How to boost your metabolism, lose weight and get healthy

According to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia.org, the beloved term we are all so intimately familiar with and aware of lately, namely METABOLISM (MB), stems from the root-Greek μεταβολισμος or "metabolismos".

It refers specifically to the bio-chemical modification of chemical compounds, in living organisms and cells, like our bodies for example, which is a living, self-contained system. It attempts as a nomer or descriptor to capture the dynamics of our functioning and internal bio-chemical functioning and dynamics. NOT AN EASY TASK! It is therefore a complex and laden term that needs some more clarification upfront, before we get into more intricate details as to what to do to make the most of it, enhancing our lives, health and futures, by giving it a power-boosting super-charging! Many have compared it to revving and fine-tuning your body into a high-performance engine, functioning at its peak. As we will discover together and gradually as we work our way through this text, our bodies are wonderfully made, wants to be in balance (equilibrium) and constantly strives to move to function well! More on this a little later. STAY TUNED (this is one of those master-keys to unlocking the truths and unleashing the power of your METABOLISM!

These processes and dynamics, include the bio-synthesis (combination and synergy) of complex organic molecules (anabolism) and their breakdown (catabolism). BOTH of these process-aspects are important to understanding MB better.

Metabolism (abbreviated as MB in the text), usually consists of sequences of enzymatic steps, also called metabolic pathways.

The total metabolism are all biochemical processes of an organism.

The cell metabolism includes all chemical processes in a cell.

There are on-going studies, research and initiatives like the Dynamic Energy Budget Theory that aims to better understand and even scientifically ‘quantify’ or capture the metabolic organisation and functioning of individual organisms.

The term MB is derived from the Greek word for "change", or "overthrow".

Metabolism is the ONE term that we never get sick of hearing. It is everywhere in the media and fitness magazines, lifestyle gurus tote it as the silver bullet to things like weight loss and healthy balanced living.

In common expression and general population circles, even the patios worldwide, you will often spot and overhear conversations on the topic of metabolism, weight loss, exercise and healthy living.

Often times even medical practitioners utilize the term to explain to patients why certain fad-diets in effect DO NOT WORK. Fitness instructors use it to emphasize that staying hydrated and eating well is essential to stay in good shape, as much as is exercising regularly.

If you are serious about weight loss and healthy living, eating and exercise, changing your lifestyle, wanting results, then you cannot NOT consider METABOLISM and the role it will play in helping/hindering your efforts and processes.

Most of us, including popular views, misunderstand the concept and MB in general. You do not have to look further than some of the online discussion boards, forums, chats and blogs, to discover some of these half-truths and misconceptions about MB.

Very few of us actually also know how to rev up our engine and optimize our MB for our own benefit and advantage.

We need to take a firm and calculated step forward and towards Understanding Metabolism BETTER in order to make the most of it, let alone enhancing or heightening it for optimal health, balanced, active lifestyles, living, functioning and performance!

It is true that very few of us actually take the time to study and probe metabolism and metabolic change, potential and promise for that matter. We are losing out big time! We are being bombarded with so much information in the fast-paced world we live in, that sometimes we are either overwhelmed by it, what to do, what not to do that we just DO NOTHING! On the other hand, media misinform us and advertising to sell and buy into products and services, or just confused…! Maybe you are partly caught up in all of the above! Well, there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. This guide attempts to shed MORE light and focus on the topic, from a practical standpoint – giving you information you can actually USE, that is practical and will make a difference in your life!

Avoid the conflict and confusion. Cut to the core on what MB is and what it can do for you. Stay tuned to learn more about how it can affect, enable and empower your life, your health and your future (even longevity!)

The new media buzz, is that you can do something about reversing your age and the effects lifestyles and choices can potentially have or is having on your life. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY MAKING SOME WISER CHOICES ALL ROUND. This includes making the most of your METABOLISM! To your benefit, advantage and even contributing to your quality of life, overall health and well-being, as well as potentially longevity!

We can also not blame all ills and conditions on metabolism, mistakenly we sometimes attribute weight loss or gain, wrongfully on our MB either speeding up or slowing down. We need to BETTER understand the nature and workings of MB, to actually increase its effectiveness and use it as ‘fuel’ and power-boosting performance-drivers that can help us and our bodies more effectively deal with fat, calories and some of the other challenges we, life, choice and circumstance throws at us. Enhancing and heightening your MB is all about how you can BETTER and more EFFICIENTLY get your body to use and burn more calories!

Whether eating healthier, more of some or certain types of foods, known and proven to increase your metabolic rate, or sitting in a sauna or steam-room, some methods and techniques for raising your MB work and are real, with others merely being temporary or not as effective at all.

We often times think that we are losing the weight because we are working out, burning calories and heightening our MB rate, but this is not necessarily true.

Numerous marketing and advertising campaigns, even nutritional labels and packaging can contribute to the confusion. Many only tell some of the whole truth or not at all! They want you to continue to buy the product, so why would they bother telling you about the real effects these foods have on your body and MB. Even if it is bad for you or potentially over the long term, may slow it down significantly, shut your system down, lead to obesity and/or worse even be fatal!

Low-fat foods are notorious in this regard. Eating these will NOT necessarily let you lose weight and/or speed up your metabolism. These foods alone will not get the job done! You will need a BETTER more balanced and multi-faceted, personalized plan of action than that to really make a difference!

You can actually get heavier, gain weight and burn less calories while eating low-fat foods. All calories that we take in that are NOT used, will be turned into fat and stored for when the body needs them later.

Trying to make sense of how metabolism affects our bodies, functions, weight and lives, there are lots to learn.

We are living in a time where everyone is health and well-being conscious. Lots are reshaping and even creating industries and lifestyles that a little while ago did not even exist yet. All get tempted into activities to speed up metabolism, eat foods that and do things that burn fat, calories and expend energy – all in a bid to optimize metabolic rate and NOT STORE FAT!

Even in and through school, we are not taught properly about metabolism and the key role that it plays. The medical community had not been too helpful either, focusing on preventing obesity and/or medically supervised weight loss.

For dependable insights on the truths about MB we head elsewhere.

For the myriads of readers for whom boosting their metabolism is the key and answer to some woes, weight and other lifestyle, well-being or health issues, this guide offers some relief and recourse of action. We try to make sense of the tons of information available out there, with a very specific purpose and focus in mind:

ENHANCING AND HEIGHTENING YOUR METABOLISM to get success and results that are right for you. No TWO individuals, conditions or situations are the same. That is part of the rationale that a personalized action plan and some clear insights on metabolism are required.

Throughout this discussion, you will learn more in detail about:

— Defining metabolism for what it is its function and contribution in and to our living systems, health, well-being and future.

— This role and specifically contributions regarding weight, calorie-intake, fat-burning and more will come under MORE scrutiny. MB does have some role to play in gaining and losing weight, but mostly NOT as most think in the mainstream.

— Unearth and unleash answers and solutions that boosts metabolism, practical suggestions on what works and what does not and why, to help one and all come up with the ‘formula’ and combination solution(s) that are custom-fit and most effective for every situation, conditioning and individual case.

— Metabolism is not a quick-fix, silver-bullet solution, but a contributing factor in an overall comprehensive plan to living healthier lives, weighing less and living longer (possibly!)

— There are numerous solutions and recommendations and various books, articles and research findings have been published that clearly show that there are some specific things to do and choices to make to enable and even speed up our living systems and biochemical processes, leading to a faster metabolism and high-performance system, in optimal functioning mode.

— Speeding up YOUR metabolism is only part of the equation and success-key and sole focus on it will not necessarily bring you the results you want.

— Sustainability, weight management, maintenance, and responsible eating plans, healthy, balanced lifestyles all also figure into this equation.

We will be looking into these in more detail as the text continues. Stay tuned and focused in, on what will make all the difference in the world for YOU, YOUR LIFE, YOUR FUTURE, and YOUR HEALTH!

This is NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL scenario or plan at all! It needs your personal touch and input to be REAL, sustainable success.

Taking a moment to think about what MB is not will quickly reveal that:

(i) It is not an organ

(ii) It is not the digestive system

(iii) A magic pill to lose weight

Energy expenditure breakdown in the human living system:

liver 27%
brain 19%
heart 7%
kidneys 10%
skeletal muscle 18%
other organs 19%

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Your metabolism takes care of all the processes, functioning and internal dynamics that enable life. If your metabolism stops, you will die!

The body is a unique and interconnected system as was already mentioned. We do not need to go into too much of the technical jargon and medical details to make sense of what MB is, why it is important and how it can help us function optimally.

We need to have some basic understanding of the fundamentals involved in these biological mechanisms behind what we refer to as metabolism or MB.

Our bodies need energy to function. The fuel we put into our bodies, the food we eat, the nutrients it contains moves through our bodies. Metabolism, is our body’s way of transforming food, absorbing nutrients, storing surplus and getting rid of waste. The expendable energy we get from the foods and drinks we take in, becomes in essence the body’s input or fuel to keep it running. For all essential bodily functions and demands, as well as energy we expend through exercise, activity, etc., need to be addressed. Optimizing these natural processes are part of the keys to not only understanding but making these processes work for you, to your advantage, to keep your whole body, health and life in shape, check and tip-top condition.

All daily activity, even sleeping requires energy, reading, thinking, walking, sitting, digesting food… all the processes like these that make up your day requires energy and you need to make the most of it by revving up your MB! It is the enabling agent that lets you do all of these things.

Our bodies were designed to move, converting food into the energy we require doing so, are the foundational elements for metabolism and constitute ‘living’. Processes like breathing, sweating, running, turning your head, all requires input and energy.

The agent and channel that helps us live our lives = MB! If you hear someone else quip that they have a particularly slow metabolism, watch and warn for misconceptions. All of us need our MB to function. If we are too heavy, carrying excess weight around, make bad food choices, gained weight recently and easily blame it on our metabolism, this might actually NOT HELP US DEAL WITH THE SITUATION OR REALITY AT ALL. The problem at hand is deferred, reflected, watered down, no personal accountability is taken and thus almost nothing done (or in some cases exercise regimens and diets are taken to the extreme, without the desired result and outcome and people wonder why!) We have to get all our facts and basics regarding MB right FIRST, before trying to make the most of it in these areas of our lives.

All of us have MB – you will not be able to live, breathe, move, even speak, if you did not! This umbrella term also refers to a collection of functions and process throughout the body that enables every aspect of our lives, every day of your life!

Bio-chemical processes are even on the go while you are sound asleep. Even though some might be slower or faster than others at that point. Our whole human dynamic system and body, wants to be in perfect and optimal balance. It does everything in its power to hold this ‘equilibrium’ or balance, restoring the default and optimal functioning state, regardless of what we put into our mouths and bodies! It is nature’s built-in system fail-safe and operational genius that makes us what we are.

These bio-chemical processes actually have a constructive and destructive aspect to it. Building up and breaking down. BOTH are required for balance and harmony.

— Creating tissue and cells

— Replacing dead or dysfunctional cells

Think of wounds healing or scabs forming after you cut or hurt yourself. Your body does not need permission or hesitate before it gets started on the ‘repair’, it just automatically does. This building up and repair function is often referred to as ANABOLISM.

On the other side of the spectrum, a balancing factor in this equation, is the breaking down of fuel and food, converting it into expendable energy (or for storage), to enable your body to move and do what it is supposed to be doing.

Our dynamic system is unique as well. How we treat, use and exercise our bodies MATTER! Whether you are focused on transforming your body and your life, with a personal action plan around general health and overall wellness, MB will form part of that plan in some way, shape or form, but normally NOT IN THE WAY WE NECESSARILY perceive or think.

We need to focus on all, wider and broader than merely MB. We need to educate, expand our own knowledge, customize exercise routines that will speed up our metabolic rate, training workouts and programs, nutrition and passion, need to be part of the overall approach as well. It is as much about lifestyle, choices, exercise, activity, attitude, diet and nutritional selection of better foods, smaller frequent meals, fresh foods, less fat, sufficient calorie intake from the right types of food that matter and make a difference.

Understanding and using the nature, dynamics, strength and motion, of your whole human body, YOUR METABOLISM, your energy system, engine, inputs, fuel, ultimate nutritional sources, and the guided, deliberate activity to tone, define, develop, optimize and maintain should become YOUR TOP PRIORITIES!

The breakdown or conversion of foods to energy is often defines as catabolism.

It brings and re-establishes the balance in your system and these seemingly opposing forces and internal processes at play in your body and system functioning.

There is an intricate and complex relationship between metabolism and losing weight. If you can figure out the value-proposition and dynamic between these two, you will quickly realize why diet or exercise alone will not get you the results you require, desire or deserve! YOU DO NEED BOTH. In addition, we will argue that a particular dose and format, even combination of these, focused around metabolic factors and processes will be even MORE powerful.

The catabolism potion of this equation and balancing act is extremely important for weight loss in general. Breaking foods down, burning fat and calories is what it is all about.

Calories are measures of converted energy. Calories, whether hidden or ‘empty’ (no nutritional value), the body or system will not know the difference! That is why eating the right types of foods, in moderation, only when you need to, are hungry for example is essential. Over-eating can be detrimental as it throws off the whole balance. Starving yourself by cutting calories will also NOT work, as you body feels that it has to compensate for the lowered fasting and declining sources of energy and STORES it, yes in fat stores to have on hand when required! It is like having your own body fight against you! You need to figure out a way to make this process work for you, not against you. This is one reason that yo-yo dieting or fad diets never work!

We all know or have a relative idea of what good, bad and ugly foods, snacks and items are on grocery and bakery shelves that we should not be consuming. If you had to choose between and ice-cream sundae laden with fats and sugars and a peach, with fiber and natural sugar, it is quite obvious which one will be better for you. Foods with less processing is better, fresh, organic best probably. The less additives and manipulation suffered, the more nutrients and healthy value you will get from the calories that you do take in.

Our bodies, however, does not make this necessary distinction! Good, bad or ugly does not exist. They are all sources of energy and that is all that there is to it. It consumes and absorbs all it gets and can get. If you eat food, your body has to convert it into energy, store it, or get rid of it (if not used). Even if we take in way more calories/food, fuel or energy and then do NOTHING to expend it, it will be stored in energy stores for later use (yes fat cells and deposits) for reserves! Go FIGURE!

We have to physically move and use the energy to DO something with it is the key. Energy from the foods and calories that we take in will find a home. It will be used to fuel the MB processes, both anabolic and catabolic sides of the equation and for a variety of purposes, organs and functions throughout the body-system. If will go where the needs are.

Additional energy that your body is NOT using or expending will be stored. We need to understand these dynamics, processes and balances to help us make the most of our MB.

If we do not exercise and live active lifestyles, using up that energy, fat cells will start to store the ‘energy’ reserves and build up. Have you seen these lately?

If you are in good shape, athletic, fit with good physique and muscle tone, conditioning and fitness level in general, your trained system through conditioning, will automatically burn calories MORE EFFECTIVELY, without YOU actually doing anything deliberately. If you metabolic rate is higher and boosted, this process is enhanced, ensuring good balance, healthy bodies and even longevity!

Building and toning muscle is actually essential in any personal regimen, as this will help you burn more calories and fat, storing less deposits and reserves throughout your body. A good rule of thumb is to take in no more than you will actually need, to stay in good shape.

Fat cells once there cannot be gotten rid of, BUT they can be reduced dramatically! You do not have to be a fitness expert or have a personal trainer to help you make the most of your metabolism.

Food conversion processes, both building up and breaking down, need to be put to work for you and your body. We will be looking shortly at ways that you can actually do that: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MB!

Expending or storing of energy, those are your ONLY options and choices at your disposal for excessive energy. Food and exercise will help you and there will be some very practical things that we will/can recommend to help you BOOST YOUR METABOLISM significantly and regularly, on an on-going basis, throughout your life.

To summarize some of the key wisdoms and insights from this section, we opt to utilize some definitions and descriptions of these processes, offered by Prof. Doutor Pedro Silva, who is an assistant Professor at the Universidade Fernando Pessoa.

In a brief discussion he had on the general overview of the major metabolic pathways, he identified the following key factors of success in understanding and using MB to better our lives, bodies and health as follows:

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in a cell, which enable it to keep living, growing and dividing. Metabolic processes are usually classified as:

Catabolism is obtaining energy and reducing power from nutrients.

Anabolism is production of new cell components, usually through processes that demand energy and reducing power obtained from nutrient catabolism.

There is a very large number of metabolic pathways. In humans, the most important metabolic pathways are:

— Glycolysis - Glucose oxidation in order to obtain ATP

— Citric acid cycle (Krebs' cycle) - Acetyl-CoA oxidation in order to obtain GTP and valuable intermediates

— Oxidative phosphorylation - Disposal of the electrons released by glycolysis and citric acid cycle. Much of the energy released in this process can be stored as ATP

— Pentose phosphate pathway - Synthesis of pentoses and release of the reducing power needed for anabolic reactions

— Urea cycle - Disposal of NH4+ in less toxic forms

— Fatty acid b-oxidation - Fatty acids breakdown into acetyl-CoA, to be used by the Krebs' cycle

— Gluconeogenesis - Glucose synthesis from smaller precursors, to be used by the brain

Metabolic pathways interact in a complex way in order to allow an adequate regulation. This interaction includes the enzymatic control of each pathway, each organ's metabolic profile and hormone control.

If this topic appeals to you and you are still reading the text, there is a chance that somewhere down your life-path you have either wanted or needed, even tried to enhance, boost or speed up your metabolism, intervening from the outside in! We suggest you turn both inside out and outside in to your corner and advantage. IT CAN BE DONE! You can heighten and enhance your metabolism. YOU CAN MAKE A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION AND DIFFERENCE!

Most people start by either:

— Reducing calories – eating less, dieting, taking pills (appetite suppressants)

— Exercising more (wrong routines, no plan, no structure – just MORE activity, more often!)

— Take supplements or specific foods to boost metabolism

— Eating healthier foods, smaller meals

All of the above may have some limited measure of success and in combination they can actually be quite powerful and effective. If you want to, however, make the most of your bio-chemical processes and MB, YOU NEED MORE than just a haphazard strategy of a couple of things to ‘do’, choose or eat!

They all contain some elements of the truth. Science has MORE answers to provide to us.

By doing the above mentioned activities and taking these steps to change lifestyle and be more active will definitely have its benefits. BUT, is it actually due to a boost in MB or are other factors at play here? Is the initial gains and weight-loss due and attributable to losing water sweating, etc.?

There are successful ways to boost your metabolism – THAT WORK!

There are in fact THREE broad categories to consider that can individually and specifically in combination make the world of difference in making the most of your MB.

They are: (i) Diet (ii) Exercise and (iii) Lifestyle. We will take a closer look at them in the pages and sections that are to follow.

For the purpose of getting our discussion off to a good start, let us group the first three together under the heading EXERCISE.

Exercise is all about burning up fat and using calories, converting food/fuel to energy, expending it to keep your body fit and trim and in tip-top shape.

Not all of us are blessed with a ship-shape physique and excellent condition, speedy metabolism that lets us eat lots of anything and everything without gaining weight. Some of us can just look or smell something and gain weight! People have different metabolic levels. How active you are, how much you move around, your genetic markers, lifestyle and regular exercise, fitness level and even some specialist training can all help you make the most of your MB!

Any aerobic activity or cardio-vascular workout can help you optimize these system and bio-chemical processes.

It will be optimal if you can consult with your physician PRIOR to starting any exercise routine or even when considering intensifying a particular type of training program. A personal trainer and fitness instructor can also help you focus on burning fat and calories. You will also need more than a little cardio to get and keep you going, boosting your MB to optimal levels.

YOU NEED TO DEAL WITH ALL THOSE EXCESS FAT AND CALORIES – burning them through focused and targeted exercise, as well as regular physical activities, are all great combinations to try out. If you enjoy swimming, walking, running, biking, rowing, tennis, roller-blading, the activities that you enjoy can ensure that the variety and intensity never leaves you bored or overwhelmed. GET TO THE TASK AT HAND and make it part of your daily priorities and routine. WE ARE MADE TO MOVE! Make the most of your systems by putting it through its steps every day! Getting a pedometer is also a great way to get you started. Count your steps as you go along your normal routine and see how much ground you cover.

Sometimes we do not go that much further than initial cardio-workouts, for we do not know how to refine and build our skills, levels and strength. Here is where training specialists can help. You can consider a wide range of activities, routines and exercises that are just right for your purposes and personal, specific circumstance.

Muscle Toning and Physical Conditioning

Building lean muscle has been shown to have its benefits for boosting MB rates and conversion of fuel/food to energy. You can burn fat and calories fast, by simply adding a couple of easy exercises to your routines and workouts. It does not take a lot. It is suitable for BOTH men and women and is not about BULKING UP! The whole idea behind this is, to have more lean muscle that can convert energy stores and use up energy.

You are toning and creating strength, building your muscles, not body-building!

This is an exceptionally powerful channel and means to boost YOUR metabolism overall. It underpins and strengthens the other things you already are doing to get the most from your body.

Muscle is SO MUCH BETTER THAN FAT! That fact is not in dispute. Not only will you look better, you will feel better and actually be healthier. Muscles over fat – any day! For most of us it is a no-brainer. The real question is why not more of us are actually doing it and making it a priority.

If you are more muscular, have more lean muscle throughout all areas of your body, you will be ‘primed’, like a high-performance machine. Your muscles will burn more fat and calories as opposed to fat that just stores fatty deposits and reserves.

See this as in investment in your energy utilization! By creating and building, toning and refining more lean muscle, you are enabling your body to cope with its natural processes and bio-chemical processes BETTER!

This will no sooner become like a built-in calorie-burning factory. The only implication here is that you will have to sustain and maintain them too, not allowing your muscles to slack or lapse over time. They get weaker, they get less effective at doing what they do best: BURN FAT AND CALORIES! KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR MUSCLES HEALTHY AND ON TRACK FOR BEST RESULTS.

Regular muscle-building routines are not hard. It just takes the discipline to establish some new habits. If you start toning and strength training, you will feel the difference immediately and over time. Your body does become used to these increased levels of efficiency and fat-burning and you will feel energized and ready to take on everything. You will have more stamina and feel more ready to take on challenges, face obstacles and overall be in better shape than ever before. The benefits will keep growing.

This is the easiest way to make the most of what nature has actually given you. Do not get discouraged either, if you have more body-mass or excess fat than muscle at the moment. YOU CAN CHANGE IT! That is all you need to know. Encourage and inspire yourself to get moving. That is the secret and key. It is really that simple – YOU NEED TO BE MOVING, active, exercising, building lean muscle to make the most of your built-in, inherent fat-burning factories and abilities. This functionality often times goes ignored or falls by the way-side. You can put it in over-drive to even burn calories while you sleep. It is almost like putting your body on auto-pilot, converting effectively, improving its own processing! Reach for higher levels of personal bodily functions and fat-burning, by building muscles and strength you did not even think possible, without the need to bulky bulging muscles.

This will underpin some of the foundations and other cardio-activities and exercises that you get into your daily routines and workouts.

The growth and development over time is also exponential and expands. As you new muscles grow and develop, the demand for energy and sustaining their condition and functioning, will burn even more fat and calories and you will see the results, while getting motivated by the progress. STICK WITH IT!

Unlocking and Unleashing Interval Training on Your Body and Life!

Making the most of the catabolic processes in your body, regular exercise, both cardio and toning, muscle building and conditioning can contribute to making you a leaner, more optimal functioning and effective fat-and-calorie burning machine!

By dynamically combining these first three exercise-related, type activities and undertakings and making them part of your routine and lifestyle, daily comings and goings, will soon reflect in your physical appearance and overall health. You will feel better and actually be and do better!

You can actively choose to have and work for a balanced and active lifestyle. This will include some informal and formal, scheduled and unscheduled physical activity, regular purposeful movement and frequent exercise regimens to boot and boost your MB rate through the roof! You will put your body to task to perform and function as it was designed and meant to be! You will not be satisfied with the mediocre and passive. You will want to be on the move.

Benefit from an overall healthier focus and living and soon your conditioning and physique, as well as fitness levels will improve. You will have more energy than ever before and BEST OF ALL: YOU WILL BE BURNING FAT AND CALORIES, by not even trying very hard! It will become second nature almost overnight and you will not want to miss an opportunity to get more from your living system, pushing to the limits and beyond to benefit fully from the vitality and rejuvenation you will enjoy on a daily and on-going basis.

In addition, adding some more focused, niche and specialist personal or interval training can be wise to reach even higher for personal performance and optimal body function, health and longevity. There are many ideas and definitions behind and of interval training. Wikipedia.org broadly defines it as repetitions of high-speed/intensity work followed by periods of rest or low activity.

What some trainers and fitness experts call refined structured routines. High-energy and intense activity, followed by periods of rest is perfectly suited to boosting your MB higher and enhancing the bio-chemical processes that convert food, calories and fat to energy and useable components, that are good for the body, expelling waste in the process and NOT BUILDING UP FAT STORES!

The whole premise and rationale is still to burn calories and energy. Balancing intake and available energy with expenditure and demand. What a balancing act it is! We need to figure out the intricacies of this see-saw, type dynamic that exists to unlock the secrets of our bodies and metabolism.

Increased demand for a short period of time, intensity and commitment of resources is what you are after. You want higher levels of energy expenditure for small periods of time, followed by rest and recovery!

As you body deals effectively with these extra demands and energy requirements, YOUR body will in fact actually be burning more calories, have a higher metabolic rate! Again, as it strives to get the balance and equilibrium BACK!

Interval training is only done effectively if you follow and stick to the rules. Your body needs to quickly and effectively find the energy sources that it needs in that moment and then needs time to re-establish the balance it needs so badly.

If you are already warmed up and done your cardio for example, pushing a little harder and further for a couple of minutes will jump-start and keep your body and metabolism moving. You will have a sudden increase in demand, a chance for your body, muscles and MB to step up and deliver. This is good for your overall health and given your internal systems a welcome tune-up and jolt, a call to action if you will.

To benefit optimally, build and design in the rest and recovery, to maximize the benefit and results from interval type training.

You want your body to respond effectively and suddenly, burning fat and calories quickly to be able to cope and address the new and sudden demand for energy and performance. That is what it is really about.

Experience the rush and reward from sudden demands for power and energy. You will burn more calories that way. It does not need to be more than a couple of seconds, minutes. Some fitness trainers will assess your level of fitness, health, etc., prior to recommending the most appropriate regimen that is right for you. As you progress, you might even be able to address interval training, highly demanding on your body and living system for sustained periods of 30-40 minutes of high-intensity activity and energy-burning!

This is almost like having a small warm-up, all-out, cool down mini-routine built right into your workout or exercise routine. For short bursts and periods of time, you will give it your all and beyond and then rest, then continue and repeat. This will help you make the most of your MB and performance.

If you do and pursue it right, consistently over time, you will begin to feel much healthier and stronger, while also losing weight in the process! YOU WILL BURN CALORIES AND FAT MORE EFFECTIVELY. Deliberately and almost by default as your body is pushed through what before were limits! You will be reaching above and beyond and getting more from your MB than you ever imagined possible. You will not have energy for things and at times you never used to before either.

NEVER OVERDO IT EITHER! Try and find that healthy balance, set goals and work with a fitness instructor that can help you plan, process, track and progress, over time. YOU CAN REACH YOUR GOAL OF ENHANCING AND HEIGHTHENING YOUR METABOLISM.

Here are some more useful tips for the exercise portion of your overall personal plan of action of making the most of your metabolism and giving your life, health and future a much needed nudge, push and BOOST!

— Ensure variety in your routines

— Choose fun activities

— Exercise with a buddy or someone else – it will also keep you motivated and dedicated to cause and purpose

— Spice up routines and stagger programs, regimens and workouts

— Introduce combination elements from cardio, strength training, muscle toning, aerobic, informal fun physical activities, sports, etc.

— Optimize all metabolism-boosting benefits from interval training type activity that places additional demand and strain on your fat-burning power-house of a body!

It is entirely up to you to adapt and vary YOUR metabolic high performance engine into new territory – no one can do it for you.

— Break up a longer routine into smaller parts

— Exercise regularly and consistently

— Change daily routines

— Alter bad habits (passive activities)

— Taking stairs instead of the elevator, walking or biking to work, skipping the coffee shop on your morning commute, parking further in the parking lots at work, mall or grocer

— You need to make exercise a fun activity that does not seem like punishment, ensure variety and avoid boring routines that after a while, feel dull and more like a chore

— Keep yourself motivated

— Add new elements to your overall exercise program

— Bring some personal level of non-compromising commitment

— Stick with the program and personal action plan (it gets easier after a while)

— Set goals, track progress and reward yourself for accomplishments and attainment of these set targets and milestones

— Get and seek advice from experts on how to boost and increase your metabolism (MB)

— Take long-term perspective and do not just look for short-term results

— Set new and changing demands and levels of performance for your muscles and body! Make your MB-engine work with power and performance

— Maintain and sustain your level of functioning and performance

** NOTE: Genetics and health concerns, should be discussed with your medical practitioner. Also, how underlying medical conditions, weight, etc., can affect what you are planning and doing, before, during and after any exercise routine!

You live your life through your body. It is so much more than just your face to the world. You are the custodian of YOU! The health and maintenance of this living system is up to you. You need to feed, fuel and prime, fine-tune and care for it as best you possibly can.

At the outset of any exercise program or regimen, expect some initial resistance as your body gets used to what you are calling it to do and output. How your body uses and stores energy are in your hands.

Your body is also NOT YOUR ENEMY! It is there to help you every step of the way. If you make the most of your metabolic processes, you are well on your way of deciphering some of the secrets involved in MB and bodily performance excellence. Optimal performance and MB functioning, energy conversion and processing is within your easy reach.

Conditioning is a great thing. Your body will be more effective at dealing with converting energy, but also at absorbing nutrients, getting rid of waste, etc. Overall your health will improve. You will benefit from increased energy levels and feel better than ever, ready to take on the world!

Initially you might feel that you tire quickly and easily. That is OK. Everyone has to start somewhere, and remember your body will gradually get used to what you are asking of it! It will start getting ready to burn fat and calories on demand, almost automatically, in preparation of what is to come. What did take and call for a great deal of energy to help you achieve this in the beginning, will very soon be habit, second nature and almost natural!

If you do feel out of breath or really fatigued, stop. DO NOT OVER-EXERT yourself and listen to your body’s messages. It is constantly trying and working to get you the sources and energy that you need to address new and increased demand. That is what boosting MB is really about. YOU WANT MORE FROM YOUR BODY! You are raising the bar and expecting better performance… all-round at that!

The wonderful adaptive nature of your bodily living system is that is does exactly what it is designed to do. By boosting your MB often you are actually putting it to task, making it more consistent and efficient over time.

— Your body will have become stronger

— The ability to supply (new/increased, constant and sudden demands for/of) energy on-demand almost as it were, will become MORE effective, too

— Needs will be met much more efficiently

— It will take less and less effort and exertion to get to the levels where you want and need to be to feel healthy, at your best and functioning optimally

— Your health has improved

— Your living system is now operating at a higher level of efficiency and can be relief on more in a crisis or emergency situation!

— You might not even be able to see how your MB is increasing as other results and efficiencies, healthy efforts and rewards may over-shadow or even obscure the results

— Utilizing fat-stores and deposits, burning fat and calories to get you the energy you need is what is in question here and you can get your body made used to this pathway and almost ‘program’, predisposition it to follow that route constantly!

— Cross-training is a great way to optimize exercise routines to get the maximum jolt for your MB demand!

— NEVER allow your body again to slow down your metabolism and get lazy or out of shape – THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THAT!

You are in control of your body, not the other way around!

We know and realize now that speedily increasing our metabolic rates and bio-chemical processes actually helps us be healthier, lose weight and even live longer. WE NEED TO MOBILIZE OUR SYSTEMS as they do not AUTOSTART!

Send the message quickly that you need MORE energy, exercise, practice and hone these physical regimens and strategies and this group will serve you well!

Therefore, if combinations are a great way of mobilizing our bodies, increasing its efficiencies and functioning, then lifestyle, diet and attitude cannot be far behind. We will discuss most of these under the sub-category of LIFESTYLE.

However, before we get to that, let us just emphasize how important the right attitude and aptitude is in this. YES, YOU WILL IN FACT NEED BOTH!

Sometimes having a personal stake, accountability and responsible ownership in something can make all the difference in the world. For most of us, the first step would actually be to stop looking for blame and cause, deferring behavior, unwillingness to change, fear, risk and more and actually STEP OUT AND DO SOMETHING!

This is ONE challenge no one else can take on, on your behalf or in your place. YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT NATURE HAS DEALT YOU! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! YOU CAN ENHANCE AND HEIGHTEN YOUR METABOLISM! You are well on your way already… here are some MORE practical suggestions to help you get and stay on track!

Combination solutions:

— Attitude, aptitude - BOTH required!

— Sleep and relaxation

— Hormones, thyroid and other endocrine factors

— Nutrition and diet

— Not obsessing over ONE THING or ANYTHING!

— Habits and patterns

— Healthier and wiser choices all-round

Lifestyles have us reclaiming or giving up ground of our lives and living system efficiencies. It is a willful choice we make every day, every time. We choose to be healthy, exercise or be active OR NOT! There is not real in-between or gray area here – we are either making wise, informed and good choices or unwise, uninformed and bad choices. Which side of the spectrum are you on as far as your life, lifestyle, metabolism and body goes?

Daily routines and activities we do not really thing about, new things we try, where we live, what we do, what we eat, where we go… all of these from part of our overall lifestyle. What is your quality of life, your life expectancy? Which activities do you enjoy most and why? Answers to these types of questions will start giving you a great idea as to what exactly is meant by lifestyle – it is not which house you live in, car your drive, expensive clothes or title we refer to. Rather it deals with choices and will. We choose how we live, what we do, eat and more. We opt for exercising or not! Work-life balance, relationships and commitments, activities, sports and recreation. We all opt for those things that make us who we are and what we enjoy. These lifestyle choices can either hinder or help our MB processes and overall health, well-being and even future or longevity. Do you believe that your lifestyle (past, present, future) influences (or will influence) the speed of your metabolism? Why or why not? Which are the main areas of concern? For most people, the answer to these questions will bring cues and clues as to what they would be able to alter and change, to step up demand on energy stores, lose weight, live a healthier life and more.

WE exist in an ever-increasingly fast-paced, globalized world, filled with stress, turmoil, demands and it is really hard to find some good balance and healthy living in there somewhere these days! There is little room for it and small margin for error. It remains extremely hard to keep track of what and why we do things. It almost takes a jolt, scare or shock to bring us in touch with the realities we sometimes face and health issues or concerns we deal with – almost to the point where it is all but maybe too late to do anything about it! Well, no more! You can stem and turn this tide in your favor and to your advantage.

Here are some fact for you to ponder and consider in this context of ‘demand’ (in itself it asks for more energy and higher levels of functioning and performance just to keep up! FEEL THE PRESSURE?)

— Balancing work, family, hobbies, and other commitments

— Lifestyle is a conscious choice

— There are serious short-comings and bad lifestyle choices that we make that do not help us!

— Little, yet very critical elements of our action plan can start right here, small gradual changes and interventions can be the most powerful

— There are lots of things regarding lifestyle changes that can help speed up our metabolism

— Regular day-to-day routines and choices can sink you or take you to new heights – also for your MB, ,health , weight and overall well-being

— There are many profound influences on and in your life of which lifestyle and attitude are two we often overlook or underestimate!

— With a personal action plan to enhance and heighten your metabolism, you can enable and empower your short, medium and long-term weight loss goals! IT IS POSSIBLE! YOU CAN CHANGE THINGS AROUND FOR THE BETTER!

Getting in on the action, has to happen because you want it and believe in it. You cannot do it simply because everyone or someone else is doing it. This has to be about you, for you, because of you, by you! That is the key and answer to your success and results, desired outcomes.

Conscious and sub-conscious choices we make regarding all aspects and areas of our lives can enable or hinder our happiness, health and well-being, also for our metabolism and living systems functioning.

— Sleep and relaxation

— Hormones, thyroid and other endocrine factors

— Nutrition and diet** (we will discuss this under a separate header below)

— Not obsessing over ONE THING or ANYTHING!

— Habits and patterns

— Healthier and wiser choices all-round

For the above mentioned list, every single one of us, will be able to come up with our own list of pros and cons, do and don’ts unique to us. Some make do with very little sleep and a couple of hours will do, while other need 6-8 hours, even more to be at their best. For some 9-5 is enough, others need to stay in touch 24/7/365! We all have our differences, quirks and preferences. There is no one-size fits all lifestyle or solution to propagate or advocate. Just general guidelines can be provided in each of these to enable you to make the most of your human body, bio-chemical processes and metabolic rates – which is the power-plant for the rest of your body! This is where your energy comes from to do all these things that you call your life and enjoy! If it was not for your metabolism, you would not be able to do and cope with any of it.

Therefore, it follows that it merits our close attention and dedication to have it at optimal levels in our lives to get the most benefit from it.

We often compromise and make not such wise decisions. We are also sometimes our own worst enemies, setting up for failure and disappointment, undermining our own efforts.

We try to make the right choice and do the right thing. We even attempt to eat foods and do things that boost metabolism… and then we revert back to old bad habits and behavior. We do so just as easily and have to deal with the aftermath of not succeeding, starting all over again, even feeling that it is futile and a hopeless attempt! NEVERTHELESS, THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SO!

We are such social creatures of connection, habit and comfort. We know that there is research and studies that show that consuming fair amounts of alcohol with meals, makes us eat more than we need, yet we all do it, to be sociable! We then end up with more calories than we really need and guess what will happen if we do not expend it, yes it is stored as FAT and reserves for later! Just the opposite or what we need. When we over-eat our brain thinks that we are preparing for a coming shortage and stacking up – therefore, retain, store, store, store! Exactly the direct opposite of what we really need! However, our bodies are not our ‘enemy’, WE ARE! We are the ones making the choices and decisions on what ends up in our bodies. We cannot all blame it on our systems and bio-chemistry, genetics etc.

Take sugary pop for example. Again we know that it is not good for us, yet we order to our hearts content in combo’s even super-sizing them for it is positioned as cheap and a good deal. We get tricked and fall for it, time and again, making unhealthy and unwise decisions.

Beers and cocktails are not any better either. There are hidden calories everywhere and we need to take better care of what goes into our shopping carts, orders off menus at restaurants and forget the drive-through convenience. High fat, high salt foods are not good for your MB! Wine is a good choice in moderation and cutting it out of your diet completely can really help you cut calories too! Now that is putting a positive spin on healthy living and good choices!

NO, you do not have to give up all you love! We are not propagating total abstinence. JUST BE ACUTELY aware of all these subtle ‘influences’ and forces working and placing demands on your metabolism - in the WRONG direction! Storing fat, NOT BURNING IT!

Forcing your system to deal more effectively even with more calories, can be quite the task and uphill battle initially, but over time it becomes easier and even smooth sailing. You can make the most of both your exercise at lifestyle choices to enable and empower your MB and LIFE!

Rest and shut-eye is extremely important. This forms part of the natural cycle of balance in your life and living system. During this time or ‘regeneration’ balance is restored and energy moved where it is needed. Your body is in recovery mode and still needs energy or functioning (albeit less than during the day) You are still digesting food, at a slower rate now. Blood is circulating, your brain processing, you are breathing, your heart is beating, etc. There essential functions do not cease and still demands energy. Excess will be stored as fat. This is one of the main reasons we are advised NOT to eat large meals at night!

Research has clearly shown that there is direct link between rest, sleep and metabolism. If for any reason you are NOT getting enough sleep, you will see and feel the effects pretty quickly.

Starving yourself from food, calories, or even sleep is not a wise or good, enabling choice. Your metabolism will slow down and your system grind to a halt. It might start slow with some digestive problems, loss of appetite, or other symptoms. If you are in fact too tired and your body low on energy, you will not be able to break down food, fuel, conversion processes will slow even more and lower your system’s overall functionality and efficiency. THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU WANT! YOU WANT TO TURN IT UP, NOT SHUT IT DOWN!

Carbohydrates cannot be effectively dealt with by body, if you are tired or fatigued and your MB rate low and falling.

Life-work balance, exercise and rest all need to be part of your planning too to make the most of your metabolism. Sleep in some cases might be MORE beneficial than the exercise (depending on the circumstance and individual needs of course!)

You need to have enough energy to make the most of what you take in and you need enough sleep and rest to replenish your system. It is a delicate balancing act that you need to master. You need to listen to your body and its needs. Your MB is the key to BOTH and all aspects mentioned here. It is the enabler of your life! What you choose to do with it – entirely UP TO YOU!

Here are some more exercise, lifestyle and even snooze tips that might help you out.

— BALANCE! BALANCE! BALANCE!

— Daily routines can also help you where exercise cannot! (if you cannot get to it, are traveling for business, etc.)

— De-stress your life, do not add pressure unnecessarily!

— Do not eat late at night

— Do not exercise close to bedtime; your body can become so energized that it does not want to sleep!

— Do not turn on the TV at night

— Ensure you get the rest that you require

— Having trouble sleeping is not good – get help if the condition persists

— Insomnia and other sleep disorders are very common problem

— Integrate a workout into your life during the day

— Lack of rest and replenishing of energy, system and body will affect the speed of your metabolism

— Make relaxation a priority as well in and amongst everything that you do and have to accomplish, even while wanting to increase your metabolism. It sounds contradictory, but it is not really. The one cannot without the other function and contribute optimally. GIVE YOUR MB A FIGHTING CHANCE!

— Pick a gym with 24-hour convenience to take the time-pressure off

— REDUCE, AVOID and ELIMINATE STRESS!

— Skipping or missing a routine or workout is not the real end of the world! DO NOT OVER-exert yourself

— Try drinking warm milk before bedtime

— Try having a warm bath before bedtime

— Try working out during your lunchtime or right after work

— Try yoga or other stress-relieving practices

— You can work out at home

— You don’t have to work out every night

This is a tough one to deal with, but it have been proven time and again through studies and research that stress (positive and/or negative stress) SLOWS OUR SYSTEMS DOWN! Yes, that right, not only does it mess with our hormones, hearts and minds, but also with our MB!

These stress-hormones can be detrimental and harmful to BOTH our health and well-being. EVEN WORSE: they affect the build up of reserves to cope with ‘added demand and pressures” REMEMBER: Your body cannot tell the difference between good or bad demand – it just wants to store to defend and prepare! It is doing what it is designed to do – protect you! STRESS WILL LOWER YOUR MB! THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING! More fat and a lower metabolism is definitely NOT WHAT YOU WANT and then in combination like here, it is double-punch problem to overcome!

If you are constantly under stress, you might have to find coping mechanisms and outlets for it, even professional help to assist you in coping with it effectively, without it affecting your health, weight and MB negatively!

It gives stop and smell the roses a new meaning and importance! DO IT! Give yourself some well-earned moments of reprieve, silence and reflection every day. There has been correlations found between how much stress you experience and your ability to break down cells effectively and even lose weight (or not!)

AGAIN WE EMPHASIZE - DO NOT BE YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

The third combination that can give you a real MB POWERBOOSTER is Nutrition and Diet.

There are good and bad, healthy and unhealthy foods around. It is up to use to pick the ones that really make the difference.

Calories do not all have to be bad for you. Healthy living and a MB-enabled super-charged life does not all have to be about dieting and deprivation. Quite the contrary. You can make calories work for you, to your advantage.

Being aware of daily calorie recommended intake is good and enabling, counting calories at all expense or starving, skipping meals are not! Avoid the extremes and try for a healthy balance and your MB will be just fine!

Avoid empty or hidden calories (pop, sauces, side-dishes, butter/oils and dressings, candy, snacks, alcoholic beverages, sugary baked goods and treats)

Your body is designed to enable your life. It will try to make the most of what you put into it, give it to work with. Even efficiently store it for later! This is what you DO NOT WANT!

By starving yourself, your body will not burn more calories and fat, it will actually store and go into ‘defend’ and maintain, sustain and keep mode!

This is why dieting and sudden calorie reductions do not work AT ALL!

Your living system will in effect slow down its own metabolism. NOW WHO IS THE ENEMY HERE?

Diet in combination with exercise, lifestyle and good nutrition, healthy foods and choices, smaller portions, more often will tend to get you better results in short, medium and long term.

You will feel tired and robbed of energy. You will not be burning additional fat and calories at all unless you exercise as well.

** NOTE: You can actually gain weight by dramatically reducing your calorie intake!

Here are some MORE tips on healthy eating, diet and nutrition in general to help you make the most of your MB:

— Look to find out what you daily calorie intake should be and stick to it! Ensure that the calories you need and take in are proportionate to your body size, type, and weight loss goals

— Consult with a qualified nutritionist or fitness expert for some assessment, input and guidelines

— Give your body what it needs to function optimally BUT THROUGH healthy, efficient calories

— Balanced nutritious meals that you prepare yourself (that you know what are in them) are best

— Get your daily ration of essential nutrients, vitamins, and other elements that your body needs to function well and at its best

— Frequent small meals, more often throughout the day will ensure a constant supply of energy that is better for you

— Cut down on snacking on unhealthy foods

— Too much sugary or salty snacks like potato chips or candy bars will leave you feeling hungry after a while after the initial rush is over and they typically do not have much nutritional value

— You manage hunger and appetite well this way

— Keep your body and internal engine primed and moving! Power it constantly not just two or three times a day – it ‘costs’ less!

— What you eat, how much and why also matter and feed into this equation!

— Do not exceed your daily calorie intake (especially not with junk or convenience, or even snack foods!)

— Plan menus and meals, keeping a food journal to help you track, when, how much or what and why you eat

— You will start to see patterns and habits form that might give you clues on how to best change and/or optimize your MB throughout the day

— Concern yourself with nutritional information and read the labels on the foods you buy

— Look at ingredients, salt and fats, for example

— Ensure that you are eating a balanced diet, including eating enough protein, carbohydrates, fats (the good unsaturated kind!), and the other vitamins and minerals that your body needs in order to function at optimal levels

— Eating earlier in the day, breakfast being the most important meal of the day, as well as main meal around mid-day will sustain and enable your metabolic conversion and rate throughout the day – ensuring you have the energy to see you through

— Eating a hearty and healthy breakfast will leave you not wanting snacks, for example – no cravings!

— DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST

— Take control over what you eat throughout the day and manage and distribute your calories better

— Metabolism slows down significantly in the sleep-cycle of our daily lives, as nature intended. It needs some fuel to get back up again!

** NOTE: GIVE YOUR MB A GREAT START with breakfast everyday! NO EXCEPTION!

— Portion size and what you eat also matter

— Make the quality of your calorie intake matter

— Avoid high fats

— Include some protein

— High fiber and whole-grains are good options, too

— Fats do not digest well – limit them at every sitting and opportunity

— Opt for healthy fats and oils

— Protein and good carbohydrates can make a significant difference in MB conversion into energy

— Know the THREE basic food groups/types that are indeed good for a speedy metabolism:

        — Lean cuts of meat (protein) – try fish and chicken as alternative as well. non-meat lean protein alternatives, low-fat cheese, legumes (lentils), and yogurt are all good sources of protein as well

        — Unrefined carbohydrates, that are easy to digest, not releasing insulin into your system that has you MB going into storing mode again!

        — Fruit and veggies and whole grains are good candidates in this category to get the most from your diet, nutrition and MB!

With so many misconceptions out there about metabolism and what to do to make the most of it, have it work to your advantage, there are some dangers and misleading to look out for.

There are scams and false promises, advertising to make a quick buck and outright lies or outrageous claims in ample supply, surrounding this topic.

You will be BEST served, by not paying attention or falling into the traps mentioned here:

OVER-REACTION: Over-Enthusiasm and Singular Focus

There is some truth in the wise words that too much of a good thing is never good! There are lots to be said for the merit of speeding up your metabolism and achieving your weight loss goals.

However, everything in life is about a delicate balance. We need to keep our focus and not get obsessive about these aspects of our lives, so much so that we lose touch with reality, purpose, real motivation, value and forget about our goals. The mechanics of what is happening in and through your body is very important BUT it does not have to rule or control your life. You are not here to deprive or obsessively ponder every little detail of your life, MB and diet, as if under the magnifying glass, introducing more stress, indulgent behavior and even over-eating! All in order to cope with all this new ‘stress’ – albeit self-imposed and choice-inflicted!

Focusing too much on failure or set-backs, disappointments of short-falls is also not a good thing. Do not linger or ponder, agitate yourself too much if things do not go smoothly, you hit a snag or feel de-motivated somewhat. These are all normal feelings and part of the process. Change is never easy. Keep you focus and end-goal in mind every step of the way, while boosting your MB, without getting lost in the details!

YOU ARE CHANGING MORE THAN MERELY YOUR METABOLISM – you are CHANGING, ENABLING and EMPOWERING YOUR LIFE, through exercise, lifestyle, and diet changes. IT WILL TAKE TIME, EFFORT, WILPOWER, CHOICE, DEDICATION AND PERSISTENCE!

Just placing focus on one, some or any of these at the expense of yourself or some other factors and interactions can be quite counterproductive. You also do not have to become a guru or expert on them either. It is about finding the combination that is custom-fit and right for your condition, situation, challenges and particular circumstance.

It will take the delicate art of balancing all these aspects in your life to make the most of your MB and enhancing, super-charging your life!

OVER-EMPHASIS Structured Low Intensity Workouts (Exercise for the Sake of Exercise)

Getting some form of exercise is better than nothing. If you are inactive, it is time to invest in motion. We are designed to move around. Our bodies function best if it is using and expending energy.

Exercise mobilizes and enables metabolism – it fires up your internal engine!

Some exercise is good, but plan to push the envelope a bit and harder, growing and intensifying as you go along, keep on raising the bar and you and your MB will reap the result and reward.

Do not compromise and/or settle for mediocrity! You can make your exercise routines, combinations, workouts work in your favor. You will have to stick to them, do them frequently and consistently, set some goals and stick to your overall plan.

Getting and keeping your cardio-workout for example in the optimal fat-burning zone is essential (not only for weight loss, fitness, ,but also to take your internal engine, MB to a whole other level of efficiency) Increase the demand for energy, through interval training.

Get professional fitness instructors and trainers/experts to assist you in setting up a personalized and challenging routine that remains realistic and sustainable!

Just moving around is NOT ENOUGH! You need combination exercises to optimize your results and successes.

It takes time, work and effort to increase your metabolism! IT will NOT happen overnight! You will have to stick with it!

Disciplined and serious exercise, high-impact and even intensity and variety are all required for the optimal impact and lasting effect.

You need to make the most of all aspects of your metabolism, working both sides of the delicate balance equation we spoke of earlier:

(i) Taking energy and making cells (anabolism),

(ii) breaking cells down to make energy (catabolism)

Force your body to dig a little deeper and further to get results!

OVER-‘DOSING’ Starving Yourself, Dietary Supplements, Weight Loss Pills and/or Appetite Suppressants

No, we are not talking about self-medication, or drug over-dosing here! It is just a figure of speech to express the real dangers of believing that popping a pill will help you increase your metabolism.

This is yet another example of not being caught with misleading information and/or unrealistic even false claims. There are no wonder-cures or silver-bullet solutions here that can boost our MB – otherwise everyone would have benefited from this knowledge already! Word will spread quickly and there will be no way to contain it! There are no quick fixes or miracle elements that can give you enhanced and heightened metabolism just like that in tablet, capsule or pill form, liquid or solution! The answer lies within yourself and the choices you make, the way you structure your life, what you eat and do every day and specifically to improve your MB!

Here there are no short-cuts. Change takes time. Here are some strategies to avoid entrapment with these myths and even lies:

— Claims are not typical results – they will not work for all – our problems and situations are NOT the same – no one-size-fits-all treatments

— If it sounds to good to be true – it normally is!

— It could have temporary results (short-term effects)

— Most are here-say or say-so, even paid testimonials

— Quality control and testing, not regulated or FDA approved in most cases

— Read the fine-print and disclaimers!

— Risks and side-effects

— Some even have habit-forming qualities and can be addictive

— They promote water loss and this might look and feel like you are losing weight, but you really are not! YOU ARE DOING NOTHING TO YOUR MB! DIET PILLS DO NOT WORK TO BOOST MB!

— They are unhealthy and could pose some risks to particular individuals

— Can lead to dehydration if you do not replenish the fluids you will lose through frequent urination

— Suppressing your appetite through outside means, defers the problem, it does not address it head on

— Results will be mediocre at best and will not last

— Starvation and dropping daily calorie intake, fad or crash diets do not work either

— The real ability and instrument to lose weight effectively is the MB and bio-chemical processes in your body! You have to utilize them correctly and to the best of your ability, not negatively and counter-productively

— Calories are just what you put into your body – you also have to hone and harness, make the most of the processes and dynamics IN your body to deal effectively with converting food to fuel, calorie, energy and not store it as fat!

— Burning fat and calories for energy is the real process you need to focus on. How your body does deal with calories, is what is at stake here

— If you take in fewer calories your body will slow down your metabolism to address the new mode of ‘defend’ and store! This is why diet and exercise, as well as lifestyle, choices and other aspects also need consideration in this on-going battle and partnership with you MB!

How are you taking care of your internal engine – YOUR METABOLISM?

Conclusion: SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR BOOSTING YOUR OWN METABOLISM – A PERSONAL ACTION PLAN

Throughout this text, strategies and plans were highlighted, suggestions and recommendations made on how to ENHANCE, ENABLE, ACCELLERATE and INCREASE your metabolism.

MB is an on-going process that requires hands-on intervention and a personal action plan to make it work!

There are many bio-chemical processes that drive MB, both building up and breaking down. Both are needed to make the most of your optimal functioning. You need both for example to lose weight and keep it off effectively. Understanding MORE about MB will help you deal with it more effectively.

There are integrated, combination solutions to dealing with making the most of MB. They are impacting all areas and aspects of our lives and we need to take care of them, individually and collectively! The secret lies in their synergy and a balanced, realistic and sustainable, personalized approach.

Each of our living systems and MB are unique! There is no ONE solution for all. Yet, you can turn the tide around and in your favor at any time through calculated and decisive ACTION on all fronts!

In closing, here are some examples of foods that can help you boost your metabolism:

— Apple

— Artichokes

— Asparagus

— Banana

— Broccoli

— Brussels sprouts

— Cabbage

— Cantaloupe

— Carrots

— Cauliflower

— Celery

— Collards

— Cucumber

— Eggplant

— Grapefruit

— Green beans

— Kale

— Kiwi

— Leeks

— Lemon & lime (juice)

— Lettuce

— Mango

— Mushrooms

— Nectarine

— Onions

— Orange

— Papaya

— Peach

— Pear

— Peppers

— Pineapple

— Plum

— Radishes

— Raspberries

— Spinach

— Squash

— Strawberries

— Swiss chard

— Tangerine

— Tomatoes

— Zucchini

Also, consider how your complex living system that is your body will integrate and synergize all the good and positive things you opt to pursue in your quest for enhancing and heightening your metabolic and bio-chemical processes, processing and dynamic functioning. YOU CAN GET LEAN, burn fat and calories more effectively constantly!

When you exert, expend or use energy, for example when engaging in activity or strenuous physical exercise, there are numerous things that happen on different levels within your body and human system. Part of which is your MB! Here is one such example from a reputable online source: Howstuffworks.com

When you do exercise, which of the following physical symptoms do you experience and recognize?

— Breathing faster

— Heart-beat increases

— Sweating more

— Muscles are working and you feel it more – even to point where they hurt sometimes!

The body has an incredibly complex set of processes to meet the demands of working muscles.

Every system in the body is involved.

Muscles, blood circulation, breathing and body heat are all affected.

These typically naturally and inherent, bio-chemical processes can be trained, enhanced and improved, ,through calculated action and intervention. WHICH MEANS:

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Good balanced and healthy living, eating and lifestyle, combined with muscular fitness and conditioning, strength training and high-impact exercise, is what is required for optimal MB and essential to performing at your peak!

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the biochemical way body or living system opts to store and use energy. You can make these work their magic for you! YOU CAN BOOST YOUR METABOLISM EFFECTIVELY AND FOR LIFE!

These processes and bio-chemical dynamics unlock the secrets of metabolism and heightened, enhanced performance and functioning. Discover and learn much more about the human living system and how exercise, diet and lifestyle specifically can help you make the most of MB!

Resources and Explanation of Some Key Terms Used and Related Closely to This Topic

To learn more about the Biochemistry of Metabolism refer to:

http://www.rpi.edu/dept/bcbp/molbiochem/MBWeb/mb1/MB1index.html

To calculate your own MB base using a calculator visit:

http://health.discovery.com/centers/heart/basal/basal.html

Wikipedia.org has very valuable information regarding definitions, terminology, research, metabolic pathways, cellular and total metabolism and even BMR.

Here is a quoted example to shed some light on the dynamic of these processes when you want to make the most of MB!

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which requires about twelve hours of fasting in humans).

The release of energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, such as the brain, skin, heart, muscles, liver, sex organs, lungs, nervous system, and kidneys.

BMR decreases with age and with the loss of lean body mass.

Increased cardiovascular exercise and muscle mass can increase BMR. Illness, previously consumed food and beverages, environmental temperature, and stress levels can affect ones overall energy expenditure, and can affect one's BMR as revealed by gas analysis.

An accurate BMR measurement requires that the person's sympathetic nervous system is not stimulated.

Basal metabolic rate is measured under very restrictive circumstances. A more common and closely related measurement, used under less strict conditions, is resting metabolic rate (RMR)

BMR and RMR are measured by gas analysis through either direct or indirect calorimetry, though a rough estimation can be acquired through an equation using age, sex, height, and weight.

Studies of energy metabolism using both methods provide convincing evidence for the validity of the respiratory quotient (R.Q.), which measures the inherent composition and utilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as they are converted to energy substrate units that can be converted by the body to energy.

Bertalanffy, L., 1957, Quantitative laws in metabolism and growth: Quarterly Review of Biology, v. 32, p. 217-231

Bray, G.A., Gray, D.S., Obesity, Part I, Pathogenesis, West J. Med. 1988: 149: 429-41

Howstuffworks.com

About.com

Whether you are looking at metabolism through the eyes of diabetes, endrocine, aging or more, there are numerous sources and blogs online that will be able to make some poignant suggestions for you and your condition.

Diabetes: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122459774/grouphome/home.html

Geriatrics and Aging: http://www.arclab.org/

Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism; ISSN 1521-690X, Volume 20 Published 4 times a year

GLOSSARY

Aerobic Metabolism

Dynamic energy creation/conversion , enabled by internal process in the living system (body), through the combustion of carbohydrates and fats in the presence of oxygen.

Water and CO2 is expelled as waste products through breathing and sweating, essential processes underpinning and enable MB.

Walking is a great example of this type of activity as it uses aerobic.

Metabolism to burn sugars and fats.

Anaerobic Metabolism

Dynamic energy creation, enabled by internal process in the living system (body), through the combustion of carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen.

There is not enough oxygen that can be introduced into the bloodstream to keep up with the demands from the muscles energy.

Perfect for short bursts of activity.

Metabolism

All bio-chemical reactions within organisms, living systems or bodies, that enable them to maintain and enable life. Without it, death will occur. The two main categories or ‘types’ of metabolism are catabolism and anabolism – the building up or breaking down of cells, energy and storage of same.

All of the enzymatic reactions performed by the cells of an organism.