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Drink Cold Water
German researchers found that drinking 6
cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism
by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year, with
essentially zero additional effort. The increase may come from the work
it takes to heat the water to body temperature. |
Don't Diet
The
Women's Health Diet
isn't about eating less; it's about eating more—more nutrient-dense
food, to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. That's
important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It sends a
signal to your body that says, "I'm starving here!" And your body
responds by slowing your metabolic rate to hold on to existing energy
stores.
What's worse, if the food shortage (meaning, your crash
diet)
continues, you'll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your
enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism slows further,
and fat goes on to claim even more territory.
Go to Bed Earlier
A study in Finland looked at sets of
identical twins and discovered that in each set of siblings, the twin
who slept less and was under more stress had more visceral fat
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Go Organic When You Can
Canadian researchers report that dieters
with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are
stored in fat cells) experience a greater-than-normal dip in metabolism
as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the
energy-burning process. In other words, pesticides make it harder to
lose pounds.
Of course, it's not always easy to find—or afford—organic produce.
But in general, conventionally grown items that you peel—avocado,
grapefruit, bananas—are fine. But choose organic when buying celery,
peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell
peppers, spinach, kale and collard greens, cherries, potatoes, and
imported grapes; they tend to have the highest levels of pesticides. |
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Get Up, Stand Up
Whether you sit or stand at work may play
as big a role in your waistline as your fitness routine. Missouri
University researchers discovered that inactivity (4 hours or more)
causes a near shut- down of an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol
metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat-burning,
break up long periods of downtime by standing up—for example, while
talking on the phone. |
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Eat More Protein
Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. In a 2006 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
researchers argued that the current recommended daily intake for
protein, 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, is woefully inadequate for
anyone doing resistance training and recommend that women get between
0.54 and 1 gram per pound of body weight. (If you want to lose weight,
use your goal body weight as your guide.)
Add a serving, like 3 ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or 8
ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack. Plus, research shows
that protein can up postmeal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent.
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