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POINT FORM BOOKS
Boost Your Metabolism For Weight Loss and Overall Health
A Special Report
3/1/2013
Presented by
Alan Stransman
A safe, natural program to increase metabolism for weight loss and improved overall health.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 2
DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL NOTICES
The information presented within this digital publication solely and
fully represents the views of the author as of the date of publication. Any
slight to, or potential misrepresentation of any peoples or companies is
entirely unintentional. As a result of changing information, conditions or
contexts, the author reserves the right to alter content with impunity.
This publication is not intended in any way as a substitute for
medical, psychological or psychiatric advice or recommendations. You
should always consult with your doctor or other qualified professionals
regarding any known or suspected medical or mental conditions or
illnesses, as well as before engaging in any form of exercise or making
any changes to your dietary practices. Always consult with a doctor prior
to beginning any new medical regimen, including changing or
introducing medications, supplements, or other therapeutic procedures.
As this digital book is not intended as a substitute for professional
medical advice or recommendations, the author and the author‟s resellers
and affiliates assume no responsibility for any outcomes or effects on the
reader‟s well-being or health. Always consult with a medical
professional if you are or think you may be experiencing any sort of
health condition, disorder or disease.
This publication is intended for informational purposes only and the
author does not accept any responsibility for any sort of liability,
including injury, stress, strain, debilitation or financial loss, resulting
from the use of this information. This information is not presented by a
medical professional and is intended for educational and informational
purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health care providers with respect to any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never ignore professional medical
advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or
heard.
While every attempt has been made to verify the information
contained herein, the author and the author‟s resellers and affiliates
cannot assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 3
Table of Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................. 4
Chapter 1: What Is Metabolism? .......................................................... 6
Chapter Two: The Benefits of Boosting Your Metabolism .............. 11
Chapter Three: The Right Mindset to Boost Your Metabolism ...... 13
Chapter Four: The Metabolism-Boosting Program Overview ....... 15
Chapter Five: Exercise “Smart” Not Hard ........................................ 17
Chapter Six: Eating Right.................................................................... 37
Chapter 7: Reducing Stress ................................................................. 52
Chapter 8: Recap of the Metabolism-Boosting Program .................. 61
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Foreword
This ebook is entitled, “Boost Your Metabolism for
Weight Loss and Overall Health”, but it could just have easily
been entitled, “Lose Weight and Improve Your Overall Health
by Boosting Your Metabolism”. The point of this statement is
to acknowledge that any discussion of increasing your
metabolism is invariably linked to the concept of weight loss.
Very simply, most people who are interested in increasing
their metabolism have the goal of losing weight, and see
boosting their metabolism as a means of achieving that goal.
There is a very logical reason for this: metabolism is the
process by which your body converts calories into energy. If
your metabolic rate increases, you burn calories more
efficiently. Hence, you can either consume more calories than
normal without gaining weight or you can consume the same
number of calories as normal and lose weight. There are many
strategies for weight loss, and increasing the rate at which
your body burns calories is certainly one of them. However,
weight loss is only one of the benefits of boosting your
metabolism. There are a number of other important benefits,
as well, which will be discussed in this report. But, as we
stated at the outset, in all likelihood, if you are reading this
report, it is because you have the goal of losing weight and
you recognize that boosting your metabolism safely and
naturally is a much better way to achieve that goal than by
some form of self-deprivation and/or fad dieting.
This report presents a program for increasing metabolism
safely and naturally based upon four pillars: 1) strength and
resistance training 2) interval training 3) “eating right” and 4)
reducing stress. While the program is simple in terms of its
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component parts, it requires effort, discipline and commitment
if the desired results are to be achieved. This program is about
changing the way your body processes fuel for the long term.
It is not about achieving results quickly and then seeing those
results reverse as soon as you stop following the program. In
fact, you will have the best chance of success if you think of
this report as laying out a strategy for weight loss and
improved overall health through permanent changes in the
way you exercise, eat and deal with stress, as opposed to a
program which has a beginning, middle and end. Ideally, the
lifestyle changes you make should last a lifetime.
As stated above, the pillars of a safe and natural approach
to boosting your metabolism are to add muscle mass, interval
train, eat the “right” foods at the “right” time (and to eliminate
the wrong foods) and to reduce stress. Within each of those
categories, there are many options, and whenever possible,
this report will recommend resources that can assist you in
your journey.
If you have tried other means of increasing your
metabolism – and of losing weight – and have not achieved
the desired results, you will likely find the information in this
report unlike anything you have encountered before. If you
have never tried to boost your metabolism before, you should
find this report simple and straightforward, which, as we have
suggested earlier, is not to be construed as requiring little
effort. Follow the recommendations in this report and you
should begin to see results within a couple of weeks.
Incorporate the recommendations in this report into your
lifestyle, and you will be well on your way to a new and
improved you.
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Chapter 1: What Is Metabolism?
Metabolism, in its most basic sense, is the process
whereby your body converts calories from the food you eat
into energy. It is a series of chemical reactions that give your
body the energy to do what it needs to do to keep functioning
– and, consequently, for you to continue living. Without
metabolism – which is to say, without converting the calories
you consume into energy - you would not be able to move or
think. Metabolism provides energy for your body, and for your
individual organs, to function efficiently.
To better understand the vital importance of metabolism,
think of it this way: if your heart stops beating, you die.
Likewise, if your metabolism stops, you die – because without
metabolism, you would not have the energy to breathe, or for
your heart to beat!
How Metabolism Works
Let‟s start with the process of eating. As you chew and
swallow your food, it goes down to your digestive tract.
Digestive enzymes then break down your food – carbohydrate
into glucose, fats into fatty acids, and protein into amino acids.
After the nutrients are effectively broken down, they are
absorbed by the bloodstream and are carried over to the cells.
Other enzymes, along with hormones, then work to either
convert these nutrients into cells or building blocks for tissues
or release them as an energy supply for the body‟s immediate
use.
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Metabolism Types and Components
There are two basic metabolic processes – one is
constructive, and is responsible for building and storing
energy for the body. The other is destructive, though not in the
sense of doing damage, as it breaks down nutrient molecules
in order to release energy.
The constructive metabolic process is called anabolism,
while the destructive metabolic process is called catabolism.
Anabolism promotes the growth of new cells, the
maintenance and repair of tissues, and the storage of energy –
usually through body fat – for future use. Small nutrient
molecules are converted into larger molecules of protein,
carbohydrates and fat.
Catabolism, meanwhile, is responsible for immediately
providing the body with energy to use. Instead of building up,
it breaks down the nutrient molecules in order to release
energy. These two processes do not occur simultaneously but
are kept in balance by the body.
Catabolism – that is, the process of breaking down food
into energy that the body can use immediately - has three
components:
1. Basal metabolism: Sometimes called resting
metabolism, this is the component of metabolism
that is responsible for keeping you alive by ensuring
normal body functions. Even if you were bedridden
for the entire day, your basal metabolism would still
be at work.
Basal metabolism is metabolism‟s main component,
as 60 to 70 percent of the calories from the food you
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eat are used for this. People who want to lose weight
usually aim for a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR).
2. Physical movement: This can range from a simple
moving of your fingers all the way to very strenuous
exercise. Usually 25 percent of the calories you
consume are used to support physical movement.
3. Thermic effect of food: This relates to the digestion
and processing of the food you ingest into your
body. Normally, ten percent of the calories from the
food you eat are burned through this component of
catabolic metabolism.
Factors that Affect Metabolism
Your metabolic rate, or how fast or slow your
metabolism works, is influenced by a number of factors:
1. Genetics: Metabolic rate is partially hereditary.
This can sometimes account for the difference
between a person who can eat almost anything
and not gain an ounce and a person whose weight
increases after a single indulgence.
2. Age: The younger you are, the faster your
metabolism is. Metabolism slows down as you
age. Women‟s metabolic rate starts to decrease at
the age of 30; for men, the decline in metabolic
rate begins later, at the age of 40.
3. Gender: Men, generally, have a higher metabolic
rate – usually 10-15 percent higher – than women
because their bodies have more muscle mass.
Muscle is a key factor in metabolic rate, and
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building muscle an important factor in boosting
metabolism, as will be discussed in the chapter on
exercise.
4. Amount of lean body mass: As noted mentioned
above, more muscle means faster metabolism as
muscle burns more calories than fat.
5. Diet: Some foods will help you increase your
metabolism while others will slow down your
metabolic rate. While timing may not be
everything with respect to diet, when you eat
significantly impacts upon your metabolism, in
addition to what you eat. This will be discussed in
greater detail in the section of this report dealing
with “eating right”.
6. Stress level: Stress is inversely proportional to
metabolism, which means that the more stress
you are subjected to, the lower your metabolism.
While that may seem counterintuitive at this
point, you will have a better understanding of it
when we move on to the chapter on stress.
7. Hormones: Specific hormones metabolize
specific nutrients. How well those hormones
work, then, directly affects metabolism. To a
certain extent, diet and stress levels affect the
hormones that are involved in metabolism, as you
will discover in a later chapter. Hormonal
disorders or imbalances can have a negative
effect upon metabolism, as well.
Looking at all the various factors that influence
metabolism, you may now have a general idea of what you
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need to do to increase your metabolism – which is to accept
the factors (including heredity) that you cannot change, and
work on changing the one that you can!
However, before we delve into the detailed program for
firing up your metabolism, let‟s explore the benefits that are in
store for you when you do! And, since there will be some
work and commitment required, let‟s also explore the kind of
resolve that you will need to achieve the level of metabolism
that you desire.
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Chapter Two: The Benefits of Boosting Your
Metabolism
As we stated at the outset of this report, metabolism, and,
specifically, increasing metabolic rate, is not only about
weight loss, although most discussions about metabolism
seem to focus almost exclusively on this aspect. In fact, even
if you are perfectly happy with your weight, there are a lot of
benefits to increasing your metabolism. The following is a list
of some of the benefits that you stand to gain by applying the
strategies for boosting metabolism that are presented in this
report:
1. Weight loss: Let‟s start with the most obvious,
and, certainly, the most highly-sought-after
benefit. By increasing your metabolism,
particularly your BMR, (basal metabolic rate)
you will burn more calories simply by doing the
activities you normally do. Even while you are
asleep, your body is working to burn the calories
you consume. With an increase in metabolism,
you can actually shed one to two pounds per
week. Best of all, the results are long-term, unlike
a quick-fix diet! The kinds of weight loss results
that can be achieved by boosting your
metabolism are more gratifying and more long-
lasting than those that can be achieved through a
fad diet – if, in fact, any results can be achieved
through fad dieting, at all.
2. The ability to eat more without having to
worry about gaining weight: One of the side
benefits, if you will, of increasing your
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metabolism is that, as you are now burning
calories at a higher rate, you can consume more
calories without feeling guilty. This does not
mean having carte blanche to overindulge or load
up on junk food on a daily basis. It is to say,
rather, that for people who tend to worry about
gaining weight, an increase in metabolism can
have the effect of reducing that concern.
3. Feeling more energized: People with faster
metabolism report having more energy. With a
faster metabolism, your body is performing more
efficiently to release the energy you need to get
going and keep going.
4. Looking better: The skin of people with a fast
metabolism is brighter and more radiant. Their
faces are pinkish, more alive with color. With a
faster metabolism, you will not only feel good but
also look good!
5. Being healthier overall: Your body functions
more efficiently with a faster metabolism.
Digestion, absorption of nutrients and blood
circulation are improved. And you won‟t require
as much sleep as you did before to feel refreshed
the next day.
To recap, increasing your metabolism will confer a
number of benefits, including long-term weight loss, more
energy and an enhanced sense of well-being.
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Chapter Three: The Right Mindset to Boost
Your Metabolism
What does “mindset” have to do with increasing your
metabolism? Can‟t you just boost your metabolism without
having to develop the right mindset?
Perhaps you can, but as in virtually every other area of
human endeavor for which discipline, effort and commitment
are required, having the right mental attitude will certainly
increase your chances of successfully boosting your
metabolism. And, there is a good reason for that – boosting
your metabolism is a rather serious enterprise. That is not to
say that it needs to be a tortuous process – it can be fun and
exciting. But it is not a “quick-fix” for which you only need to
exert an effort or make sacrifices for a couple weeks – or, as in
the case of some of the more extreme diet fads, a couple of
days.
Boosting your metabolism for long-term benefits is about
changing your lifestyle and habits. Though you may choose to
focus, initially, on making small changes, you will still be
changing the way of life that you have become accustomed to
– and it may feel uncomfortable at first. Increasing your
metabolism requires day-to-day consistency in your actions
and lifestyle choices, and since you are seeking long-term
results, you will need to make a long-term investment. How
else would you expect to achieve long-term benefits?
From this point on, consider the ideas and strategies
presented in this report as constituting a complete package or
program. By doing so, you will more easily appreciate that
you cannot just follow some of the recommendations and still
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get all of the desired results. The program presented in this
report illustrates the “gestalt” principle – which is that the
whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Trust that the
components of the program all work together harmoniously to
deliver the results you are seeking, so by committing to any of
the recommendations, you are committing to all of them.
With that in mind, close your eyes and imagine exactly
what your life will be like after this program has begun to take
effect. How will you look? How will you feel? Using the same
process of casting your mind into the future, try to picture
yourself after three months, then six months – and even a year,
if you can. What differences do see when you look at
yourself? If you are new to this kind of “imagery” exercise, it
may seem a bit strange, but consider this – many of the top
athletes in the world, including Olympic gold medalists, use
this exact type of imaginative process to envision their success
before they achieve it.
Once you have imagined it, and you have “seen yourself”
achieving it, write down your expected results. Doing this will
help you persevere through the program, especially on those
occasions when you are fighting the urge to go back to some
of your old lifestyle habits – and eating habits! When that
happens – and it will – pull out the piece of paper on which
you wrote down the benefits that you hope to enjoy by
increasing your metabolism.
If you can do that – resist the temptation to revert to your
old ways by focusing on the “future you” that you can see in
your mind‟s eye – you will be well on your way to achieving
your goal of increasing your metabolism.
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Chapter Four: The Metabolism-Boosting
Program Overview
As stated in the previous chapter, to achieve the results
you desire, you will need to this report as a self-contained
program for which you will need to comply with all of the
recommendations in order to boost your metabolism, not just a
few of them.
We will begin with the exercise component, as this is,
perhaps, the most crucial element in the entire program.
Exercise, if it is “done right”, can significantly impact your
BMR. The goal, however, is to “exercise smart, and not
always “hard”, as many other fitness programs would have
you do. We will be talking about the importance of building
muscle mass and applying the right intensity to exercise a bit
later in the report.
The second component of the program deals with “eating
right”. As with the exercise component, we are not prescribing
hardship or deprivation. “Eating right” is not necessarily about
eating less, as most traditional weight loss programs would
have you do – but “eating smart”. As you will discover in that
section of the report, the results you desire will not only come
from the foods you eat, but from how and when you eat them,
as well.
The third component of the program is about reducing
stress. Here again, you may, initially, express some surprise at
the inclusion of a section on stress reduction in a program
whose goal is to boost metabolism. Rest assured, however,
that stress is a very real and a very powerful obstacle to
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boosting your metabolism, which is why it is a vital
component of this metabolism-boosting program.
Take time to absorb each component of the program
before moving on to the next one. You can start by applying
the recommendations presented in this report “little by little”,
if you will, as long as you have the intention of putting it all
together once your body has adjusted to the changes that you
are making.
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Chapter Five: Exercise “Smart” Not Hard
As stated in the previous chapter, we will recommending
in this report that you exercise smart, not necessarily exercise
hard. That said, some of the components of the exercise
program are of high-intensity and may, indeed, be “hard” to
do in the initial stages. But the guiding principle is efficiency
of time and energy. Remember, the goal is to boost your
metabolism, not to prepare for a grueling endurance test such
as a marathon or triathlon. Hence, you will likely not need to
work as long or as hard as you may think. The goal is to “fire
up” your metabolism with an exercise program that requires
the least amount of time and the least amount of effort without
sacrificing results.
