Pantry clean out: 10 sneaky metabolism killers | Haylie Pomroy

Pantry clean out: 10 sneaky metabolism killers

Posted on December 27, 2013

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Right around the holidays is a great time to do a big pantry clean out. Whether you’re doing the Fast Metabolism Diet or not, look for these common but unexpected metabolism killers and get rid of them!

Almost everyone has some of these lurking in their cupboards. They look innocent enough, and some of them sound downright healthy, but don’t be fooled. In all your pantry items, be on the lookout for artificial colors and BHT — a nasty preservative.

1. Canned soup

Soup is a great low-calorie meal, right? Not when it’s in a can. Canned soups are usually loaded with sodium, plus a big helping of preservatives. And many of them have corn, dairy and soy ingredients too. You can make your own simple soups using one of these boxed broths as the base.

2. Salad dressings

Lots of salad dressings don’t taste sweet, but read that label: Most are loaded with sugar. A two-tablespoon serving of a “light” Italian dressing we checked has a full teaspoon of sugar in it! Try making your dressing. It takes no time! Here’s a great recipe.

3. Granola

Possibly no other food enjoys such a health-food halo as granola. But it takes something sticky to hold those clumps together — usually that’s maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey or molasses. All of these are sugars that will send your blood sugar into a major spike. What’s more, lots of granola includes sugar-sweetened dried fruit or even candy.

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Why do I get chocolate cravings?

Help! I want chocolate!

Posted on December 22, 2013

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Food cravings are one way our bodies communicate with us. So before you conclude that a craving for salty foods or chocolate is “all in your head,” think about what they might actually be telling you.

Easing chocolate cravings

We talked about cravings for salty foods in a previous post. But what can chocolate cravings tell you?
When my clients tell me they can’t stay away from chocolate, I’ve found that low magnesium can sometimes be the culprit. Constipation is another symptom of low magnesium, so if you’ve got chocolate cravings as well as constipation, ask your doctor to check magnesium levels.
My chocolate cravings are often strongest right before my period, so I supplement with 250 or 500 mg of magnesium before bed during those days and it really curbs my cravings.
You can also add more magnesium-rich foods to your diet:

• Dark greens: Spinach, kale, Swiss chard
• Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds and cashews
• White beans, black-eyed peas, lentils
• Quinoa, brown rice
• Avocados

Chocolate is also endorphin supported — it gives us that rush of hormones. But you can get the same effect by focusing on toxin release. Try dry brushing, or a sauna for example.
Vasodilator tricks can also help: Add spices to your foods, especially cayenne and jalepeno.
A great non-food vasodilator is the wet-sock treatment we discussed here. This is great for opening up the nasal passages, lungs and chest.

Food cravings can indicate mineral imbalance

In general, if you are finding yourself fixating on certain foods or flavors, that might indicate that your body’s pH balance is off.

• Check your body’s pH. Use simple urine test strips for this. Find them in any drugstore, or at Vitacost.com. Your morning urine often tests a little acidic, about 6.0. But a couple of hours later, you should test right around 6.8. That’s the sweet spot. If you’re testing over 7.2, your body is too alkaline, and is releasing minerals from the body. If you’re below 6.8, really load up on alkalizing veggies. If you’re over 7.2, cut back to balance yourself out.
• Eat lots of lemon and lime. These contain lots of micronutrients, and can help balance pH.
• Drink 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water. Apple cider vinegar is a wonderful alkalizer.
• Take a hot bath with baking soda dissolved in the both. Baking soda can act as a topical detoxifier and work to balance minerals too.

Give in a little

If you just can’t shake a craving, find a way to give in — a little bit. I love chocolate-flavored stevia drops. A few drops in my coffee substitute satisfies my cravings. You can also try cacao powder. Dissolve it in hot water or almond milk, add a little stevia and you have a quick hot chocolate-type drink.Why do I get chocolate cravings?

1 in 5 American Deaths Now Associated with Obesity

One in Five American Deaths Now Associated with Obesity

December 21, 2013 | 41,316 views

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By Dr. Mercola

A new report reveals staggering statistics about the extent to which the obesity epidemic is robbing Americans of their health and longevity. Columbia University and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examined the real impact of obesity on death rates.1

The study found that nearly one in five US deaths is associated with obesity, which is more than three times higher than previous estimates.

The effect varies somewhat by your gender, race and age. The younger you are, the greater obesity’s influence on your mortality. And contrary to a previous study2, obesity is not protective if you’re elderly. The Columbia study found the following percentage of deaths associated with high BMI (body mass index):

• Black women: 26.8 percent of deaths were associated with a BMI of 25 or above (overweight or obesity)
• White women: 21.7 percent
• White men: 15.6 percent
• Black men: 5 percent

The authors wrote:

“We believe that it is imperative for the US public and those who construct policy for that public to recognize that population health and more than a century of steady gains in life expectancy are being jeopardized by the obesity epidemic. Indeed, evidence has already implicated high rates of obesity as a significant contributor to the United States' relatively low life expectancy among high-income countries.”

But It May Be Even Worse...

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ELLE body: The Fast Metabolism Diet - Elle Canada

ELLE body: The Fast Metabolism Diet

Vanessa Craft goes a month without dairy, wheat, caffeine, refined sugar and alcohol. How hard could it possibly be?

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VANESSA CRAFT

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GEOFFREY ROSS

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THE MOTIVE
I’ve lost my mojo. I feel sluggish, and I’m carrying 10 extra pounds of baby weight. (My “baby” is eight.) I rarely eat breakfast. My metabolism has officially left the building.

I turn to Haylie Pomroy, author of The Fast Metabolism Diet. The American nutritionist’s book acts as a sobering warning to the various ways I’m screwing over my body’s natural fat-burning system. Being stressed out stimulates the production of cortisol, the “belly fat” hormone. Skipping breakfast and scarfing down canapés hours later at a party is causing my body to hoard fat and launch nutrient-stealing hormones that rob my muscles of energy.

6 ways to BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

Pomroy evokes a strategy she dubs “Confuse it to lose it,” where you “cross-train your metabolism to heal itself.” This is done by eating, in three different phases per week, foods that assist in calming adrenal glands, reduce stress on the liver and support the thyroid to produce hormones T3 and T4—the ones that drive a fast metabolism. Apparently, the best way to rev things up is to eat often (five times a day, no calorie counting), drink a ton of water and exercise moderately. But (there’s always a but) caffeine, wheat, dairy, soy, refined sugar and alcohol are out.

THE GOAL
The program consists of three food phases per week, repeated for four weeks. Phase 1, two days: Carbs like quinoa with lean protein, veggies and lots of fruit to stabilize sugar levels. Phase 2, two days: Strictly low-fat protein with tons of veggies. (The. Worst.) Phase 3, three days: All of the above, plus fats from foods like nuts and oils. 
Should you DO A CLEANSE?

THE PROCESS
Week 1, Day 1 
The caffeine comedown is kicking my ass. I have a pounding headache and a complete inability to concentrate on anything. Everyone is annoying me. Why revel in my tasty pasta (made from brown rice) lunch when I can be complaining instead? 

Week 1, Day 4 
During the low-fat protein-and-vegetable-focused Phase 2 of the diet, I have a working lunch at a fancy hotel downtown. A magnum of champagne and bottles of sweet, delicious wine sit on the table, like a rosé-hued elephant in the room. As soon as I meekly mention I’m on a cleanse, the topic dominates the conversation. While everyone tears into the bread basket, I am overcome with sadness—until a friend whispers she admires mymental strength. I sing “Hero” in my head while dessert is served.

GALLERY: 7 HEALTHY TEAS

Week 1, Day 6 
“Mmm! Caffeine-free herbal tea is just as satisfying as a double espresso!” said no one, ever.

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The Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Mounting Evidence Suggests Coffee May Actually Have Therapeutic Health Benefits

September 16, 2012 | 444,003 views

| Disponible en Español

By Dr. Mercola

For years, physicians have been warning about the negative health effects of drinking coffee. You may have been told that coffee will raise your blood pressure, lead to heart disease, give you an ulcer or make you diabetic. But studies continue to roll in that caste doubt on this "common wisdom."

Certainly, like anything, coffee should not be used in excess. However, study after study has failed to prove that moderate coffee consumption increases your risk for cardiovascular disease or any other serious illness.

In fact, it's beginning to look like coffee—at least in moderation—may have a number of unrecognized health-promoting properties. As a result of the rather impressive list of therapeutic benefits, I've changed my recommendations about coffee.

One of the latest studies, published in April 2012 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition1, confirms earlier studies that coffee may actually reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Regardless of traditionally ominous warnings that coffee should be avoided, it's being consumed in massive quantities worldwide. Although it's inarguable now that coffee does have therapeutic benefits, if you are dousing your cup of Joe in creamer, sugar, and other sweeteners and flavorings, you are missing out on the therapeutic benefits and potentially harming your health.

Please understand that I am not changing my position to justify a "bad" habit. I personally have never enjoyed the taste of coffee and have had less than five cups my entire life and those were used therapeutically to compensate for jet lag.

Could Coffee Really be GOOD for You?

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The Family Meal: Family Dinners May Be a Growing Trend

Documentary: The Family Meal

December 14, 2013 | 26,205 views

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By Dr. Mercola

When was the last time you sat down to dinner with your family? The kind of meal that involves passing of dishes, good conversation, and genuine family bonding? For many, it may have been on Thanksgiving, but this type of important family event needn't happen only once or twice a year.

Families that make an effort to eat meals together at least three or four times a week enjoy significant benefits to their health, well-being, and relationships, all of which are explored in The Family Meal documentary above.

