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Signs That You Might Need To Check Your Liver

Signs That You Might Need To Check Your Liver

If you asked most people in Houston, TX, what causes liver disease, many would say alcohol abuse. That’s just not true. There are a wide variety of conditions that can affect the liver, including excess stress, that’s why it’s important to check for signs that you may have a problem. Many of the signs seem innocuous and even unrelated, like bad breath that has a distinct odor of garlic mixed with rotten eggs from sulfur or a fruity citrus smell from limonene. That comes from the liver’s inability to filter out compounds or help metabolize them, so they go to other parts of the body, including the lungs.

Your liver performs a lot of functions.

Your liver performs more than 500 different functions for the body, so you can expect to see many areas being affected when it’s not working right. It’s important to identify a problem early, since it can make reversal, cure and recovery easier. It can prevent a liver-related emergency from ever occurring. Besides flushing out toxins, it produces important products for the body and even regulates blood sugar levels. Sometimes there is no specific cause for a symptom, like continually itching skin that can even disturb sleep. Scientists hypothesize possibilities the reason for it, but no definite conclusion has been drawn.

If you generally feel bad, with aches and pains.

Feeling general malaise, with sore muscles, bone pain and aching joints for no apparent reason, it might be a sign of liver disease. Many things can cause that feeling, so speaking with your health care professional is important. Other signs are loss of appetite, feeling chronically exhausted or nauseous can also be indications you might have liver problems.

Some signs are in plain sight.

Are the whites of your eyes or your skin yellowing? That’s one easily recognized sign called jaundice and a sign of cirrhosis or hepatitis B. Did tiny spider angiomas start to develop? Those are enlarged capillaries right under the surface of the skin. Dark circles under the eyes, bright red palms for no apparent reason, enlarged male breasts and easy bruising are also easily identified symptoms.

  • Changes in your sleep pattern not only can cause liver disease but can be a sign of liver disease. It can cause toxins to build up in the brain, which can also lead to mood changes and memory loss, other signs of a problem.
  • The liver controls both the production and breakdown of many hormones, those also include sex hormones. That’s why erectile dysfunction and shrunken testicles may be an indication of liver problems.
  • Some indications that are hard to ignore include vomiting blood, dark amber, brown or orange urine and swollen legs and feet. These are serious indications and you need to seek medical advice immediately.
  • Dry mouth is another symptom of liver disease. So are dry eyes and chills. Sudden weight gain or weight loss is another sign of cirrhosis or hepatitis C.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Is Non-Fat Milk Better Than Full Fat Milk?

Is Non-Fat Milk Better Than Full Fat Milk?

If it weren’t bad enough to have to choose from non-fat milk, 1% milk, 2% milk and full fat milk, now there are plant based and lactose free options, too. Which option is healthier? Let’s just look at comparing fat free and full fat milk and clear up that discussion first. It’s all about the fat in whole milk that has people concerned, but what caused that concern? It all started with Ancel Keys, who created K-rations, the Mediterranean diet and was opposed to saturated fat in the diet. It then was followed by a mega study, a compilation of studies, completed by Harvard scientists in the 1960s. They found that fat in the diet was linked to heart disease. The problem with that study is that the sugar industry paid for them to find that, to combat the charge that sugar was causing heart disease and make the culprit fat. The plan worked and the world began to focus on eliminating fat.

Fat in your diet is necessary.

If you don’t have adequate fat, your body won’t be able to function as well as it should. Not all fat is bad. Trans fats, for instance, are bad fats that can cause a number of health problems. However, other types of fats, such as monounsaturated fat or omega 3 fatty acids, are important to good health. Healthy fats occur in nature. Trans fats also do, but in very minor amounts. The biggest amount of trans fats is manmade and occurs when you hydrogenate oil to make it solid and more stable.

Dairy does contain saturated fat.

One problem with old science is that methods have improved. When saturated fats were declared an enemy, nobody differentiated them from trans fats. Saturated fats are necessary for a healthy body. They’re important for brain health, since a large part of the brain is cholesterol and fat, with the fat being saturated fat. It needs it to grow, regenerate and be at its best. Your heart also needs it. Cholesterol levels are regulated by lauric and stearic acids that are in saturated fat. It’s also important for bone health, the nervous system and the immune system.

You can make the fat in whole milk even healthier by using milk from pastured cows.