The two major components of the exercise program are
strength and resistance training for building lean muscle mass
and interval training for speeding up the metabolic process in
general.
Strength and Resistance Training
The exercises in this section of the training program are
designed, as the name of this section suggests, to build
strength. To achieve this goal, tension is applied to directly to
the muscles. The end result is increased muscle mass in your
body. Building muscle is a very important component of the
metabolism-boosting program as the more muscle you have in
your body the more calories you will burn. A good way of
thinking of this is to imagine the muscles in your body as
small furnaces that burn fuel – the fuel in this analogy being
calories. The more furnaces that you have, the more fuel you
will burn. A numerical way of framing this concept is to
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understand that for every pound of muscle that you add to
your body, you will burn an additional 40-50 additional
calories per day.
That means that if you were to add ten pounds of muscle
mass to your body through the exercises in the program, you
would burn an additional 500 calories per day and 3500
calories per week. You can see now how adding muscle mass
leads to weight loss, as we are not talking about burning 3500
calories per week through exercise – we are talking about your
additional muscle mass consuming those calories without any
exertion, whatsoever.
While building muscles is usually associated with weight
training, this is not, necessarily, always the case. There are, in
fact, many strength and resistance training exercises that do
not require weights at all. If you are on a tight budget, you can
still do all of the strength and resistance training you need to
do to increase your metabolism without investing any money
in weights or in a gym membership. Having said that, if you
are committed to achieving the best results possible, a
combination of strength exercises with equipment and without
equipment is best, and at the end of this chapter we will make
some recommendations as to some of the best fitness
equipment out there, if you want to set up a mini-gym in your
own home.
Since we are on the subject, let‟s begin with a discussion
of weight-lifting exercises.
Weight-lifting is a very effective muscle-building strategy
as by using weights you can apply tension directly to your
muscles. Compare this to an activity like swimming, which
provides a total body workout, but one in which it is difficult
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to isolate individual muscles or even muscle groups to
develop. Another advantage of weight training is that you can
easily track your progress as the number of pounds or grams is
clearly indicated on each weight. As your muscles adapt to the
added demands being placed on them and strengthen, you can
add more weight, whether you are using barbells, free weights
or resistance rods.
The best way to determine how many grams or pounds
your weights should be when you start out is by simply giving
them a try .This may not seem terribly scientific but the truth
is that the best weights for you are the ones that put tension on
your muscles but do not make you feel fatigued. This will vary
from one individual to another so there is no “one size fits all”
approach. If you are lifting free weights in the gym, it is easy
enough to start with the lightest weights available and see
which ones provide tension that you can actually feel in your
muscles when you do a few “reps”, but do not cause a strain.
Your goal is going to be three sets of eight repetitions of each
strength-training exercise - that is where you will strive to end
up, but where you begin will depend upon your individual
abilities at the outset.
The best exercises for achieving faster results for
boosting metabolism are those that work several muscles in
your body at the same time. However, if you want to focus on
a particular muscle, or group of muscles, to tone or sculpt a
specific body part, that can work, as well. There are many
weight-lifting exercises you can choose from to include in
your routine, but here are some of the basics:
1. Bench press – This is a multi-joint exercise,
working the major muscles of the shoulders, chest
and triceps. To do this, lie on a bench and hold
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the weight over your chest with your elbows bent
at 90 degrees. “Press” the weight up until your
arms straighten, then lower it slowly back to your
starting position.
2. Chest fly – This works the muscles of the chest,
and requires two weights, one in each hand. Lie
on a bench with your weights held overhead,
palms facing inward. Lower the weights to your
sides up to shoulder level, with your elbows
slightly bent. Slowly bring the weights up, back
to starting position.
3. Bicep curl – This is one of the most basic
weight-lifting exercises, and one which puts
tension on the biceps, as the name suggests. To
perform this exercise, hold the weights with your
palms facing out. Bend your elbows to bring the
weights to your shoulders without touching them.
Slowly lower the weights down, but do not
straighten your arm out totally, so as to maintain
a level of tension.
4. Concentration curl – This also works the biceps.
Kneel on one leg using the leg opposite the hand
you are working with. Hold one weight with your
working hand and put the other hand on your
waist. Place the back of the upper arm of your
working hand on the inner thigh of the other leg.
You can lean into that leg to raise your elbow a
little. Raise the weight to the front of your
shoulder and then slowly lower the arm until
almost straight.
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5. Overhead press – This works the shoulder
muscles. Stand or sit straight and hold your
weights with your elbows bent and your hands in
front of your eyes. Bring the weights over your
head while keeping your back straight. Slowly
bring the weights down to starting position.
As we have described, the exercises above utilize weights
– either barbells or free weights. Strength exercises without
weights can be combined with these weight-lifting exercises to
add diversity to your routine, or, if you do not have access to
weights, can be used on their own as a strength-and-
resistance-training regimen.
Here are some examples:
1. Squat – A squat is a multi-joint exercise
working the hamstrings, quadriceps, “glutes”
and the lower back. In fact, this is one of the
most effective strength exercises without
weights. From a standing position, slowly
lower your body until your knees bend at a 90-
degree angle. Keep your feet flat on the floor
while doing this. Slowly return to a standing
position.
2. Pushup – This is a very common and a very
effective strength-and resistance –training
exercise – and one which most of us had to do
in elementary school physical education
classes. While the basic pushup works well,
adding variations to the basic model can work
more muscles.
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For example, you can do pushups between two chairs.
These work the chest and the triceps. Place both feet on a
stable chair and then place both hands on separate chairs. The
two chairs your hands are resting on can be separated by a gap
of 60 centimeters. The chair with your feet should align with
the midpoint of the gap between the other two chairs. Your
body should be extended comfortably from the chair your feet
are on to the two chairs on which you have placed your hands.
Slowly lower your chest – below the level of the chairs if you
can – and then “push up” until your arms are fully extended,
keeping your back straight.
3. Crunch – The basic “crunch” – another of the
exercises we all did as children - is a strength
exercise, although it works, mostly, on the
“abs”. Although the crunch is well-known by
just about everyone, not everyone knows how
to do it properly. To do this exercise correctly,
lie on the floor or on a mat with your knees
bent and your feet flat on the floor. You may
put your hands behind your head. Raise your
upper body – but leading with your chest –
upwards until you feel your abs contract. To
maintain proper tension, do not raise your
body all the way up to a 90-degree angle.
Again, to maintain tension, when you lower
your body back down, do not rest on the floor.
Instead, keep yourself a bit elevated from the
floor.
To add variety to your exercise regimen and in order to
work different sets of muscles, you can also try working out
with different equipment like exercise balls.
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In planning your routine for strength exercises, refer to the
body‟s muscle groups below and determine which ones you
want to work on. Keep in mind, though, that multi-joint
exercises are still best to achieve faster metabolism.
1. Biceps – These are found at the front of your
upper arm.
2. Triceps – These are at the back of your upper
arm.
3. Deltoids – These are the caps of your
shoulders.
4. The Pectoralis Major – This is the large, fan-
shaped muscle on the front of your upper
chest.
5. Rhomboids – These are muscles in the middle
of your upper back and located between the
shoulder blades.
6. Trapezius – This is on your upper back,
sometimes called „traps.‟ The upper trapezius
muscle, in particular, runs from the back of
your neck to your shoulder.
7. Latisimus Dorsi – These are large muscles
that go down the middle of your back. When
developed well, they give your back an
attractive V-shape, creating the appearance of
a smaller waist.
8. Lower Back – This comprises the erector
spine muscles that enable back extension. This
also helps in maintaining good posture.
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9. Abdominals –This is where the belly fat
usually goes, forming the flab you want to
banish forever. The abdominals are composed
of the external obliques, which run down the
sides and the front of the abdomen, and the
rectus abdominus, a flat muscle running across
the abdomen.
10. Gluteals – Also called “glutes,” the main
muscle here is the gluteus maximus, the
muscle on your buttocks.
11. Quadriceps – These muscles go up the front
of your thigh.
12. Hamstrings – These are on the back of your
thighs.