Family Dinners May Be a Growing Trend

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Women in 1965 Could Eat 200 More Calories a Day Than You | Women's Health Magazine

Why Women Are Burning Fewer Calories Than Ever

Bad news if you’re trying to drop a few pounds

PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 5, 2013  |  BY LAURA TEDESCO

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Women have come a really long way since the sixties—but in one way, we've backslid a bit: Forty-five years ago, women burned up to 225 more calories per day than they do now, according to a new Mayo Clinic study. (No wonder vintage clothes are so tiny!)

The researchers analyzed data from the American Heritage Time Use Study, which spans from 1965 to 2010, to see if mothers have become more sedentary over the decades. What they found: Modern women spend significantly less time being active, compared to 1960s gals. 

The decline was greatest among stay-at-home moms, whose weekly activity time dropped by 14 hours; working mothers' on-the-go time declined by an average of five to six hours.

This has led to a daily decrease in 63 to 225 calories burned.

Not surprisingly, the average woman's weight has risen as her physical activity has declined. In the 1960s, females of childbearing age weighed an estimated 136 pounds. Their average weight in 2010? 154 pounds—that's a nearly 20 pound increase!

Bear in mind, women weren't religiously hitting the treadmill 45 years ago. They were mostly being domestic—doing things like cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, and vacuuming. Now, women are allocating more time to things like, oh, watching an entire season of Scandal on Netflix—or as researchers call it, "screen-based media use."

We're not suggesting you cancel your Netflix subscription. But even if youhate housework—or will never be a housewife—you can still find ways to move more throughout the day. After all, any activity is preferable to more couch time as far as your waistline—and your health—are concerned.

Real food versus "stuff we eat" | Haylie Pomroy

Real food versus “stuff we eat”

Posted on December 3, 2013

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I get lots and lots of questions about why some food items aren’t part of the Fast Metabolism Diet. In particular, lots of questions about packaged and prepared foods like “energy” bars, cereals, and supposedly “healthy” cookies. But my definition of food is simple: Food is something that was once alive and came from the land, sky or sea. If it doesn’t fit that basic definition, or if you’re not sure, then it’s probably better to skip it.

Foods should have a name that doesn’t sound like the answer to a chemistry exam.

Food has names like mango, avocado, chicken, steak, asparagus.

The other day, I flipped over a can of tomato soup — and found “monopotassium phosphate” on the label. Guess what that’s also used for? It’s an industrial fertilizer, an additive in cigarettes, and a fungicide. What’s it doing in SOUP?

Our commercial food industry uses all kinds of these chemicals in our food. These unpronounceable ingredients are used to add color, enhance visual appeal, and give items a shelf life long enough to outlast the zombie apocalypse. But to my mind, those foods are only fit for consumption by actual zombies.

Bottom line: If you scan the ingredients can can’t pronounce them, steer clear.

Real food was once alive.

That goes for our meats, fish, vegetables, nuts and fruits. If an ingredient was cooked up in a laboratory, it’s not food. If something that once started out as food has been  irradiated, genetically altered, atomically pulverized or has been messed with on a cellular level, it’s no longer food.

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Those Who Always Eat Unhealthy Foods Will Ditch Their Bad Diet After Reading This

NOVEMBER 22 BY SCOTT CHRIST IN HEALTH, LIFESTYLE | 1.1K SHARES

You know how important it is to eat healthy foods. Who doesn’t, right? But consuming certain unhealthy foods can erase your healthy progress in a matter of seconds. If you want to win the battle of the bulge, avoid these 10 unhealthy foods like the plague.

#1: White pasta

Refined carbohydrates are one of the biggest weight gain culprits of unhealthy foods. And pasta is particularly troublesome. The flour used to make most refined or “white” pasta is highly processed and stripped of most of its nutritional properties. Refined pasta and other grains can make your blood sugar rise rapidly, releasing a hormone that blocks your body’s ability to burn fat. That alone should be plenty of incentive to skip the pasta.

Want More? Read on: Fast Food Items With Over 1000 Calories

#2: Sweets

Got a sweet tooth? Then you’re subjecting yourself to one of the biggest sources of unhealthy foods. Sugar offers little nutritional value and is one of the biggest sources of weight gain. A sweet indulgence once in a while is okay, but it’s best to avoid sweet treats like cake, cookies, pie, and ice cream whenever possible.

#3: French fries

Research shows that French fries are a major source of weight gain in overweight and obese people. Fries and other fast food are high in calories and fat and contain highly processed, chemical-laden ingredients.

#4: Soda

Soda is a sugar-filled blend of empty calories, meaning it has zero nutritional value. Most soda contains a cheap corn-based sweetener called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which can lead to more weight gain than plain old table sugar according to Princeton researchers. Stick with water, coffee, and tea over this “liquid candy.”

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