Cows that graze and eat like they were intended to eat, not locked up and fed a diet of grain and processed food (yes even cows have problems with a processed food diet.), produce milk that’s healthier for you. It contains a better balance of omega3 to Omega6 fatty acids. It contains five times the amount of CLA—conjugated linoleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid that’s heart healthy.

  • The saturated fat in whole milk is important for white blood cells. It gives them the ability to both identify and destroy viruses, fungi and bacteria that invade the body.
  • As you age, especially women, saturated fat is even more necessary. It’s important for the infusion of calcium into the bone to prevent bone thinning that leads to injury.
  • The saturated fat in milk is also important to insulate your nerves, preventing susceptibility to internal and external stress. Fats also act as signaling messengers to keep messaging between cells functioning.
  • Studies show a link between drinking whole milk actually helps you lose weight. The saturated fat helps fill you up so you don’t eat as much. Some fat free milk products also have added sugar, a very unhealthy option, to make them more palatable.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


How Processed Foods Affect Your Health

How Processed Foods Affect Your Health

It takes more than just exercise to be your healthiest. We understand that at Rising Fitness in Houston, TX and include both nutrition and exercise in our program. What you eat makes a huge difference in your health. If you’re constantly consuming junk food and highly processed foods, you won’t have the building blocks to become your fittest and may even be sabotaging your goals to be healthier. It’s more than just empty calories you’re consuming, there are other reasons highly processed food should not be part of your diet.

Sugar is one reason processed foods are so bad.

Whether it’s high fructose corn syrup—HFC, sucrose, or one of the other 56 names for sugar, it’s not good for your body, even if it’s natural. Sugar can cause blood pressure to rise, lead to obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and dental carriers. The vast majority of highly processed foods contain sugar, even ones you wouldn’t suspect. Food you might think of as healthy, since it’s labeled low fat, may have the fat removed, but it’s replaced with sugar to make it taste better. All take a toll on your health.

Highly processed foods contain man-made additives that affect your body.

If you read the labels of many processed foods, you’ll notice that it’s like reading a chemistry book. Many of the additives are made in the lab. For instance, HFC isn’t natural, no matter what the commercial says. It’s created by adding an enzyme produced by bacteria to the glucose from potatoes or corn to increase fructose, then added to pure corn syrup. The new sugar is between 43 and 55% fructose and the rest glucose. Other types of sugar are unhealthy, but this Frankenstein sugar affects your body even worse because it’s put in a high percentage of processed foods.

It’s also about what processed foods don’t contain.

Processing takes out a lot of nutrients and removes the benefits from the whole food. For instance, refined flour has had bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm. While all the parts of wheat have some nutrients, the part that’s left, the endosperm, is mostly starchy carbohydrates to provide energy. The bran that’s removed is high in fiber, antioxidants and B vitamins, while the germ has healthy fat, protein, B vitamins and minerals. Food with processed flour not only has fewer nutrients, but it has also less fiber to keep you feeling full longer. Since many highly processed foods are high in additives, sugar and refined flour, they pose a triple threat.

  • The use of enzymes from bacteria has been increased dramatically in the last 30 years, and so has the problem of obesity. Much of that has come from HFCS. Is the connection to the enzymes or the HFCS?
  • Processed meats, like hot dogs and luncheon meat have preservatives that increase shelf life. The nitrates used can increase blood pressure and cause health issues, like increased risk of diabetes and obesity.
  • Much of the fiber and healthy fat has been removed from processed foods. Both fiber and fat help you feel fuller longer. Fiber helps prevent blood sugar spikes and healthy fat is necessary to burn body fat.
  • It’s not just processed food, but also processed drinks that can affect your health. Even if you opt for diet drinks, studies show it can increase visceral fat, the fat around the midsection that’s most dangerous to your health.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Why Cardio Is So Good For Weight Loss?

Why Cardio Is So Good For Weight Loss?

Our workouts focus on all types of exercise, since you need all types of fitness. I’ve often been asked why cardio is so good for weight loss. If you’ve read other blogs, you’ll notice that the focus is often on strength building, since it builds muscle tissue as it burns calories, but that doesn’t mean cardio doesn’t isn’t good. In fact, it is. Studies show that cardio torches calories and some cardio does it more than others do. For instance, HIIT cardio workouts, where you modify the intensity, going from high intensity to recovery and back, burns huge amounts.

Cardio has the ability to raise your metabolic rate.

