The Skinny on Your Metabolism

Inheritance
So you've got your father's nose, your mothers unfortunate frizzy hair, your grandmothers's eyes, and this damnable metabolism that you don't know where it came from! Believe it or not, your metabolism has a lot to do with how, when, and where you gain weight. Everyone has a friend who can eat all the trans fats they want and never gain an ounce. But you, well... a single hershey's kiss will put you over the edge. Keep your metabolism running well with these tips.

1) Exercise.
Nothing will amp up your metabolism and keep it there like excerise. Studies have shown that after 30 to 45 minutes of moderate to heavy excersise your body will maintain that metabolism rate for up to 2 hours. So, start your day off with a brisk walk around the block, fit-in a work-out during your lunch hour, and then after dinner take Fido for a walk in the park.

2) Green tea.
Everywhere you look now studies are citing green tea as a way to speed metabolism. Coca-Cola is even coming out with a new "health" drink that contains green tea extracts designed to boost your metabolism. (A note, Coca-Cola has come under heavy fire for misleading advertising regarding this drink. There's too much sugar for it to actually do any good.) The recommended green tea dose is about three cups a day, or one with each meal. Green tea is quite tasty so it's not hard to get hooked on. Forego the sugar when drinking. If you absolutely must sweeten, use Splenda instead as your body doesn't recognize it as sugar.

3) Cold water.
Drink ice cold water throughout the day. Your body has to work harder to warm the water to an acceptable temperature before it can really absorb it and make use of it. So follow that swig of hot green tea with a dose of cold cold water.

4) Spicy food.
I don't really understand why spicy food spikes your metabolism but after reading various articles in numerous newspapers and scietific journals, they've convinced me. So when choosing a place to eat out tonight, opt for some sizzling spicy Thai food.

5) Eat regularly and frequently.
This does not mean eating a full meal every two hours. Snack through out the day to keep your body running. Your metabolism is comparable to a fire. If keep feeding the fire it will keep running. However, if you let it simmer down and then all of a sudden throw a big log (i.e. a meal) onto it, nothing much is going to happen.

Keep in mind that nothing beats a healthy diet and exercise regimen to lose weight and stay healthy. Remember to consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.