Metabolism and Eat Clean Principles

The day I realized that my nutrition was the key to finding my success and reaching my goals, I began to read and learn all that I could.  The first books that I purchased were Tosca Reno's Eat Clean books.  Her Eat Clean Principles taught me the basics.  I applied these principles to the 21 Day Fix nutrition guidelines & portion control system and started seeing changes.  My extra "fluff" began to disappear and I've been practicing these principles for so long that they are second nature to me. 

The Clean Eating Principles are part of what I share in each of my monthly Challenge groups.  Learning about Clean Eating & proper portions, having a wonderful exercise program and having the support of me as your coach are the key components to success! 

The basics of metabolism – our metabolism is what breaks down the energy we get from food and turns it into fuel for regular body functions. 

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which your body uses energy at rest.  Your BMR and metabolism are dependent on weight, height, muscle mass and activity levels.

    Yo-yo dieting confuses our body.  Our metabolism is trained to take it easy or work overtime, depending on available food sources.  When food is scarce or when you skip meals, your metabolism slows down in response to your reduced caloric intake.  Your body is protecting itself by avoiding starvation, making it less likely to shed excess fat just in case you need to use it for fuel later when body believes it is “starving”.

   What can we do to speed up our metabolism?

The most important way to boost metabolism is to build muscle with resistance training.  One pound of muscle burns about 25 times more calories than a pound of fat.  Muscle tissue demands the most energy, thus it is your muscle tissue that determines the rate at which your body burns energy.  More muscle means higher metabolic rate.

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   The foods we eat also work to stimulate or slam the brakes on our metabolism.  To maintain a healthy weight you must nourish your body with high-quality foods at regular intervals. (This is on of the Clean Eating Principles)  If you wait too long between meals or skip one entirely, you trigger a starvation response in your metabolism.  Doing this chronically will slow your metabolism over time.

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   Another Clean Eating Principle is to eat the superior food combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal or snack to prolong digestion and encourage blood sugar to remain stable between meals.

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   Eating protein causes metabolism to speed up as a direct result of the chemical reactions required to digest proteins.  This is called the “dynamic action of protein”.

   Eating a combination of protein and complex carbohydrates with each meal causes your BMR to rise within one hour and this increase in your basal metabolic rate will last for three to twelve hours.

   This is Tosca Reno's chart showing examples of lean proteins and complex carbs

My next Sweating of Summer challenge group is starting June 1st and I would LOVE to have you be a part of this!  You will learn about clean eating, proper portions, you will be given recipes, you will learn about meal planning, you will have an amazing workout program to use at home AND you will have me as your coach for complete support and encouragement.  There is no need to wait -- get started now on a healthier you!   

All you need to do is click this link to make me your FREE COACH.  Then email me at kristingator@gmail.com or fill out the form below and we will talk about your goals to find the PERFECT workout program for you.