When you walk, run or do any type of exercise, it can increase your output of energy, which burns calories immediately. It also increases the body’s demand for oxygen, which increases the mitochondrial enzymes and lets the body get more energy from fat oxidation, so it burns more fat. However, it can also burn muscle tissue to get those calories and the more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism. That’s why you need more than just cardio to boost weight loss.

Some types of cardio continue to burn calories long after the exercise ends.

HIIT workouts cause increased EPOC, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. It means then continuing to oxidize fat and increase the growth hormone levels of the body, which also adds to fat loss. This type of cardio, compared to steady-state cardio where you continue at the same pace, is superior when it comes to calorie burning. Also, exercises that do double duty, like strength building and cardio, can boost the overall energy you burn as they build muscle tissue. Kettle bell workouts fall into this type of exercise category.

You don’t need special equipment for some cardio workouts.

You don’t have to have special equipment to do cardio. It’s especially important if you’re just starting a weight loss plan. You can walk, run or do jumping jacks to get in your cardio workout and boost your weight loss. You can even modify walking into a HIIT workout by alternating between walking fast and a recovery pace. If calorie burning is your ultimate goal, focus on jumping rope. It’s a compound workout that involves several muscle groups and joints.

  • No matter what type of exercise you add, it can increase the number of calories you burn. Even mild workouts like Tai chi can help you burn calories and have been linked to benefitting people with Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis.
  • You can increase the number of calories you burn as an additional aid in weight loss, by increasing your activity level. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Climbing stairs is a cardio activity.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services suggests that all adults have between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate exercise every week or 75 to 150 minutes of moderate activity.
  • The singing method is one way to measure intensity. If you can carry on a conversation, but can’t sing, it’s moderate intensity. If you’re breathing rapidly after a few minutes but can only gasp a few words and have to stop for breath, it’s high intensity.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Should I Stop Eating After 6pm?

Should I Stop Eating After 6pm?

You may have heard you should stop eating after 6pm or some other arbitrary time like 8 pm and wondered why. There are some good reasons you should do it. Some of the reasons are based in truth and some are founded in fiction. One of the most popular myths is that everything you eat after 6 pm turns to fat. That’s simply not true. A calorie is a calorie no matter what time you eat it, whether it’s six in the morning or six in the evening. However, newer studies indicate the later you eat, the more food it takes to make you feel full.

There is a link to eating later and gaining weight.

When you stop eating at 6 pm, or right after your evening meal, you’ll be less apt to snack. Reducing the window of time when you eat can help you keep calorie consumption under control. Intermittent fasting is based on limiting your eating to a certain window of time, such as an 8 hour window, and fasting the rest of the time, in this case, 16 hours. If you quit eating at 6 pm, and waited until 10 am to break the fast, it’s what you would be doing. Studies show you eat less when you do this.

Ceasing food consumption after 6 pm means eating fewer snacks.

If you’re like most people who eat after 6 pm, or at least after their last meal, you consume mostly snacks. These are often higher in calories and lower in nutrition, providing only empty calories to the body. You may be one of those people that eat only healthy snacks, but that’s not normally the case. In fact, most people crave food that’s higher in carbohydrates and snack foods. It’s the way our body is programmed. If you don’t have enough calories, the instinct is to stay awake and look for food. Unlike cavemen, we simply open the fridge or the cupboards.

You won’t be doing your body any favors by eating later.

Do you have digestive issues, frequent sinus infections, chest pain without heart issues or dental carries, regardless of oral hygiene? It might be from eating late at night. Acid reflux can cause all those issues and can be caused for a number of reasons. Eating right before bed is one of those. The stomach acid during digestion splashes back into the esophagus if you’re laying down and gravity doesn’t play a role. It can go as high as the sinuses, leading to chronic sinus infection, and even be a factor in dental carries and esophageal cancer. Obesity also plays a role in acid reflux and late night eating can make it worse.

  • If you’re one of those people who have to eat something later at night in order to sleep, have healthy snacks that can aid in sleeping ready, like almonds, eggs or pistachios for the melatonin or salmon for the omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Your digestion slows down when you sleep, and the body focuses on repairing tissue. Food lingers in your digestive tract longer and tissue repair isn’t as effective.
  • New studies show that late night eating increases the risk of obesity by reducing the satiety hormone leptin and increasing hunger. Calories were also burned at a slower rate and there were hormones increased that promote the growth of fat.
  • Eating later at night can also affect the quality of your sleep, especially if the food is high in saturated fat. It can cause an interruption in NREM sleep, the first stage of sleep.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Smart Pre-Workout Foods

Smart Pre-Workout Foods

You need to fuel your body before a workout, contrary to many opposing myths. However, choosing the right food and focusing on the timing is extremely important when choosing pre-workout foods. The closer you get to the time you workout, the less you should eat. You need fuel, but it shouldn’t come from fat either, but be a blend of carbs and protein. Studies show that the right type of fuel can improve your performance and a study involving cyclists showed it even helps burn more fat. There are some good examples of beneficial pre-workout foods that will help you achieve your goals.

Your pre-workout should be approximately 60% carbs and the rest protein.

If you’re going to eat a completely well-balanced meal, make sure it’s at least an hour or two before you workout, to avoid digestive issues. If you’re going to opt for the snack route, eat it about a half hour before working out. It should be approximately 100 to 200 calories and contain carbs that are easy to digest. You can keep it simple with a sandwich. Whether you make a half sandwich from a single slice of bread or a whole sandwich made from two and topped with peanut butter and bananas.

It’s easy to get the right blend, just combine healthy carbs with a protein.

You need the quick fuel carbs provide and the slower burning protein for the best performance. What are some examples? Try apple slices with nut butter. Greek yogurt and nuts both provide protein, so combining them with fresh berries or other type of fruit is also a good pre-workout snack. You can toss in banana slices or put everything in a blender and freeze it for a change of pace.

Drink a smoothie at home before you go to the gym.

Make a fruit smoothie and drink it ½ hour or an hour before you go to the gym. Add protein powder, milk or other source of protein to the smoothie. If it takes a half hour to get to the gym, make a fruit smoothie and drink it on the way. Fruit smoothies are high in natural sugars to give your body the boost it needs. They also contain phytochemicals that are good for your health. If you want a far simpler option, you can consume a half hour before working out, consider a handful of nuts with dates, raisins or other dried fruit.

  • Have you ever made a stuffed date? They’re good pre-workout snacks. Open a pitted date by slicing it down the side and stuffing it with nut butter or cream cheese. Top it with fresh berries, dried fruit or nuts.
  • Don’t forget veggies and dip. You can make healthy hummus at home with chickpeas and use it as dip for sliced vegetables. Make a cucumber hummus bite by topping a slice of cucumber with hummus and topping it with a half a cherry tomato.
  • A dish of oatmeal topped with fresh fruit will provide energy. You can even add a bit of honey as a sweetener and chopped nuts or seeds to provide the protein.
  • Be careful of having too much fat in your pre-workout snack. It digests slowly and can cause digestive issues that will affect your workout. Make sure you have adequate protein to build muscle tissue and carbs to provide energy.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Is Kombucha Worth The Cost?

Is Kombucha Worth The Cost?

If you live in Houston, Texas, you probably have noticed an increase in the options and brands of kombucha at your grocery or local health food store. You probably also note that it is a bit pricey. Is it really worth the price? If you really like the taste, you don’t need to go any further. It’s about the same price as a Starbucks specialty coffee. If you only drink it for its health benefits, finding out whether it’s truly healthy is important.

The microbes in it can boost the benefits.

Whether you drink green tea, black tea or other variations, there are health benefits. The benefits increase when you ferment that tea, which is exactly what kombucha is, fermented tea. Just like sauerkraut, kim chi, kefir and yogurt, it offers health benefits from the microbes that occur during the fermentation process. It’s a probiotic, boosting the health by giving bacteria in the gut, which is responsible for a high percentage of your immunity. Not only do the bacteria help digest food, making them easy to absorb by the body, they aid in fighting infection and provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits.

It all starts with the tea.

The tea has polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that help decrease inflammation. The fermentation process then increases the polyphenol contents. Like vinegar, it has organic acids, such as glucuronic, acetic and D-Saccharic acids, which are antimicrobial and can aid in detoxification of the liver. These organic acids also aid in the movement of polyphenols throughout the body. There are several studies that show kombucha is beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels, cholesterol and reducing the potential of cancer. It’s also been shown to have antimicrobial properties, while improving digestive functions and liver functioning.

You can keep the cost down by brewing your own.

Like all fermented foods, it starts with a “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast,” known by the acronym SCOBY. You also need a starter tea, which can be any type of tea, but normally black or green tea bags are used, sugar, and water. You can buy the SCOBY or make your own. You need bottles and time, but it may be worth the effort if you’re on a limited budget, since it lowers the cost from several dollars a bottle to several cents. Be aware, there are some things that can destroy your plans, like using flavored tea, decaf tea, honey or sugar substitutes, metal containers, antibacterial soap or putting the kombucha in the refrigerator.

  • Like yogurt, kombucha can be a good drink to help prevent Candida from yeast overgrowth if you’re taking an antibiotic. According to the CDC, four ounces three times a day is a safe option to help with that problem.
  • The benefits to diabetics are still uncertain, since studies vary. The sugar in it is for the SCOBY to digest, not for the person who consumes the kombucha. Always talk with your health care professional before consuming.
  • The high antioxidant content of kombucha can aid in liver health by providing protection. It can also aid in preventing damage from acetaminophen overdose. Kombucha can also be good for the brain and the lungs.
  • There are side effects from drinking too much kombucha. If it’s homemade, some caution should be taken. Pregnant and lactating women and children shouldn’t drink kombucha. Neither should people with a compromised immune system or those with alcohol dependency.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Do Bananas Help With Anxiety?

Do Bananas Help With Anxiety?

There are many reasons people experience anxiety. Some of them are obvious, like a letter from the IRS or giving a speech in front of coworkers. Others aren’t quite as obvious and you don’t know the cause, just the feeling of being anxious. You can do several things to avoid that feeling in the pit of your stomach, some of these involve deep breathing, mind tricks or even medication. However, one option that works and has no side effects is eating bananas.

Bananas contain potassium.

These delicious mellow yellow fruits have lots of potassium, which is extremely important for the body. If you’ve eaten too much salt, it can lower the body’s sodium level, which increases blood volume and lowers blood pressure. Anxiety and stress can take their toll on the body in a number of ways and one is by reducing the potassium levels, so a banana can replace the lost potassium. Bananas are also a source of tryptophan that converts to serotonin that is important in reducing anxiety. It also has B vitamins, which affects the nervous system.

Bananas are nature’s beta-blocker.

Beta blockers block the beta receptors and prevent adrenaline from binding to them. They contain natural beta blockers called beta-adrenergic blocking agents. Adrenaline can not only cause blood pressure to rise, but it also increases anxiety. It makes your heart beat more rapidly and your blood pressure to raise. Beta-blockers, whether natural or pharmaceutical, cause the heart to beat slower and with far less force.

You can’t wait until the last minute to get the benefits.

If you’re in the middle of an anxiety attack or are faced with a racing heart, you won’t get immediate relief from eating a banana. It takes a banana or two to help avoid the symptoms of anxiety about a half hour before the anxiety producing event occurs. Rather than wait, eat several bananas throughout the day. Have one with your breakfast and one at noon, as a snack or with your dinner on a regular basis. It can help you deal with the stress from daily activities. If you’re particularly nervous about a situation that’s upcoming, eat a couple either a half hour before you face it or on the way.

  • Strawberries, blueberries and other fruit can provide some of the same calming effect as bananas. It’s due to the high serotonin content. In fact, blueberries have been shown to be more effective than some medications presently used.
  • Besides a high serotonin content, other nutrients found in fruit can help relieve anxiety. For instance, magnesium can promote relaxation. One sweet fruit high in magnesium is pineapple.
  • Make a smoothie that contains strawberries, blueberries, bananas and pineapple. Add a little green tea to it for good measure. Green tea also lowers heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Bananas can bring more than just anxiety relief and lower blood pressure. It can help lift depression and aid in stress relief, if you have mild depression. For more severe cases, always consult a health care professional.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut

Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut

Most people think signs of an unhealthy gut are strictly limited to digestive issues, but that’s just not true. While diarrhea, vomiting and stomach aches are a sign you have something bad going on in your digestion, sometimes the symptoms don’t seem to be related to your stomach at all. A healthy gut is one that has a well-balanced microbiome. Your gut microbiome is the collection of microscopic creatures, like bacteria and fungi, that live in your digestive system. Leaky gut syndrome is another potential from an unhealthy gut.

Whether it’s from an unhealthy balance of your microbes or a leaky gut, it can cause inflammation.

