Increase Your Metabolism and Burn Fat

I am often surprised at how little people understand about how the three food groups—proteins, carbohydrates, and fats—function in synergy to maintain physical health. You cannot avoid consuming any one of these kinds of nutrients and expect to be slim, metabolically efficient, and bal­anced. Yet we live in a culture where popular diet books have made fats and/or carbohydrates the foods to avoid. Some diet gurus advocate an almost total avoidance of carbohydrates and a large intake of protein. Oth­ers give you the idea that all fats are bad—the eating-fats-equals-getting­fat myth. And some downplay the importance of choosing unsaturated fats, such as olive oil and soy butter, over saturated fats, such as dairy but­ter and cheese, telling you that it is actually healthy to eat foods with lots of butter and cream sauces. Of course, these foods taste good, but is a con­stant diet of foods cooked in butter, covered with melted cheese, and swimming in cream sauce good for you?

The bottom line is that over the short term you can probably lose weight on almost any diet out there, no matter how strange or how calori­cally restrictive. But you should ask the following questions when consid­ering a new food program:

Will this program work in the long run? In other words, will you be able to keep the fat off once you’ve managed to take it off?

The latest research shows that 30 percent lean protein, 40 percent low­glycemic carbohydrates, and 30 percent acceptable fats work best for metabolic efficiency. These percentages have been tremendously effective in my program for athletes who want to lose fat, build more lean muscle, and improve performance, and for people who are overfat and often suffer­ing from either elevated triglycerides or high glucose levels. A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition makes a convincing argument for this ratio in people suffering from type 2 diabetes, stating that eating 30 percent dietary protein and 40 percent carbohydrates appears to improve glycemic control without increasing the risk of heart disease. In as little as five weeks, the glucose levels of the study partici­pants dropped an astonishing 40 percent, and blood lipids, especially triglycerides, were significantly lowered.

Now let’s take a look at the three food groups and the role each nutri­ent plays in the body.

I suggest a daily intake of 30 percent lean protein. Good sources of protein are chicken breasts, all types of fish, beef with a low fat content (in moder­ation), soy products, and whey products. Protein is a stabilizing food that assists in insulin management, the building of lean muscle, and immune function. For men, ingesting adequate amounts of protein daily helps stop the decrease in testosterone levels that they experience as they age. An article in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism states, “Diets low in protein lead to increases in sex hormone–binding globulin in older men, potentially reducing the availability of testosterone and causing loss of muscle mass, red cell mass and bone density.” Getting adequate protein also helps avoid or slow bone loss in women, especially after menopause.

Because protein is not stored, three balanced meals and two or three snacks per day that include protein are required to suppress hunger and burn body fat during physical exercise. When choosing protein sources, always choose lean meats and low-fat dairy. First-choice protein sources include skim milk; fat-free cheese and cottage cheese; yogurt made from skim milk; 95 percent lean ground beef, turkey, or encased meats (sausage, bologna, etc.); skinless chicken breasts; white-meat tuna in water; egg whites; and nonfried fish and seafood.

I always suggest that clients eat cold-water fish such as salmon and halibut at least twice a week, or even once daily if they really love fish. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating fish daily decreases insulin levels, increases glucose production, lowers triglyceride (bad fat) production, and increases the level of HDL (good) cholesterol, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Many people are concerned about the dangers of mercury in fish. This is something you should pay heed to, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have children in your family. Generally, you should avoid eating swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel more than once a week, since these larger oceangoing fish have accumulated larger concentrations of mercury in their bodies. When it comes to tuna, the type that has the highest level of mercury is albacore. Therefore, if you want to give your family a tuna fish sandwich, choose light tuna, which has very low mercury concentrations. Freshwater mackerel, cod, and sardines are also safe bets.

Another tip that can help lessen your risk of mercury exposure is to eat several tropical fruits every week. Mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and papayas may help to reduce the amount of mercury that your body absorbs. When a study was made of a group of women from a predomi­nantly fish-eating community, it was discovered that those who ate the largest amount of tropical fruits had the lowest mercury levels.

Soy products have always been a part of my nutritional programs because of their many benefits. Research studies have shown that an overabun­dance of the amino acid lysine increases the level of bad cholesterol in the body, while the amino acid arginine decreases it. Compared to animal pro­tein, soy has a more favorable ratio of arginine to lysine. This lower ratio decreases the body’s production of insulin and increases its production of glucagon. So, eating soy frequently helps you shift your metabolism from fat storage to fat mobilization.

Soy products may also lower the risk of coronary disease. And when used in conjunction with a properly balanced nutrition and aerobic exer­cise program, they are an important tool for lowering your body fat and cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that soy foods also lower the risk of hormone-related cancers.

Besides soy-based powders, there are many delicious soy food prod­ucts available, including soy burgers and hot dogs, as well as many vari­eties of tofu, soy cheeses, and soy milk. Since one of the challenges faced by vegetarians is getting sufficient protein in their daily diet, soy products can be a nutritional mainstay.

I encourage my clients and the professional athletes with whom I work to drink a whey protein shake as a snack between meals. I also recommend that all of my clients have a whey protein drink immediately before doing resistance exercise. The reason is twofold: to decrease the amount of muscle tissue broken down during an exercise session and to aid in the synthesis of protein as muscles are being rebuilt and strengthened. A recent article in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews states that ingesting foods (such as whey powder) that contain both carbohydrates and amino acid–rich pro­teins causes “a substantial increase in muscle protein synthesis and a lesser inhibition of muscle protein breakdown, the net result being an increase in muscle protein accretion.”

A wide range of excellent whey powders is available in health food stores. Rich in glutamine and essential amino acids, whey protein is a superior protein choice for many reasons.

Whey stimulates the metabolism. The amino acid profile of whey enhances recovery from exercise by stimulating muscle protein syn­thesis.Whey is derived from calcium-rich milk products. Foods with a high calcium content increase fat loss, especially if you are on a low-calorie diet.Whey helps the body to recover more quickly from the stress of exercise.Whey gives strong support to the immune system.Due to its high amino acid and glutamine content, whey supports gastrointestinal health and offers relief from digestive distress such as cramps, bloating, and diarrhea.Two major proteins in whey, lactoferrin and lactoferricin, function as antioxidants due to their iron-binding capacity. Whey also con­tains cysteine-rich proteins, which are pivotal in the synthesis of glutathione, a major intercellular antioxidant.

Always read the label carefully and avoid brands with higher amounts of sugar. One excellent product is American Whey Protein by Jarrow, which has 18 grams of protein and 3.7 grams of glutamine per scoop. You can purchase this product at a local health food store or on the Internet.

I suggest 40 percent low-glycemic, complex carbohydrates. Some clients find that amount of carbs intimidating because many popular diet books have caused people to shift their dietary fears from fats to carbohydrates. The key is to learn how to manage your intake of carbs relative to your activity level. While people can lose pounds of scale weight on a low-carbohydrate diet, it’s a sure thing that they will feel irritable, headachy, and fatigued. To maintain the brain and central nervous system, the body needs a certain amount of glucose, which it gets from sugars and starches, the by-products of carbohydrates after digestion. This glucose is stored in the liver and in the muscles. When you do not eat a sufficient amount of carbohydrates daily, your body has to get its supply from somewhere. At that point, it will begin breaking down its own muscle protein to syn­thesize glucose to adequately supply vital organs. So, the weight you are losing on a low-carbohydrate diet will be muscle tissue, not fat, because your body cannot break down its fat stores into glucogen.

The goal of any good weight-loss program should always be to lose as little muscle as possible. For every gram of muscle tissue you lose, you lose 4 grams of water; but for every gram of fat, you lose only 1 gram of water. Water weight is not true long-term weight loss because water is the easiest thing in the world to gain back. After losing weight on a diet, if you begin eating a normal amount of carbohydrates—or, if you are the average American, an excessive amount of carbohydrates—your body will quickly regain its lost muscle tissue and its associated water weight.

The goal of my Fat-Burning tips is to spare your lean muscle tissue while you lose the maximum amount of fat. Since a pound of fat is roughly three times the volume of a pound of lean muscle, losing pounds of fat will create the greatest transformation in your physi­cal appearance. So, do not be afraid of eating 40 percent carbohydrates. The key is to eat the right kinds of carbohydrates.

An important criterion to keep in mind when choosing appropriate carbo­hydrates is their rating on the Glycemic Index. Foods with a high glycemic rating stimulate a higher than normal production of insulin and tend to stimulate fat storage. Foods that have a low glycemic rating do not signifi­cantly elevate insulin or stimulate fat storage. High-glycemic foods should be avoided or eaten in moderation.

Eating low-glycemic foods is especially important if you suffer from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A recent study conducted by the University of Sydney, Australia, and published in Diabetes Care analyzed the results of fourteen different studies around the world to see if eating low-glycemic foods really benefited diabetics. When the results were compiled, they showed a clear improvement in levels of glucose in the study participants.

All foods have a glycemic index, but when it comes to carbohydrates, you can think of them in terms of simple (high-glycemic carbs) and com­plex (low-glycemic carbs). Examples of simple carbohydrates are pota­toes, white bread, bananas, white rice, pancakes, desserts, sugary soft drinks, pizza, french fries, and candy. Examples of complex carbohydrates include yams, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole-grain cereals, bran or flaxseed muffins, apples, and oatmeal.

Many of you have heard of the U.S. Department of Health’s Five-a-Day Campaign that is aimed at helping Americans to be healthier. Fruits and vegetables—low in calories and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber—are vital to a healthy diet. The DOH has shown that increasing your daily consumption of vegetables and fruits in a rainbow assortment of col­ors could decrease early deaths from our nation’s two biggest killers, cancer and coronary heart disease, by 20 percent and 40 percent, respec­tively.

Blue or purple fruits and vegetables, which contain varying amounts of health-promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics, have antioxidant and antiaging benefits, promote memory function, and lower the risk for certain types of cancers. Foods in the blue/purple cate­gory include blackberries, blueberries, plums, purple figs, purple grapes, purple cabbage, eggplant, and purple-fleshed potatoes.

Green fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of potent phyto­chemicals such as lutein and indoles, which have antioxidant and other health-promoting benefits such as creating stronger bones, promoting keener vision, and helping to prevent cancer. Foods in the green category include avocados, green apples, green grapes, honeydew, kiwifruit, limes, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, green cabbage, celery, cucumbers, endive, leafy greens, lettuce, green onions, peas, and spinach.

White, tan, and brown fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of phytochemicals that help to maintain good levels of cholesterol, pro­mote heart health, and prevent some kinds of cancers such as breast cancer. This category includes brown pears, white nectarines, white peaches, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, white-fleshed potatoes, shallots, and turnips.

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C, as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids, two classes of phytochemicals that promote health. Eating these kinds of foods will contribute to your having a healthy heart, healthy vision, strong immune function, and lowered risk of some types of cancers. Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables include yellow apples, apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, yel­low pears, tangerines, yellow beets, butternut squash, carrots, yellow pep­pers, yellow potatoes, yellow summer squash, yellow winter squash, sweet potatoes, and yellow tomatoes.

Red fruits and vegetables promote a healthy urinary tract, heart health, and good memory function and protect against certain types of cancers. These foods include red apples, blood oranges, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, pink/red grapefruit, red pears, raspberries, strawberries, water­melon, beets, red peppers, radishes, radicchio, red onions, red potatoes, rhubarb, and tomatoes.

A September 2003 Medscape article showed the importance of fruits and vegetables in combating hypertension and bone loss due to aging and poor nutritional health. A recent study conducted by DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension) showed that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables was associated with a significant fall in blood pressure. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake from 3.6 to 9.5 servings daily also decreased the amount of urinary calcium that subjects excreted by close to 50 percent. While some researchers suggested that this was due to the “high fiber content of the diet possibly impeding calcium absorption,” others claimed that a more likely explanation was a reduction in the body’s “acid load.” If you can maintain a good level of alkalinity in your body, which fruits and vegetables provide in abundance, you will excrete less calcium. As people get older, their bodies become more acidic. Therefore, eating the proper amount of fruits and veg­etables every day can guard against developing osteoporosis.

Another element found in fruits and vegetables that promotes healthy bones is potassium. A wide spectrum of population-based studies pub­lished between 2001 and 2003 showed the beneficial effect of fruit and vegetable/potassium intake on the bone health of people of all ages.

Many of my clients have the mistaken notion that if they avoid eating fats, they won’t get fat. Most people do not realize that fats are a wonderful source of energy, and many fats, like fish or fish oils containing omega-3, can lower cholesterol, improve joint health, and help protect against cancer. Ingesting a daily diet of 30 percent of the right kinds of fats actu­ally enables you to utilize dietary fat to help burn body fat. The reason is that all fats produce 9 calories of energy per gram, and the body uses fats mostly as an energy source, along with glucose broken down from the digestion of carbohydrates.

There are three different groups of fats: saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and monounsaturated fats.

Saturated fats should only be eaten in limited amounts because they can raise your cholesterol, increasing your chances of heart disease. People who eat diets high in saturated fats also run a greater risk of devel­oping diabetes and some kinds of cancers. These types of fats are found in meat and dairy products such as beef, pork, cheese, and butter.

Trans fatty acids pose an even greater threat to your cholesterol and heart health. Studies have shown that eating too much of them increases your risk of developing diabetes even more than eating saturated fats. Trans fatty acids are formed when either vegetables or fish oils are hydro­genated. French fries, donuts, cookies, chips, and other snack foods are all high in trans fatty acids. In fact, nearly all fried or baked goods have some trans fat content.

The best kind of fat to include in your daily diet is monounsaturated fat, which is found in plant products such as vegetable oils, nuts, and avo­cados. Your body uses this type of fat to strengthen cell membranes, sup­port nerve and hormone function, and produce hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which have been linked to the prevention of heart disease and cancers.

Two kinds of unsaturated fats are necessary for your survival. These are the essential fatty acids omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-3 (linolenic acid). Since your body cannot manufacture these fatty acids, they must be obtained from the foods you eat. Omega-6 is fairly common and is found in most vegetable oils. Keep in mind that it is probably better to buy your oils in amber or green bottles, since exposure to sunlight destroys fresh­ness and can turn oils rancid. It is also better to buy them in health food stores if you can. Most typical grocery store oils, which are processed for mass distribution, are often filled with free radicals—that is, substances that can damage cells—and trans fatty acids.

Omega-3 is found in soy, walnut, flax, fish, and canola oils and in dark green, leafy vegetables. It is especially important to make sure that you supplement your food plan with enough omega-3 fats, since the American diet is usually deficient in this nutrient. Any doctor who treats cancer patients will suggest getting an adequate amount of omega-3 in the diet because it is a great protector from many types of cancers, especially breast cancer. While the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be between 3:1 and 4:1, a recent study showed that most people have twenty times the level of omega-6 than omega-3.

There are many benefits to eating the proper amounts of unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids.

They decrease free radicals in the body.They lower total cholesterol levels by preventing platelet aggrega­tion and vasoconstriction.Good fats lower triglycerides.They raise levels of HDL.Good fats lower blood pressure.They decrease symptoms of heart palpitations, also known as angina.They lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.They decrease the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis.Good fats lower the risk for many types of cancers including breast cancer.

There are several other ways to increase the amount of essential fatty acids in your diet. For example, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and trout are rich sources of the essential fatty acid metabolites DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). These have been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Aside from eating fish a minimum of twice per week, you can supplement your diet with omega-3 by taking fish oil cap­sules, which are available at most pharmacies and health food stores.

Much research has been done across gender lines to ascertain whether essential fatty acids can benefit men and women who are experiencing the changes associated with midlife. A recent study published in Circulation studied a group of middle-aged men who had never experienced coronary heart disease. The common link they found was frequent consumption of fish. The more fish the men ate per week, the lower their cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and heart rate. Since researchers have found that even small reductions in heart rate can have a significant impact on cardiovascular health, eating fish at least twice a week is a simple way to minimize or avoid heart disease. The famous U.S. Physicians Health Study, which followed 20,551 male doctors for eleven years, found that individuals who ate fish at least once a week had a 52 percent lower inci­dence of sudden cardiac death than men who did not eat fish.

Getting enough omega-3 by eating fish also has health benefits for women. The famous Nurses Health Study, which followed 84,000 nurses over sixteen years, showed that the more fish the women ate weekly, the lower their risk for cardiovascular disease. An article published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry showed that eating fish or taking fish oil supplements lowered cholesterol and triglycerides and decreased inflammatory markers (markers for heart attack) in postmenopausal women who were using some sort of hormone replacement therapy, and it actually reversed some of the undesirable risk factors for heart disease caused by HRT. This is especially significant since a woman’s risk for heart disease after menopause becomes equal to a man’s.

Flax oil is another rich source of omega-3 and all other essential fatty acids, which is why bodybuilders often mix it into their protein drinks. It is best taken not in capsules but in liquid form to assure freshness and qual­ity. The next time you are fixing a green salad, try using a tablespoon of flax oil as a dressing, or half a tablespoon mixed with sunflower oil or a little vinegar. You may also lightly brush it over meat after it has been cooked. Mixing flax oil with low-fat cottage cheese helps your body to uti­lize it, since the sulfur content of cottage cheese enhances the effectiveness of the oil. Ground flaxseed, which you can sprinkle over your breakfast cereal or your salad, add to baked bread or muffins, or blend into a protein drink, is another great source of omega-3.

Other acceptable sources of unsaturated fats include Hellmann’s Light Mayonnaise, Kraft Light Mayonnaise, Smart Balance Soft Spread (no trans fatty acids), and unsaturated corn oil. Products such as Promise, Take Control, Fleischmann’s Margarine, and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (spray, not solid) are excellent butter alternatives. If real butter is your only alternative when dining out, use it in moderation.

Fiber is simply plant food that passes undigested through the small intes­tine. There are two basic types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber holds less water and includes vegetables, most bran products, and whole grains. These food types provide bulk and help to normalize bowel movements. Soluble fibers hold up to forty times their weight in water and include oats, any type of legume, beans, and psyllium. Citrus and apples, the most soluble fibers, hold one hundred times their weight in water.

These items provide the primary food source for friendly bacteria in the intestinal track. When you do not get enough soluble fiber in your daily diet, this can lead to reduced growth of friendly bacteria, increased growth of unfriendly bacteria, constipation, and increased risk for colorectal cancer.

The National Cancer Institute and the American Heart Association recommend eating an average of 25 to 30 grams daily. A recent study pub­lished in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that a high intake of dietary fiber, especially water-soluble fiber, is associated with a reduction of coronary heart disease.

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, eating twice the recommended amount of fiber can have a significant effect on your blood sugar levels. A study by the American Diabetes Association indicates that diabetics could significantly reduce their blood sugar by eating up to 50 grams of fiber per day. This study also showed that a high-fiber diet improved cholesterol levels and lowered the participants’ risk of heart disease, which is a major cause of death among people with diabetes.

A long-term study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that eating a high-fiber diet also helps to take off the fat and keep it off. Young adults who ate at least 21 grams of fiber per day gained an average of 8 pounds less over a ten-year period than those who ate the least amount of fiber. When you consider that a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal can contain up to 25 grams of fiber, it is not difficult to get sufficient fiber in your daily diet.

High-fiber foods include the following:

Raw or lightly cooked vegetablesCereals, rolls, and bread made from whole-grain flourNuts, beans, peas, lentils, potatoes, and yams (with the skins on)Whole grains, such as whole wheat, brown rice, whole or rolled oats, buckwheat, amaranth, and brown riceRaw fruits such as apples (with the skins on) and orangesDried fruits such as raisins, apricots, dates, and prunes (Buy organic dried fruits, since the drying process concentrates the level of fungi­cides and pesticides.)

When you increase your daily intake of fiber, do it slowly at first to avoid discomfort and flatulence. Make sure to take a multivitamin, since fiber speeds digestion and might deplete the body of certain vitamins.

Good nutrition will help you to lose body fat and build lean muscle. But there is another side to the story. Eating properly can often mean the differ­ence between good health and poor health—and even between life and death.

I have learned that there is no way that you can underestimate the heal­ing power of good nutrition. A client of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. This meant four months of grueling chemotherapy, recov­ery from surgery, and six weeks of radiation treatments. She told me that even though she sometimes had to literally force herself to eat when she had no appetite, she kept remembering what I’d taught her about good nutrition being the first line of defense against disease. She attributed her ability to be able to bounce back quickly from each of her treatments to her understanding of what supplements enhanced metabolic function and how food, especially lean protein in the form of fish and whey protein shakes, strengthened the immune system.

The other day, she gave me one of the most moving compliments I have ever received. She said, “Mackie, I think you literally saved my life. If I hadn’t started your program two and a half years before I was diag­nosed, I think my story would have been a lot different. My tumor was 6.5 by 8.5 centimeters. Yet it had not metastasized anywhere else in my body or even gone into my lymph nodes. At the time of my mammogram, I had never felt better or been in better shape in my entire life. I know that your program kick-started my immune system, enabling my body to fight back and save me. Most important, I feel pretty confident that I will never get cancer again because you have taught me how to eat right, exercise right, and make the right kinds of lifestyle choices for health.”

Americans suffer from many illnesses that could be avoided or mini­mized if only they would learn to eat the proper nutrients. In the next post I will show you how to put all of these foods together into meal plans that will help you increase your metabolic efficiency and lose fat without ever feeling hungry.