13. Hip Abductors and Adductors – These are
located at your inner and outer thigh.
Abductors are on the outside, moving the leg
away from your body. On the other hand,
adductors are on the inside, pulling the leg to
the center of your body.
14. Calf Muscles– The calf muscles are on the
back of the lower leg. The two calf muscles
are the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The
former gives the calf a stable, round shape
while the soleus is a flat muscle below the
gastrocnemius.
After choosing your exercises, you must think about the
level of intensity and the duration of your exercises. The
number of repetitions and sets actually depends on your level
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 25
of tolerance – fatigue is a sign that you have overtaxed
yourself. Let yourself feel the “burn” in your muscles or the
soreness but do not push beyond a tolerable level of strain –
which is to say, strain but not pain. As a general guideline, the
American College of Sports Medicine recommends three sets
or more of strength exercises with six to eight repetitions for
each set for building muscle. If you are a beginner, though, it
may take some time before you reach this level. Do not take
more than a 45-second rest between sets for best results in
increasing metabolism.
Your exercise routine does not have to take longer than 30
minutes for you to achieve optimum results.
At this point, it should be reiterated that strength and
resistance exercises are the best and healthiest way to build
muscles. Looking for shortcuts, like performance-enhancing
drugs or steroids with growth hormones is neither effective, in
the long-term, nor healthy. While they may help increase your
muscle mass in the short term, they can have extremely
dangerous side effects, such as heart attack, liver damage, and
even premature death – making their long-term use
exceedingly hazardous and, simply put, not worth the risk.
The best course of action is to stick to the healthy and proven
ways of building muscles discussed earlier in this section of
the report.
The benefits of strength exercises are many and extend
beyond boosting metabolism – although boosting metabolism
would be reason enough to do them!. Strength training also
lowers blood pressure, improves balance and flexibility,
increases your stamina for other activities, and reduces your
risk of injury
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 26
It should come as no surprise that strength-training-
exercises actually do strengthen your muscles and bones!
Interval Training
Once again, the name says it all - these exercises are all
about “intervals,” specifically, creating “intervals” of high-
intensity exercise and rest. In this section of the metabolism-
boosting program, you will be doing some form of
cardiovascular exercise at the highest level of intensity that
you can, then shift to a moderate level of intensity, back to
high intensity again, then back to moderate intensity, and so
on. This type of exercise, alternating between intervals of high
and moderate levels of intensity, is also referred to as
“metabolic burst” training, as the sudden burst required for the
high-intensity activity is accompanied by a sudden burst of
calorie-burning. Because of the sudden “burst” that you are
giving to your body, it responds by suddenly releasing energy.
The “rest” period in which moderate exercise is performed, is
essential to allow the body to get rid of the waste products in
the muscles that you are using in the exercise. It is important,
however, to remember to maintain a significant level of effort
during the moderate stage, as opposed to going into a period
of total rest. This is to ensure that continuous release of energy
in your body is maintained.
Interval training can be done for almost any type of
cardiovascular exercise – running, biking, swimming, and
others. For running, the “rest” period (again, something of a
misnomer here, as you will not actually be resting) can be
brisk walking. For biking and swimming, again, the idea is to
alternate between performing the activity at a high level of
intensity – the highest that you can without becoming out of
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 27
breath – and performing the activity at a slower or more
moderate pace. The “high-intensity” and the “moderate-
intensity” exercise can also be somewhat different. For
example, a high-intensity exercise could consist of briskly
walking up the stairs while the low-intensity exercise might be
briskly walking on a flat surface – the moderate phase of the
activity is not rendered less strenuous by being performed
more slowly, necessarily, but by being performed on a flat
surface as opposed to a vertical set of stairs. The goal is to
alternate between sudden bursts of activity which put an
intense strain on your system and require a corresponding
burst of energy to perform, and a less demanding phase or
“interval” of physical exercise which allows your body to
eliminate waste products that have accumulated in the
muscles, and yet maintain a continuous burning of calories.
That‟s the theory of “interval training” in a nutshell.
Each “interval” should last between one to four minutes.
The “rest” period can be shorter or longer than your high-
intensity exercise, depending on your level of conditioning.
Thirty minutes of interval training is sufficient to achieve
optimal results. Just ensure that your moderate-intensity
exercise still requires a significant level of intensity –we‟re
talking about different degrees of intensity, here – while, at the
same time, still allowing your body to prepare for the next
burst of very high-intensity exercise. As we stated earlier, a
good indicator of whether or not you are performing your
high-intensity exercises at a sufficiently high exercise is being
out of breath – being almost but not completely out of breath
is a the level you want to aim for.
There is a way to calculate what your optimal level of
intensity should during the “high-intensity” intervals of your
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 28
interval training, rather than relying on the “out-of-breath”
test, which is based upon your heart rate. To get your
maximum heart rate, simply subtract your age from 220.
Hence, if you are a 40-year-old, your “max heart rate” would
be 180. An interesting way to calculate your optimal level of
intensity is to increase your intensity until you are almost out
of breath. Then, take your pulse by placing your hand on your
wrist and counting the number of beats within 10 seconds and
multiplying by 6. That will tell you what your heart rate is at
the point at which you start to feel out of breath – which is the
point beyond which you should not push yourself. Your heart
rate should be about 75-85% of your max heart rate – which
you calculated by subtracting your age from 200. Hence, if
you are a 40-year-old, your heart rate during your high-
intensity intervals should be between 135 and 145. Again,
depending upon your level of conditioning, you may feel out
of breath at at a heart rate that is less than 75-85% of your max
heart rate. As you become fitter, you will be able to extend
yourself closer to the 75-85% level, although you should not
exceed that.
Now, you may wonder, what good is it to know what your
optimal heart rate zone should be while you are doing your
interval training. You certainly don‟t want to stop to take your
pulse during while you are in the middle of your high-intensity
interval. This is where a heart-rate monitor comes in. You
don‟t need a heart rate monitor to achieve results from interval
training. You can rely on the “breath test” to determine how
much effort you are exerting and then calculate your heart rate
during that period as soon as you have finished your interval.
But, if you really want to be scientific about it, a heart-rate
monitor is a fantastic tool. Worn like a simple wrist watch, a
heart-rate monitor will tell you exactly what your heart rate is
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 29
while you are in the process of exercising, allowing you to
measure your intensity level “on the fly”.
For those whose main reason for wanting to boost their
metabolism is weight loss, here‟s the good news: after a few
weeks of interval training, you can expect even your normal
exercise with moderate intensity to burn more calories than
usual.
A study by exercise scientist Jason Talanian, Ph.D.,
supports this claim. After seven interval workouts spread out
over a two week period, subjects increased their fat burning by
a whopping 36 percent through normal cycling exercises only.
And the good news doesn‟t stop there. Even after your
interval training session has ended, your body continues to
burn calories in the “metabolic afterburn” phase, which can
lasts for up to 46 hours after your workout.
You can see that interval training has benefits that normal
cardiovascular exercise cannot offer. Furthermore, normal
cardiovascular exercise usually takes longer to complete, as
the primary objective is to develop endurance, not to boost
metabolic rate. As we have seen, significant metabolism-
boosting results can be achieved through interval training
sessions of 30 minutes in duration spread out over a period of
just a few weeks.
The Schedule
While you are free to choose the specific exercises
components that will comprise both the strength and resistance
training and the interval training elements of your personal
metabolism-boosting program, to achieve optimal results, it is
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 30
recommended that you follow a schedule that is designed
along the lines of the one below:
Day 1: Strength and resistance exercises
Day 2: Interval training exercises
Day 3: Strength and resistance exercises
Day 4: Interval training exercises
Day 5: Strength and resistance exercises
Day 6: Interval training exercises
Day 7: Rest
As you can see, in this simple regimen, strength training
and interval training are scheduled on alternate days, to allow
for the muscles that you work in each of the two exercise
components to have a day to recover before being worked
again. It is best not to do your strength training exercises after
your interval training workout – as tempting as this seem from
the standpoint of time management – as this will slow down
the process of muscle-building.
Scheduling one day per week without any exercise is also
a crucial component of the program for your body needs a rest
day to recover from the workouts you are doing.
Again, it is important to reiterate that it not necessary to
push your body to the point of exhaustion. Doing so will
trigger a stress response in your body, which may have serious
effects on your metabolism. (The link between stress and
metabolism will be discussed in a later section). Also, make
sure that you are able to breathe normally throughout the
exercises so that your body is not subjected to undue stress.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 31
Always perform warm-up exercises before your exercise
routine and cool-down exercises after. For a warm-up
exercise, any type of “cardio” activity at a moderate level of
intensity will serve you well. For a cool-down, try a total
“body stretch” to relax your muscles. Breathing exercises will
also help you to relax following an exercise routine.
Do not hesitate to inject variety into your exercise routines
not only to work different muscle groups, but for your own
enjoyment, as well, especially if you find yourself getting
bored with the same exercise routines. The key to success is
consistency, but what is meant by that is sticking to a regular
exercise schedule, as opposed to exercising very vigorously
for a couple of days in a row and then being idle for a few
days at a time. However, within a program of regular exercise,
individual exercise sessions can be varied and diverse. As long
as strength training and interval training sessions are
alternated to allow the body to work and recover, how you
“change up” your workouts to keep yourself interested and
motivated is up to you.
Some Additional Information Regarding Your
Metabolism-Boosting Program
Here are a few more things to keep in mind as you
develop the exercise program that you will be following to fire
up your metabolism:
1. Age does not matter. Whether you are 20 or 60,
you can trust that the exercise program which we
have presented in this report will work for you.
For older people, your interval training may not
be as intense as that of someone younger at first.
After doing it for some time, however, you just
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 32
might be surprised at how far your body is able to
go. With respect to strength and resistance
training, specifically, a study conducted at Tufts
University in Boston found that muscle mass can
be added through strength training at virtually
any age. In the study, women between the ages of
87 and 96 who underwent an 8-week strength
training program tripled their strength and
increased their muscle mass by ten percent.
2. Other forms of physical activity are good
but….While it is true that any kind of physical
activity burns calories, some forms of physical
activity burn more calories than others and are of
greater value from a cardiovascular perspective.
If you bowl, curl or “figure skate”, by all means
continue to engage in those activities. However,
they should not take the place of strength training
and interval training, if your goal is to boost your
metabolism.
3. More exercise does not mean faster
metabolism. Generally speaking, the more you
exercise the more calories you will burn. That
said, there is the phenomenon known as
“diminishing returns”. Your goal is to achieve a
long-term increase in your metabolic rate. Rather
than focusing on how much exercise you do,
focus instead on how consistently you exercise. If
you extend yourself beyond your limits, not only
will you risk an injury which could set your
program back weeks or even months, but you
could also push your body into a stress reaction.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 33
Stress, as we shall soon see, has a negative effect
on metabolism.
As we have seen, the most effective exercise program to
boost your metabolism not only includes but alternates, on a
day-to-day basis, strength and resistance training and interval
training. But exercise is only one component of your
metabolism-boosting program. In the next section of the
report, we will consider the role that “eating right” plays in the
program.
Recommended Resources
While it is not necessary to join a fitness club or
community center which has free weights and resistance-
training equipment for the strength-training component of the
metabolism-boosting program, you will achieve better results
in less time with professional equipment. The alternative to a
membership at a club or fitness center is to set up a gym in
your own home. This is a very convenient option for many
people as it affords the opportunity to work out any time, day
or night, without needing to travel to and from the fitness
facility, a key benefit for people who are already pressed for
time.
Home fitness equipment is very sophisticated these days
and there are many fantastic products on the market that can
be used for strength-training and interval training. In the
section below, a few of the top products on the market are
listed:
For information on each of the recommended products,
click on the hyperlink below the product name:
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 34
Bowflex 3000 HomeGym
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001AS4YRQ/ref=as_l
i_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&c
reativeASIN=B001AS4YRQ&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20
Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001AS697O/ref=as_li
_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&cr
eativeASIN=B001AS697O&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20"
Bowflex SelectTech 532 Adjustable Dumbbells
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001ARYU58/ref=as_l
i_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&c
reativeASIN=B001ARYU58&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20"
Universal 445-Pound Dumbbells and Stand Combo
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003UO1DLS/ref=as_l
i_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&c
reativeASIN=B003UO1DLS&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20
Fitnex E70 Elliptical Trainer
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000CSI5NO/ref=as_li
_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&cr
eativeASIN=B000CSI5NO&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20"
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 35
Fitnex Light Commercial Elliptical Trainer
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003ICE2AG/ref=as_li
_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&cr
eativeASIN=B003ICE2AG&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20"
Polar FT7 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004KMP0TU/ref=as_
li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&
creativeASIN=B004KMP0TU&linkCode=as2&tag=memowri
t-20"
Polar FT7 Men’s Heart Rate Monitor
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001U0OFDC/ref=as_l
i_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&c
reativeASIN=B001U0OFDC&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20"
Lifespan TR4000i Fitness Folding Treadmill
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002FJXLO6/ref=as_li
_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&cr
eativeASIN=B002FJXLO6&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20
Lifespan TR1200i Fitness Folding Treadmill 2013
Model
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0030EW7Q8/ref=as_l
i_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&c
reativeASIN=B0030EW7Q8&linkCode=as2&tag=memowrit-
20
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 36
Note: There are many other models available in each
category, which may better suit your needs and budget. If you
wish to make the commitment to and investment in home gym
equipment, you will find a product to fit virtually any budget.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 37
Chapter Six: Eating Right
Food is your main fuel for energy – it gives your body the
calories it processes to burn or to store energy. Eating the right
food, the right amount of food, and at the right time will
produce the best results possible for your metabolism-boosting
program.
For those whose primary objective for increasing their
metabolism is to lose weight – and that likely means for the
majority of the readers of this report - it needs to be stated
that eating to boost metabolism is radically different from
traditional weight loss diets. In traditional diets, calories are,
in a sense, your “enemy”, as the goal is to monitor caloric
intake, and, in most weight loss diest, reduce it. The opposite
is actually true for a metabolism-boosting diet. Calories are
now your friends – the good calories, that is.
Recall that in the previous section of this report dealing
with exercise, it was stated that the more muscles you build,
the more calories you will burn, as muscle burns more calories
than fat. It was also stated that after a period of interval
training - and recall the study that demonstrated that that
period is only a couple of weeks - your body also burns more
calories. Hence, to keep pace with the increased calorie
burning, you actually have to eat more. This will become
clearer as we proceed.
The Right Nutrients To Include in Your Metabolism-
Boosting Program
Carbohydrates are among the most important nutrients
for firing up your metabolism, as they are provide basic fuel
for the physical activity you will be doing in the program. If
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 38
you exercise regularly – and remember, consistent physical
exercise in the form of strength training and interval training
is the first building block of the metabolism-boosting program
- carbohydrates are crucial. As you progress in your muscle-
building and interval training, you will need to increase your
carbohydrate intake. As your body burns more energy, it will
need more energy from carbohydrates. If the carbohydrates
you consume are not enough, your body will turn to your
muscle mass to get its energy. By not consuming sufficient
quantities of carbohydrates, you could actually begin to break
down the muscles you are working so hard to build.
Consequently, more than 50 percent of your calorie
requirements should come from carbohydrates.
That said, it is important to understand that not all
carbohydrates are created equal.
There are two types of carbohydrates – simple and
complex. Simple carbohydrates are easier to digest and to
absorb than complex carbohydrates. If we consider the thermic
effect of food consumption, which, as we noted in Chapter 1,
is a component of metabolism, complex carbohydrates are the
way to go. And, as a general rule, complex carbohydrates are
“healthier” types of food while simple carbohydrates are
usually the processed foods which are loaded with
preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
Having said that, simple carbohydrates should not be
neglected entirely. Healthy examples of simple carbohydrates
include honey, milk and fresh fruit juices.
With respect to complex carbohydrates, there is a wide
range of options. The table below presents a number of
options.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 39
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Grains and
Cereal
Root Crops Vegetables
Oatmeal Potato Broccoli
Whole Wheat Bread Sweet Potato Cauliflower
Whole Wheat Pasta Taro/Yam Cabbage
Brown Rice Manioc Eggplant
Bran Cucumber
Corn Green Peppers
Tomatoes
Bean Sprouts
Squash
Asparagus
Garlic
Onion
As we can see from this chart, not all carbohydrates fall
into the category of grains and root crops – there are fibrous
carbohydrates as well in the vegetables category. The fiber in
these vegetables, while not absorbed by the digestive system,
contributes to the thermic effect. Fiber also cleanses the body,
aiding its smooth functioning.
Protein is another essential nutrient in the metabolism-
boosting diet. Protein is broken down by the body into amino
acids, which are the building blocks of cells – and,
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 40
consequently, of muscles. In addition, like complex
carbohydrates, protein is an important factor in the thermic
effect of food consumption, as it takes the body a long time to
break protein down into usable components.
Some excellent sources of protein are listed below:
1. Chicken – Chicken breast has the highest degree
of protein. Drumsticks are also good, though as
high in protein as breast. Be sure to remove the
skin to eliminate saturated fat and cholesterol.
2. Fish – An excellent source of protein without the
negative elements of red meat. In addition to high
protein content, coldwater fish like salmon and
tuna contain valuable omega oils that promote
heart health.
3. Eggs – A rich source of protein and an affordable
one, too, when compared to other protein sources
such as steak or salmon. Eggs contain all the
essential amino acids needed for growth.
Contrary to what many people think, the high
protein content in eggs comes mostly from the
egg white and not the egg yolk. To avoid over-
consumption of egg yolks, high in cholesterol, try
using egg white for omelettes and other egg-
based dishes.
4. Milk – This is another key source of protein for
anyone who wants to build muscle. It is not by
accident that infants and toddlers are given milk
for growth.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 41
5. Whey – Though not a natural whole food, whey
is a very good source of protein and a very
healthy one. Whey protein is a staple among body
builders, which, speaks volumes about its role in
muscle-building. Whey protein comes in many
forms, including powder. But not all whey
protein is of equal value as processing varies. For
more information on the best choice of whey
protein, see the note below.
Fats are also essential for boosting metabolism. This may
raise a few eyebrows, especially among those who have tried
conventional weight loss diets. This is where the fast
metabolism diet, again, sets itself apart. While too much fat –
especially unhealthy fat – is bad, a small amount of healthy
fats consumed daily helps the hormones responsible for
metabolism to continue performing well. Diets that are
extremely low in fat tend to lead to poor hormone production,
and thus, actually have the effect of slowing metabolism.
When adding fats to your diet remember to keep them in
their proper place: at the top of the food pyramid. Healthy
sources of fat include olive oil, avocados, sunflower seeds,
and nuts.
As with fats, calcium helps release hormones that boost
metabolism. Milk, of course, is the best source of calcium.
Yogurt is also high in calcium and has other health benefits as
well.
“Foods” to Avoid
There are a number of foods to avoid, as well know, and a
number of them shouldn‟t really be considered to be foods, at
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 42
all, as there nutritional value is so low. As a general rule,
avoid consuming “empty” calories – the ones that come from
refined, highly processed foods. They are called “empty
calories” because they fill you up while providing very little
nutritional value, as stated a moment ago. To make matters
worse, these foods usually contain a lot of sugar – and
consuming too much sugar has an adverse effect on
metabolism.
While most of us are well aware of the types of “foods”
that contain empty calories, a number are listed in the chart
below:
Candies
Gums
Chocolate bars
Pastries
Cakes
Biscuits
Soft drinks
Fast food
Flavored drinks
White bread, rice and pasta
One further note regarding items to avoid: too much
caffeine is not a positive factor in boosting metabolism as it
can trigger a stress response. While you may not wish to
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 43
eliminate coffee from your diet entirely, it is advisable to “go
easy on it”.
Other Recommended Foods to Boost Metabolism
1. Spices – Cayenne pepper and red hot pepper, in
particular, contain capsaicin which is said to
increase metabolism by as much as 25 percent for
a period of three hours.
2. Green Tea – While green tea is valued by many
as an antioxidant, taken regularly, green tea can
also increase the thermic effect of food. Research
from the University of Geneva shows that green
tea speeds up fat oxidation in addition to boosting
metabolism. Green tea also has less caffeine than
coffee, which, as noted earlier, can affect
metabolism negatively. For those who do not find
the taste of green tea to their liking – or, who
may, perhaps, not enjoy hot beverages in general,
green tea extract is available in capsule form.
3. Soy – A study conducted by the University of
Illinois shows that ingesting soy protein increases
metabolism. The soy protein was injected,
though, and not fed to the subjects. While the
study is not 100 percent conclusive, eating soy,
with its healthy protein content and immunity-
building properties, is certainly not a bad idea and
could well have the effect of boosting
metabolism.
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 44
Water: A Key Component of Your Metabolism-Boosting
Program
When it comes to boosting metabolism, the age-old adage
applies: drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Dehydration slows metabolism by causing a drop in body
temperature. This drop in temperature triggers a response in
your body whereby fat is stored to help increase or maintain
body temperature.
In addition, as you will be doing more exercise, you will
need more water to stay hydrated. If you have a tendency to
sweat a lot during exercise, you may need to consume even
more than the eight glasses of water. While it is possible to
consume too much water – and there have been cases of
people actually dying performing endurance activities such as
running marathons, those instances are exceedingly rare, and
the chances of becoming dehydrated are greater, though,
perhaps, less severe in the extreme. Let your body be your
guide – that‟s what thirst is for – if you are sweating during
exercise, have a bottle of water handy and sip on it regularly.
Water cleanses the body of toxins and thus enables all of
the processes in the body to proceed smoothly, including
metabolism.
Eating At the Right Time
Even though you are consuming the right foods, your
results will be compromised if the timing of your food
consumption is less than ideal. For optimal results, incorporate
the suggestions below into your daily routine:
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 45
1. Eat several meals a day, every two and a half hours to three hours. To really maximize the
thermic effect of food, it is advisable to eat more
often than the traditional “three square meals per
day” would have you do. By eating smaller meals
every three hours will allow you to enjoy the
thermic effect throughout the day, as it takes the
body between two and a half to three hours to
digest food. As far as the “optimal” number of
meals is concerned, the “magic” number for men
is six, while for women it is five. This means that
men who wish to boost their metabolism should
eat six small meals per day, and women should
eat five. On average, men require 600-900 more
calories per day than women do, based upon
higher amounts of muscle mass.
2. While several smaller meals are better than fewer
larger ones, that does not mean that exceeding the
optimal number of meals is even better -
especially those consumed before bed or, even
worse, during the night. When you are asleep,
your bodily functions slow down, and digestion is
more difficult. Calories from meals eaten late in
the evening are often stored as fat. Keeping your
last meal of the day light – and having it as early
as possible – is not only a key strategy in your
metabolism-boosting program but a healthy
lifestyle habit to develop, as well.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. One of the biggest
mistakes that many people make who are trying
to lose weight is to skip breakfast, thinking that
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© 2013 Point Form Books, All Rights Reserved | 46
they will be cutting down on calories by doing so.
Remember - your body has been in starvation
mode while you have been asleep – and your
metabolism, while not completely shut down, has
been significantly slowed. To get your
metabolism “up and running” again, start the day
with a hearty breakfast. The later in the day that
you eat your first meal, the later your metabolism
will kick in.
4. Do not skip meals. As a general rule, you skip
should not skip meals - especially if you are still
keeping to the “three basic meals” routine. If you
have a busy schedule and have a hard time
snacking, keep healthy “emergency” foods within
your reach, such as whole wheat crackers and
bananas. During particularly hectic days, just a
few crackers or one banana would be a sufficient
snack to keep your metabolism running. A fresh
fruit shake or a protein shake can also make for a
very powerful metabolism-boosting snack.
5. Have a snack or light meal after your workout. A snack or light meal which includes protein and
carbohydrates, eaten within one hour after your
daily workout helps your muscles to recover and
also promotes the building of new ones.