Inflammation is one sign of an unhealthy gut and also a cause of an unhealthy gut. It’s a vicious circle. You eat foods high in sugar or highly processed foods and it causes inflammation in your gut, while also disrupting the population of healthy microbes. Signs of gut inflammation are varied. They can include more obvious digestive issues and food intolerance, but also include things like mood swings, depression and anxiety.

Obesity may actually come from having an unhealthy gut.

There’s a significant link between obesity and an unhealthy gut. Part of the reason may be the type of food eaten. Remember, highly processed food and foods high in added sugar can cause inflammation, but they also can cause weight gain. When you want to give your gut a rest and feed it right, those same foods are often part of weight loss programs, just like cutting out processed food and foods with added sugar is part of weight loss. You can fix leaky gut and replenish a healthy collection of bacteria by adding food high in fiber and colorful veggies to your diet. Craving sugar is also a sign of poor gut health.

Skin conditions and other autoimmune diseases can be a sign of poor gut health.

Psoriasis and eczema are two signs you may need help with your gut health. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder. Other types of autoimmune diseases triggered by poor gut health. Some scientists identify poor gut health as a precondition to all autoimmune diseases. Studies show that people with eczema tend to have leaky gut syndrome and skin conditions like psoriasis are helped by balancing gut bacteria.

  • Lack of balance of microbes in the gut can lead to inflammation because of undigested food, just as a leaky gut can. Inflammation can lead to food allergies and food intolerance.
  • A poor microbiome can lead to malnutrition, since certain microbes aid in digesting food and breaking it down to nutrients the body can use. Some forms of cancer can also occur when you have an unhealthy gut.
  • Sometimes things you do to get healthier can create an unhealthy gut. Antibiotics, for example, can disrupt healthy gut bacteria unless you eat probiotics while you’re taking the antibiotic and have a healthy diet.
  • You might be getting sick easier due to poor gut health. Your gut health plays a big role in your immune system. In fact, your gut microbiome is part of your immune response. If it’s down, you’ll be prone to get sick quicker.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym


Can I Really Speed Up My Metabolism?

Can I Really Speed Up My Metabolism?

One reason Rising Fitness in Houston, TX, is so popular is that we not only work on problems you have now, we help prevent future problems. People often complain they can’t lose weight because of a slow metabolism, but that doesn’t mean they can’t speed up their metabolism, so they don’t have to fight weight gain forever. Learning how to boost your metabolism and then doing those things that make a difference may be the most important part of our training. It not only helps you get fit now, it helps you stay fit in the future.

Exercise is key to increasing the calories you burn.

Everyone knows that exercise helps you burn more calories while you’re doing it, but did you know it continues to boost calorie burning long after you’re finished? It also makes changes in your body that increases your resting metabolic rate. HIIT—high intensity interval training—increases afterburn, which is the extra calories burned to get the body back to its resting state. In fact, it can increase the calories burned by as much as 15%. Exercise also builds muscle tissue, which uses more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does, which boosts your metabolism and makes weight loss easier.

What you eat makes a difference.

Can eating increase the number of calories you burn? The answer is a resounding yes. You need to have enough calories daily to keep your body functioning at peak. If your calorie consumption drops too low, the body starts to conserve calories, which means it slows your metabolic rate. Some foods require more calories to digest, such as protein. Protein also helps you feel fuller longer and is necessary to build more muscle tissue, which also burns more calories.

Boost your metabolism by drinking more ice cold water.

It may sound too simple to be true, but drinking water can fill you up so you eat less. If the water is cold, you’ll burn more calories just to warm the water and make it available to the body. Ultimately that warming process is boosting your metabolism. By just drinking six cups of cold water every day, you’ll boost your metabolism by an extra 50 calories. While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s an easy way to burn an extra pound in just 70 days. That’s five pounds a year you lost just by drinking water.

  • Get more sleep at night. If you don’t have enough sleep, you’re probably less active. Lack of sleep can also disrupt your hormones and cause you to gain weight.
  • Get rid of sugar and processed foods. Both provide a boost of energy, since they digest quickly, then just as quickly, produce a rapid drop in your metabolism and energy level.
  • Find ways to eliminate stress and deal with stress that’s unavoidable. Methods to control stress include meditation, deep breathing exercises and even regular exercise. Not only does stress slow metabolism, but it also causes fat around the belly.
  • Include calorie burners in your diet. Green tea, coffee and spicy foods that contain hot peppers with capsaicin are a few calorie burning foods. Using coconut oil when cooking can cause a metabolic boost as high as 12%.

For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym