How To Get Your Metabolism to Speed Up And Burn Fat

Cereals have been known to contain sugar and fortified vitamins.  Imagine the wheat processed for your cereal has the most important micronutrients and vitamins removed during that process, and the manufacturers then include them back into the cereal at a later stage, that doesn't make sense to me? But it happens, they call it 'extrusion'
Not to mention all the hidden sugars and salt added as well.  Very few cereals have enough fibre to be of real benefit to the body.  

SO what is the secret to a healthy breakfast? 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  After having 7-8hours or more of sleep, and possibly over 10 hours of fasting which has occurred between the time you ate the night before until you wake up in the morning, means your body needs energy to help you get through the first part of the day. 

So it is crucial for you to have a balanced breakfast first thing in the morning, not only does it wake up your digestive system, but it also kickstarts your metabolism, and gets fat burning effectively.  Those that do not have a balanced breakfast filled with fibre and protein, find that they feel tired, sluggish and tend to put on weight later on as their metabolism slows or stops.  Too much sugar in your diet can give you incredible highs and lows in energy, and also affects your mood.  

By reducing sugar in your breakfast first thing and drinking at least 2 glasses of water to replenish the bodies water intake, will give you increased energy. 

What is the ideal breakfast?

This is a tough one as there are many healthy breakfasts that are available, some people are not morning people and don't like eating too early, therefore something like a fruit / and or vegetable 'smoothie' with added protein would be ideal.  

For those that have time and like to eat, there are cereals like rolled oats, yoghurt and muesli, bran flakes, with added fruits or nuts or seeds. 

For those that like cooked breakfasts, then poached eggs, scrambled eggs, spinach, baked beans, wholemeal toast, mushrooms, wholemeal, or high protein pancakes, or other non fried high fibre alternatives. 

SO it's out with the traditional 'fry up' and in with a healthier alternative. 

Having a cup of coffee or green tea also helps to speed up the metabolism in the morning, but again ensure you drink 2 glasses of water upon rising, this will make all the difference to your metabolism and fat burning effectiveness, especially if it includes squeezed lemon, lime and cucumber.  

Ensure that the first glass of water is body temperature so that it can be easily absorbed and assimilated. The second glass of water should be ICE COLD as this will help to speed up your metabolism, as the body needs to use a process called thermogenesis to warm the cold water up in the body a bit like a kettle!  

Diabetics should ensure they include carbs, fats and proteins in their breakfast and generally low GI foods are much more slow releasing and will balance out your hormones better.  You can find out about low GI foods here. 

Hope you found this useful, feel free to share and leave a comment.  


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Health Benefits of Pomegranates

Now this is a fruit which I have recently discovered. In the last 4 to 5 years occasionally I've been eating pomegranates in my salad. As a little girl, my grandmother had a pomegranate tree, and I wondered what the strange fruit was and the seeds inside. They tasted sweet and delicious, but they were very few and far between in the UK, and expensive to buy. 

Recently they've popped up again on my radar and I wholly advocate people using pomegranates in their salads and in their shake. 

So I've looked up some health benefits for you and as you can see it's full of natural micronutrients that the body needs to heal itself and to improve your immune system so this is a great super fruit. 

Health benefits of Pomegranate

• The fruit is moderate in calories; 100 g provides 83 calories, slightly more than that in the apples. It contains no cholesterol or saturated fats.

• It is a good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA), which aid in smooth digestion and bowel movements. 

• The fruit is suggested by nutritionists in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fruits in the diets boosts immunity, improves circulation, and offers protection from cancers.

• Certain ellagitannin compounds such as Granatin B, and Punicalagin are found abundantly in the pomegranate juice. Studies suggest that punicalagin and tannins are effective in reducing heart-disease risk factors by scavenging harmful free radicals from the human body.

• Total antioxidant strength of pomegranate fruit measured in terms of its oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is 2341 µmol TE/100 g.

• The fruit is an also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 17% per 100 g of daily requirement. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.

• Regular consumption of pomegranate has also been found to be effective against prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), diabetes, and lymphoma.

• Further, it is an also good source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), folates, pyridoxine and vitamin K, and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese.