Thermic-effect foods can cause weight loss

Everyone I know, no matter how great they look, has food issues and gains weight if they don't pay attention to their lifestyle. That includes me.

I'm always looking for new stuff to help me look and feel my best so I run across some interesting ideas, and I try lots of them.

I choose to workout because I don't know of anything that makes it easier to stay fit and allows me to eat so much that I'm never deprived. I need a lot of calories, but I try to behave myself when it comes to food.

For what it's worth my favorite food groups used to be cigarettes, coffee, salt, and sugar. So it's not like I'm a monk or anything like that. I know what a Twinkie tastes like.

Metabolism jacked naturally versus with drugs

Most of us have probably wished for faster metabolism. There are ways to do it without using drugs.

The rule is that anything natural that can boost metabolism without blowing out your nervous system should be the first choice. Pills and drinks that make your eyes look like blown fuses might quell your appetite and give you a shot of adrenalin, but they have to be toxic to your insides.

Diet pills whether Rx or over-the-counter are tantamount to swapping bad habits. Been there: a buzz from junk food is short-lived while a diet pill might last longer. It's hard telling which is worse, but neither feels very good when they wear off.

Oddly enough, in the above scenario the junk food is closer to nature so probably better for you than the pills. Wow, that's some philosophy. Did I actually say that?

Raising internal body temperature

This can be accomplished by eating certain foods. The process is known as thermogenesis.

Suzy Cohen "America's most trusted pharmacist" says that the the non-exercise thermogenesis caused by ingesting capsaicin -- the heat-causing compound found in varying degrees in all chilies -- can cause us to burn extra calories. That's a good bonus because capsaicin has several other qualities as well. Suzy's article.

Bigger, harder, leaner muscles for both genders

Basic metabolic rate drops at about 300 calories per decade, mainly because people lose muscle mass. Muscle burns calories, but only when it's being worked and not atrophied. Muscle loss can be slowed if you exercise -- which is exactly the opposite of what most of us do. It's also possible to add muscle no matter what your age.

Growing creates heat

If you think about how much work the body does when we are growing-up, it begins to make sense that it is a big factor in what keeps us so lean (unless we have abysmal eating habits).

I don't think it's a stretch to say that at the other end of life it would make sense that muscle-building exercise would have a similar effect on us. At the risk of seeming pretentious, I can vouch for this one.

Keep your innards calm and happy

Try for a low-stress existence. Eat cleanly. Try to go to sleep and get up at the same times each day so your innards feel happy.

Many people have scoffed at my suggestion to try and get stress out of their lives by getting away from toxic jobs. Do as you wish, but if you have a job that stresses you all day and most of the night, you might want to remember the adage about nobody on their death bed ever wishing they had spent more time working.

Eat many small meals

I suggest six to eight, because the process of digestion increases metabolism and keeps things inside nice and level. Eating any food is thermogenic in that it takes work for your body to digest.

I don't believe in really low carb lifestyles, but they work for some. Generally I'd say the typical person works best on lean protein and reasonably fibrous vegetables. I know that's kind of boring, but as people lean that direction they often say they feel cleaner. It's an interesting word, but even people who never heard it before will use it to express how it feels when they begin to eat more sanely.

Try some of this

Studies continue showing that green tea polyphenols and katechines increase basic metabolism as well as delivering other health benefits.

This stuff tastes good and it makes a good substitute for beverages that you already know aren't so good for you.

I actually enjoy green tea both hot and cold, but true to form I add artificial sweetener and sometimes powdered creamer. Try it, you might like it.

The video to the left is about green tea. The presentation is done by Dr. Mark Hyman, a good guy who wants people to be healthy (IMHO).

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Remember to get an annual physical. Information presented by Thomas Amshay is for education only and not meant to cure, guide treatment, or take the place of a licensed health practitioner. Consult your health care team before starting any exercise program or supplement.