can FIRE UP YOUR METABOLISM TO BURN AT HIGHT LEVELS THEN EVER BEFORE.

If you think you might have a slow metabolism, stay tuned till tomorrow.  Over the course of the next week I will present an option to not only understand more about HOW TO INCREASE YOUR BMR, but impact your metabolism in very positive ways.

Why is your metabolism important?  Its your energy for the day....

H20 and the BODY.

Water Matters.....                                        2.4.13

The main reason I am writing this blog is to put out quality info on various topics that relate to a human's health, basically covering the four parts of WELLNESS (Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Social).  The focus today is to touch on the physical side, which is the part that most people easily associate with health. 
When is the last time you checked your Hydration?  Do you know the easy way to see if you are adequately hydrated is to look at your pee?  Its simple PEE Clear or lemonade color is great, while yellowish or apple juice means dehydration is taking place.  The darker the color and/or less frequent urination are symptoms of dehydration as well.   
 WATER is the basis for every bodily function, from respiration to digestion; a person’s energy levels through metabolism are regulated to your bodies ability to store water in its muscles, organs, & blood.  No matter what your fitness goal could be, everything rests on the simple condition of drinking more water and/or being mindful of the other habits in our lives that remove water from our system. 
Stimulants and diuretics are major players in removing water from the body.  Medications recommend you drink a glass of water with them because they suck the H2O out of the body as well. 
So how much water should you drink?  Every person is going to be unique, so many variables such as age, gender, physical condition, diet, type of job and physical activity during the day....the list can go on and on, so the idea of 8 - 8 oz glass of WATER a day is truly bogus.  The recommended healthy levels of hydration are 50-65% (measured in the muscles) with 70% & above being optimal. 
Being adequately hydrated is an amazing first step to practicing daily healthy habits to build a foundation for a healthy lifestyle!! 

Up coming blog TOPICS!!!

Blog Outline for February 2013 by Wellness HERO.....life enhancing by PROPER Health Education.

1.  Water - How much should a person drink?
2.  Metabolism - How to control and increase your Calories burned.
3.  Sleep - The role it plays and how it is healthy.
4.  Veggies & Fruit - Just Do it!
5.  Food Labels & GMO - Look out and READ what?!
6.  Whole Grains - Its the COMPLEX CARBS that are healthy!


Feel free to shoot me an email with any questions that might arise during your day, the idea is to practice wellness daily.  Your health and wellness is your choice, so choose wisely and of course, SMILE :~>!!!!!!

Children and outside time, how to make it happen in fall....

An after school gathering with influencing your health on a cool, sunny, fall afternoon. What is possible?

10.11.12

Directly after work/school we had many options for being outside and after narrowing it down to two, it was between riding bikes together or hiking for some quality leaf collecting (we are pressing the leaves this weekend with a art project for Grandma’s B-day :).

Tryon Park in Rochester, NY was the chosen ground and it was a beautiful afternoon.  The beautiful foliage is just around peak and the colors dance against the blue sky.  We set off with running & jumping in the “soup bowl” of trails that are shared by both mountain bikers (which are cool to see with a 4 year young) & hikers alike.  We have stomped the ground on these trails several times before and they yield some great up and down elevation gains. 
 

The exploring of the woods can be a very rewarding experience.  Good habits to keep in mind are stopping to listen to all the fall noises & watching in silence as the leaves dance through the air and allow gravity to bring them to Earth.  Fallen trees are unique opportunities as well.  The lessons that can be simply added to a conversation or just asking the little one questions to engage in the moment.  Being on the trail, surround by nature changes the way one can think, just by being in a different environment.  Mindfulness of being more aware plays huge dividends on your mental health.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Many mixed colors and shapes filled my pockets as we crunched many leaves under our feet.  We explored tire and animal tracks while very much loved kicking the fallen leafs covering the trail at times.  After an hour the sun was low in the fall sky and times to head off to witness the sunset, this is a high energy point and is best shared with someone.....Cobbs Hill Park, Rochester, NY provides a spectacular view.......

Parents, regardless of your feelings of Fall time, try this time toldcraft..

Just a day during the week of a father & son enjoying the special moments of the season...



The pumpkin was a special one, it started as a seed in the hands of my lil man on a brisk afternoon during the early parts of May.  We charted out the garden for the best plot and spacing possible, the idea was to pack it in, but be able to tell y’all this story...

We harvested his pumpkin in a ceremonial event last week, he just loved that he got to hold a knife too!  Growing his pumpkin has been more then a rewarding experience on so many levels. I would encourage all parents to try this in the spring time, of course none of this would have been possible for two reasons.  One, my mom had a garden when I was a child & I remember growing our own one year; two, the BEES!  Without them busy bees pollinating the flowers, the harvest would not have been.  Thank you bees!!!

The carving activity was set up with him drawing (using his shapes & numbers) his Jack-o-Lantern face (as he described it) into a circle on a blank piece of paper.  After his idea, we cut the top off & began the slimy experience of removing the inside parts and separating the seeds. 

Now the seeds add the nutrition piece, because they grew that way and are an amazing natural source of protein.  So the carving was a huge success, the seeds still delicious, and hearing him tell that story to others just warms my heart.  The candle lighting ceremony is also an exciting event on those spooky fall nights......

How can a father & son have an amazing day?

Single Parenting 101, have a plan, practice supporting local organizations, smile, modify & adjust your plan all the time :)

Just a day in the weekend adventure of a father & son enjoying the moments...


10.1.12

Reflecting on the last weekend of Sept and it being a lil man weekend too, the foundation for what I find to be pure happiness was put into motion.  I plan the day around food.  The idea is it should grow that way, the food itself is the ingredient.

    Almonds, peanuts, pistachios are all big favorites as power snacks, he doesn’t even know we are having an “organized snack,” most of the time because we are out and about on the go.  The natural source of protein is great, fiber, and fat (the good kind), just have it in a baggy and was perfect to take on the trail with our water bottles.  Simple veggies make a great take along too.  Of course it takes time to develop a child's pallet to want the natural stuff (you too ADULTS!!), but food has been my medicine for many years now, so I listen to my MOM and eat more vegetables now then ever before.

We ended up at some nature trails (with a rich history as the signs & markers were fun to read along the way) and discovered a new water fall on our hike, we ended up exploring, collecting leaves, listening to the natural sounds, and also making fun on the North American Grey Squirrel along the way!  One almost dropped a black walnut on my head, so we turned that moment into a comical report for the remainder of the 3 mile hike. 

We ate breakfast, took some snacks, headed out on a local trail, only to be outside on a crisp fall afternoon.  The quality of time and uniqueness of the conversations are endless, especially engaging in the new season that the autumnal equinox has brought us.

Bowling with Papa followed and that great three generations of boys enjoying more physical activity with family time continue the flow of another amazing day.  It also yielded a much needed HEALTHY nap by a 4.5 & 35 year young boys :)