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For immediate release:  August 6 , 2007 (Clyde, NC)

Can You Control Your Metabolism?

Some diet products make changing your metabolism sound as simple as switching your socks. Unfortunately, altering the rate of your metabolism—how quickly your body burns food for energy—isn’t that easy. But it can be done, and healthy habits can help.

A slowpoke metabolic rate can put you at risk for gaining weight. That’s because when the calories we eat don’t get burned, they become stored as fat. Unfortunately, our metabolic rate tends to get sluggish as we get older, starting in our twenties.

So what’s the solution? You aren’t likely to find it in a bottle. Despite their sweet-sounding promises, over-the-counter diet supplements probably won’t do anything but lighten your wallet. What can help are smart food choices and exercise. 

According to Kathy Keogh, RN, Health Education Coordinator with the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center “First and foremost, it’s important to eat.  Your metabolism drops when you skip meals in an attempt to conserve energy when your body senses a potential ‘famine’ on the horizon.” 

“Eating breakfast raises your metabolism earlier in the day - resulting in more calorie burn throughout the day. Avoid hunger by planning to be hungry: don't skip meals and keep healthy snacks nearby, she said.

The following are some other helpful tips to rev up your metabolism:

• Do dairy. Diets with three or more servings of dairy a day are better at producing weight loss and reducing body fat than diets that skimp on dairy, research shows. Experts think it’s the calcium in dairy products that has a positive impact on metabolism. When choosing dairy products, opt for low-fat or nonfat varieties of milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.

• Get regular exercise. Being active raises your metabolic rate temporarily so you burn more calories than you would if you were resting. Experts advise getting 30 to 60 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week.

• Don’t overlook strength training. Strength training builds muscle, which burns more calories than body fat does. In fact, people with more muscle tend to have a quicker metabolic rate than people with less muscle, even when they’re resting. That’s why experts recommend doing strengthening exercises two or three times a week to help maintain or lose weight. If you want to avoid the gym, push-ups and tummy crunches are two ways to build muscle without using weights or other gadgets.

For more information about boosting your metabolism and taking off weight, contact the Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center Health Promotions Department at 828-452-8088. 

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