Foods to boost metabolism!!!

We all want to be healthy and have more energy but some very simple steps can lead us to be more energetic and some very simple things we do on a day to day basis can be making us tired.   In the simplest terms, metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories. Very few people have a fast metabolism.   The bottom line is that increasing your metabolism will enable you to level your diet and weight.

WHAT IS METABOLISM?

When I learned about metabolism in school, I always heard of the Krebs Cycle.  I can remember learning it for a test but now I cannot remember much more than how sugar and carbs are formed.  Kreb's cycle looks like this so take notes! 

Ok, got that?!!!  Just kidding and let me summarize it to you.

Metabolism is affected by your body composition. By body composition, I mean the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. For example, let's say you have two people who are the exact same height and weight. One exercises on a regular basis with weights, in addition to aerobic exercise, and has a low percentage of body fat. The other never exercises and has a higher percentage of body fat. The first person who exercises will have a higher metabolism than the second person. What this basically means is that person #1's body will use more calories to sustain itself than person #2.

So what can increase your metabolism....

1. Water Water Water!   I cannot stress how important water is to our body.   Researchers in Germany found that subjects of the study increased their metabolic rates (the rate at which calories are burned) by 30 percent after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water. Water is also a natural appetite suppressant that banishes bloat as it flushes out sodium and toxins. Drinking enough water will also help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger. So drink up! Make sure that you are starting your day with a big big glass of water and drink throughout the day not just all at one time.  Make sure to get at least 64 oz of water

2. Green Tea! Studies show that green tea extracts boost metabolism and may aid in weight loss. This mood-enhancing tea has also been reported to contain anti-cancer properties and help prevent heart disease. It’s also a trendy drink among weight-conscious celebrities.

3. Hot Peppers! Eating hot peppers can speed up and boost metabolism and cool your cravings, researchers at Laval University in Canada found. Here’s why: Capsaicin (a chemical found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism and causes you to burn more calories.

4.  Protein - make sure to get a little protein with every meal.  Enzymes that are found in proteins are the catalysts of metabolism. Proteins are important in promoting repair, growth and maintenance of cells throughout the body, and they provide the amino acids human bodies cannot make naturally. All but a small percentage of the protein you take in is digested. Excess protein that is not used in cell repair or converted into amino acids is converted into sugars or fatty acids and can be burned as fuel.
Good proteins are lean turkey, fish and beans and legumes.

5. East enough!   Make sure to eat small meals daily.  When you eat less than you need for basic biological function (about 1,200 calories for most women), your body throws the brakes on your metabolism. It also begins to break down precious, calorie-burning muscle tissue for energy, says Dan Benardot. "Eat just enough so you're not hungry--a 150-calorie snack midmorning and midafternoon between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism humming."

Eat small, frequent meals. People generally eat less overall when they eat small yet frequently. Consider eating fruits , oats or anything with a "high volume to calorie content" , eating healthy snacks will also increase metabolism.  A common myth is that fasting or restricting your consumption of food will send your body into starvation mode. While there is little or no evidence that supports this it is true that malnutrition is never the solution to losing weight and may pose a serious risk to your health and have adverse effects in the long run.

Ginger - full of freshness *Plus lettuce wrap recipe

I love going to PF Changs and ordering their lettuce wraps but I know they are loaded with salt and oil.  so I decided to try my own little version of lettuce wraps with fresh ginger.  Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory food that can be used in so many different recipes.  I have a ginger root in my freezer that I get out and grade when I want fresh ginger.  I LOVE the taste that ginger gives to food - especially fresh ginger. 

Health benefits - Ginger is a good source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6. Ginger has been known for years to helf soothe an upset stomach and is even used for chemotherapy induced nausea.  Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.   The University of Minnesota had a study that suggested how ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal carcinomas and the university are already using gingerols in their treatment protocol. 

Ginger tea can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections. Investigators have isolated the gene responsible for the compound and the protein it produces, which they have named dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin's surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and fungi, including Candida albicans.

So start adding ginger into your recipes or even drink ginger tea.  Add grated ginger into bakes apples or cobbler or baked sweet potatoes. 

Here is the recipe for lettuce wraps -  http://cucumbersandcocoa.blogspot.com/2012/04/lettuce-wraps-mock-pf-changs.htmlYummo!

Lettuce wraps - Mock PF Changs

Enjoy this recipe for lettuce wraps!  They are addicting!

Recipe for dipping and pouring sauce

• 4 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or gluten free tamari
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup or canned tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger

Recipe for stir-fry sauce

• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or gluten free tamari
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Recipe for stir-fried chicken

• 1 teaspoon hot water
• 1 tablespoon nice dijon mustard (use the good stuff, it will make a difference)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into half-inch cubes”
• 1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and minced
• 1/2 cup minced mushrooms (minced to the same size as the water chestnuts)
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce

Method for Pouring Sauce Recipe

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup hot water. Blend in soy sauce or tamari, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and dark sesame oil. Mix well and boil for 5 minutes and set aside until ready to serve.

Method for Stir-Fry Sauce Recipe

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce or tamari, sugar, and rice vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

Method for Stir-Fried Chicken Recipe

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon hot water, dijon mustard and minced garlic and set this aside.
2. In a wok or large frying pan over high heat, combine olive oil and sesame oil. Heat until it shimmers, about one minute. Add chicken chunks and stir fry until entirely cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from the chicken pan and allow to cool, but reserve the oil in the wok or pan, keeping it hot over a low flame.
3. Take the pan or wok that you cooked the chicken in (with the still warming oil) and turn it up to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add the garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cooked chicken, and the stir-fry sauce. Cook everything, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have cooked through and are tender, about four minutes. Remove from pan and place in a serving dish.
4. Add mustard/garlic mixture that you set aside to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.
5. Serve the entire lettuce wrap recipe in a nice, big serving tray, complete with stir-fry and iceberg lettuce leaves, and pouring sauce in small bowls. Wrap the stir-fry in lettuce leaves, then top with pouring sauce.