6. Do not eat less than two and a half hours
before bedtime. As noted above, while you are
sleeping, your bodily functions slow down.
Although metabolism still occurs, as it does at
every moment during life, actual digestion is
more difficult during sleep and the calories that
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you consume before sleep will most likely be
stored as fat in your body.
Sample Meal Plans
Below are two sample meal plans for a day. The key in
each meal, particularly the main ones, is to combine protein
and carbohydrates. Portions depend on your personal daily
calorie requirements. Remember, though, that carbohydrates
should make up the biggest percentage of calories consumed -
and that means hefty servings of vegetables! – followed by
protein. Calcium is also essential. Fats are the lowest priority,
though not to be ignored. Include green tea with your meals –
six cups throughout the day for best results.
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MEAL PLAN 1
6 A.M. - Meal 1
Oatmeal with banana slivers
Poached egg
9 A.M. - Meal 2
Protein Shake
1 P.M. - Meal 3
Skinless chicken breast drizzled with olive oil
Brown rice
Steamed broccoli
4 P.M. - Meal 4
Green beans
Potatoes
7 P.M. - Meal 5
Salmon fillet
Sweet potato
Cauliflower
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MEAL PLAN 2
6 A.M. - Meal 1
Egg white pancakes (only one or two yolks can be
added)
Choice of fruit/s – banana, blueberry and/or
strawberries
9 A.M. - Meal 2
Yogurt
Choice of fruit
1 P.M. - Meal 3
Vegetable curry
Brown rice
4 P.M. - Meal 4
Fruit salad with greens and grilled chicken
(Note: dressing should ideally be vinaigrette, with
olive oil)
7 P.M. - Meal 5
Chili (made of turkey, kidney beans and salsa)
Steamed vegetables
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The daily meal plans presented above are intended to you
give an idea of daily food consumption looks like when you
replace the traditional three meals per day model with one that
includes more frequent, smaller meals. It is a very different
model, but one which is much more effective in keeping your
metabolism furnaces “stoked” throughout the day. Feel free to
create your own meal plans while, but incorporating the
fundamental principles of the program. The timing of meals
can also be tailored to accommodate your personal schedule
and responsibilities, while, once again, remembering not to eat
too late at night.
Additional Points To Consider
Listed below are several additional points to bear in mind
with respect to boosting metabolism through proper eating and
nutrition:
1. “Over-reliance on certain foods is not
beneficial: While spicy foods and green tea do
have an effect in boosting metabolism, they
should be seen only as an addition to a diet that is
already rich in protein and carbohydrates. Do not
rely on these food items alone to boost your
metabolism more to the levels required to achieve
your objectives.
2. Some foods thought to boost metabolism don’t. Grapefruit is especially popular among dieters as
its high acidity is believed by many to burn fats.
However, there is no scientific proof to support
this.
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3. Supplements will not boost your metabolism. While many people believe that they can take
supplements to boost their metabolism, and there
are many products on the market that make that
claim, there is no scientifically-proven link
between supplements and increased metabolism,
and much evidence to suggest that attempting to
do so can be dangerous.
4. Diet pills are also to be avoided. For those who
want to lose weight, some diet pills may have the
effect of burning fat and curbing appetite.
However, that does not mean that they boost
metabolism. One of the many downsides of diet
pills is that once your body becomes accustomed
to a certain dose, you need to increase the dosage
in order to achieve the same effect as before.
While some of the diet pills on the market may,
in fact, boost metabolism, they do not do so in a
healthy, natural way, and can, therefore, have
serious – and occasionally fatal - side effects.
While it may be possible to ferret out some of
less harmful of the diet pills on the market by
reading labels by assiduously reading lists of
ingredients, the objective of this report is to
provide a healthy, natural program for boosting
metabolism. While there may other means of
boosting metabolism that require less effort and
rely on artificial stimulants, this report does not
endorse them.
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Chapter 7: Reducing Stress
Once again, this is a section of the report that may cause a
few raised eyebrows. Why, you may be wondering, is there a
section on stress in a report on boosting metabolism? Isn‟t
stress an unavoidable part of daily life? It is, and that is
precisely the point of including a section on reducing stress in
this report.
Most of us live in a fast-paced culture driven by a sense of
urgency and deadlines. The more that you can get done in a
shorter period of time, the better. Balancing work, family and
recreation has become a delicate art for some, and an
impossibility for others. Tension, worry, anxiety and fear are
constant companions – and not welcome ones, either.
Emotional stresses like failed marriages, the death of loved
ones and financial hardships all have to managed
simultaneously by many. We all know that prolonged stress
can have a deleterious effect on health, but many people do
not realize that stress also has a negative effect on metabolism.
In fact, this may be counterintuitive for some. If the system is
exposed to higher levels of stress, wouldn‟t that cause it to
burn calories more quickly?
The Link Between Stress and Metabolism
There is a hormone in our body called cortisol, which
plays a key role in a number of bodily functions. It helps to
regulate blood pressure, aids in the release of insulin to
stabilize blood sugar levels, bolsters the immune system and
promotes proper metabolism of glucose. While small
increases of cortisol can be beneficial, resulting in a quick,
healthy jolt of energy, heightened memory, and a higher pain
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threshold, too much cortisol in the bloodstream can have a
host of negative consequences, including:
Blood sugar imbalances
Higher blood pressure
Decreased immunity
Lower cognitive performance
Decrease in bone density
Decrease in muscle tissue
Cortisol stimulates the release of amino acids from your
muscles which is converted into glucose and used as a source
of energy by which your body copes with stress. While that
may sound overly technical, the key takeaway is that the
muscles in your body are directly affected by cortisol levels.
Hence, the need to maintain healthy levels of cortisol in the
body.
The release of cortisol is mainly triggered by stress,
whether physical or emotional in nature. Recall that in an
earlier section of this report dealing with exercise, it was
recommended that you not overtax your system during your
exercise routines so as not to risk triggering the body‟s stress
response. It is not only exercise done at excessive levels, of
course, that can trigger the body‟s stress response. Stress can
also trigger the body‟s stress response, and often does.
Too much stress is harmful to the body as it leads to the
production of more acid than the body needs. Our bodies
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usually have an 80 percent alkaline and 20 percent acid
balance. Pouring more acid into the bloodstream during
periods of stress will upset that balance. Too much acid in the
bloodstream also compromises your immune system and
renders you more vulnerable to illness. Excess acidity in the
system also undermines bodily functions such as metabolism.
You can, however, develop strategies to effectively cope
with stress and to thereby stabilize cortisol levels. When your
body goes into “stress response” mode, it is important that you
have developed ways to help shift it into “relaxation” mode.
Ways of Reducing Stress
Just as there are many causes of stress, there are many
ways to relive stress, as well. As with exercise, personal
preference comes into play because the more enjoyment you
derive from a particular form of relaxation technique, the more
effective that technique is liable to be for you.
1. Aromatherapy – This is an effective and readily
accessible technique for reducing stress.
Aromatherapy oils can be kept close at hand at
home and at work, and brought out whenever the
need arises. Lavender and mint are two popular
essential oils known to have relaxing properties.
A few drops mixed with water on your
aromatherapy oil burner, or sprinkled on a tissue,
are all you need. Aromatherapy can also be
combined with meditation. As the soothing aroma
begins to envelop you, you can feel it slowly
drawing out feelings of fatigue and anxiety. As
the aroma dissipates, some people like to imagine
their cares and worries drifting off with it. This
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kind of mental “imaging” can be an effective
tactic.
2. Massage Therapy – This relaxation strategy is
also referred to as “touch therapy” or “healing
touch”. In addition to promoting an overall sense
of relaxation, massage also has the benefit of
relieving localized muscle soreness and fatigue
caused by chronic stress. Back, neck and facial
muscles are particularly susceptible to this.
Massage can also be combined with
aromatherapy, as it is in many day, resort and
destination spa services. Peppermint is one of the
more popular scents used in massage therapy
treatments. In addition to a fresh, pleasing aroma,
peppermint has a cooling effect on the body when
used as massage oil.
3. Music or “Sound” Therapy – Many people use
music as a strategy – one might even say
“instrument” - of relaxation. They like to put on a
piece of soothing, gentle music, lie in a
comfortable position with their eyes closed, and
enjoy the sensation of the music washing over
them. They imagine it washing away their
worries, fears, and anxieties. A good alternative
to soothing music is the soothing sounds that can
be found in nature - like the sound of wind, or
waves lapping against the shore. Natural
rhythmic sounds have a special relaxing quality.
Recordings of nature sounds are available in most
music stores and are generally used to promote
relaxation.
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4. Imagery – As noted in the section above on
aromatherapy, “imagery therapy” can be an
effective form of relation. It works like this:
imagine, for example, that you are a kite slowly
rising and floating through the air. You float in
the bright blue sky in perfect balance and
harmony with the wind. After a few minutes, feel
yourself slowly gliding downwards and then
softly touching the ground. This kind of imagery,
once again, incorporating the soothing sounds
and rhythms found in nature – wind, water - is
particularly powerful. Another “imagery”
technique is to imagine a beautiful scene from
nature, such as a mountain range, a secluded
island, or a tropical rainforest. Never
underestimate the power of thoughts and mental
images to transport you to a place – and a state –
of peace and tranquility, even during periods of
extreme stress. You can vary the places you
“visit” whenever you utilize this technique, or
you can settle on one and make it your own
personal sanctuary – the place you escape to
during times of stress.
Long-Term Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Stress
1. Think positive! – As we have seen, thoughts
exert a very powerful influence on your health
and well-being. It has long been known that what
you think can actually manifest into reality, for
good or ill. Hence, since you are going to be
thinking anyway, you might as well think positive
thoughts. One is tempted to say that positive
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thoughts and negative ones are the same price,
but that would be wrong. Negative thoughts exact
a much higher cost than do positive thoughts.
That said, the habit – because that is what it is –
of thinking negative thoughts is a difficult one to
break. However, with consistent effort the
tendency to think negative thoughts can be
reversed. Few, if any, lifestyle changes will have
as profound an impact on your day-to-day
happiness than transforming yourself from a
negative person into a positive one.
2. Let go of negative feelings. While this long-term
strategy for reducing stress is related to the one
discussed a moment ago, it is also different in
some key aspects. Some people, while not
necessarily predisposed to negative thoughts,
when they do have a negative thought or emotion,
cannot readily put it behind them and move on.
That is, they wallow and wallowing in negative
feelings results in more acid being released into
the system. It is no wonder that feelings of anger,
fear and resentment are associated with heartburn
and indigestion, while chronic worry and anxiety
can make you more susceptible to high blood
pressure. That said, suppression of these emotions
is also harmful. The key is to experience the
emotions – or, as it is commonly stated, “honor
the emotions” and then to let go of them. It is not
the feelings themselves that are harmful, it is the
wallowing in them. Do not dwell on negative
feelings. Let them out and move on.
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3. Meditate daily – Make meditation a habit. In the
long term, meditation brings you peace of mind
and makes you more able to cope with stress. It
need not be a complex meditation – stillness and
emptiness of mind is the key. Sit in a comfortable
position and breathe slowly and deeply. Focus on
each part of your body and feel it release its
tension. After you feel sufficiently relaxed, you
can silently repeat a simple word with no
particular emotional attachment for you. For
example, you can say the word “tree.”, or you can
say a letter, like “a” or a sound, such as “ahh”.
Repeat this word, letter or sound over and over
again in your mind for about a minute, then sit
still and let thoughts come into your mind.
Observe your thoughts closely as if you were
detached from them – you may even wish to
imagine that they are someone else’s thoughts.
Rather than actively producing thoughts,
passively allow thoughts to enter your mind and
then leave. The end game, ironically, is not to
gain but to “empty”. If you reach a state of
emptiness, in which you feel that you are really
thinking about nothing, congratulations! You
have made it. Keep in mind that it takes a long
time to get to this level of meditation.
4. Take up yoga. Not only is this an excellent
stress-buster, it also directly fires up your
metabolism. The endocrine system and the
thyroid help regulate metabolism. Yoga includes
a number of poses which provide healthy
stimulation to your endocrine organs, thereby
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boosting metabolism. Meditation, music and
sound therapy, even aromatherapy can all be
incorporated into the practice of yoga, whether at
home or in a professional yoga studio.
5. Anticipate stressful situations – While it may
not be possible to avoid stressful situations in life,
it is possible to anticipate a number of them and
take steps in advance to avoid or deal with them.
For example, a very common source of stress for
many people is the feeling of being rushed in the
morning, compounded by morning rush-hour
traffic. While it may not be possible to avoid
these circumstances entirely, a bit or pre-planning
can alleviate much of the stress. Getting up
earlier, leaving the house earlier – or even later –
can reduce the amount of stress and anxiety
associated with the hectic morning routine. There
is also the strategy of going to bed earlier –
whatever the circumstance is that causes stress,
examining it from a number of angles before it
actually occurs can often yield new, more
effective ways of doing it that may not only
reduce stress levels but offer other benefits as
well. Give it some thought!
Don’t Ignore Nature’s Stress-Buster – Sleep!
While there is much that is still not known about the
activity – or, perhaps “state” is a more appropriate term – that
consumes almost one third of our life, it is commonly
understood that sleep is one of our most powerful natural
antidotes for stress.
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And, just as there are many benefits to making sure that
your body gets the sleep it needs for recovery and growth,
there is a litany of negative effects that are associated with a
lack of sleep. Which is to say that, getting sufficient sleep is
highly beneficial, and not getting sufficient sleep is harmful in
a number of ways. For example, studies show that a lack of
sleep affects carbohydrate metabolism. With insufficient
sleep, glucose is not metabolized as efficently, resulting in
increased hunger and an overall decrease in metabolic rate.
While individual needs vary, you should aim to get at least
eight hours of sleep every night for your body to fully re-
charge for the next day. Once again, while circadian rhythms
may vary from one person to another, the normal circadian
rhythm is 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.. This is the best period for muscles
to grow. So, get to sleep early if you want to increase your
metabolism!
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Chapter 8: Recap of the Metabolism-Boosting
Program
You have now learned all that you need to learn to boost
your metabolism for weight loss and a better you. All that
remains for you to do is to put your plan into action.
Before you do, let‟s recap the key components and
concepts of the program:
You have learned that metabolism is the process of
converting calories into energy for storage or immediate
use. You now know that metabolism is an essential
body function, working every second of your life – even
while you are sleeping. And you also know the overall
metabolism formula : Basal metabolism + physical
activity + the thermic effect of food + the individual
factors which influence your metabolism= your
metabolic rate.
Some of the elements in the above equation can be
changed, while others can‟t. Your goal is to focus on the
factors influencing your metabolism that you can
change. You will achieve those changes by:
Exercising Smart
Build muscle through a combination of strength
and resistance exercises with weights and
without weights. Use exercises that work the
most muscle groups possible. (2-3 sets, with 6-8
reps each)
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Increase calorie-burning through interval
training with cardiovascular exercise. Alternate
high-intensity exercise with moderate-intensity
exercise. (30 minutes, with one to four minutes
per interval)
Do the two exercises on alternate days
throughout the week. Allot one day for total rest
with no exercise.
Eating Right
If consuming less food is the goal of traditional
weight loss diets, which is, by the way, why
they so rarely work, consuming more of the
right food and eliminating the wrong food is the
objective of the metabolism-boosting diet.
Stock up on carbohydrates and protein, as these
are the driving forces of metabolism.
Include calcium and healthy fats in your diet.
Timing is important.
Always eat breakfast to kick off your
metabolism for the day.
Eat five to six meals in a day, every two and a
half to three hours.
Never skip meals.
Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
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Take one snack or meal within one hour after
your workout for the day.
Reducing Stress
Re-charge through “sensation therapy”
(aromatherapy, massage and music) and
imagery.
For long-term improvement, meditate daily,
take up yoga, and think positively. Do not dwell
on negative feelings. Plan ahead to avoid
stressful situations.
So there you have it. Now it is up to you to take action.
If you do, you will most likely notice the results in just
three or four weeks – or even two weeks.
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