By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

April 23, 2014

• Drop that winter weight gain before summer
• Foods that kick your metabolism into overdrive
• Double your fat loss with this

This past winter has been one of the worst in history. And it may be showing up in your waistline.

You see, it’s easy to put on weight when you’re snowbound and stuck indoors. It’s even worse if you’ve had power outages in your region. When you can’t cook, you might find yourself reaching for processed and canned foods you don’t normally eat. All that does is compound the problem.

Now that we’re well into spring, it’s time to power up your metabolism and drop any excess pounds you tacked on during the harsh winter months. This way you’ll look great when you slip into a pair of shorts or a bathing suit this summer.

Here are some great tips to fire up your metabolism and get you moving in the right direction…

It might surprise you to learn that you burn the most calories each day just by maintaining normal metabolic function. This includes things like breathing, digestion, brain activity and keeping your heart beating.

However, diet and exercise also influence your calorie-burning potential through a process called “thermogenesis.” Simply put, thermogenesis produces heat that helps the body burn fat more effectively. It essentially kicks your metabolism into overdrive.

This is a great way to lose pounds more quickly than you would otherwise. So, let’s take a look at a few ways you can get this fat-burning machine started.

I’ll begin with some foods and beverages that can get things fired up…

Protein has a high thermogenic effect that stimulates your metabolism. It takes more calories to digest protein than it does to digest carbohydrates. In fact, it’s estimated that we burn up to 30% of the calories in protein just during the digestion process. Plus, protein helps you feel full longer than carbs or fat. This means you’ll be less likely to fill up on empty calories during the day.

Wild-caught fish is my preferred source of protein. To reduce mercury exposure, I recommend avoiding deepwater fish and sticking with ones that are lower on the food chain. (I especially like wild king salmon. They eat primarily algae, seaweed and smaller fish, so there’s less mercury in their flesh.)

Other good sources of protein include organic grass-fed beef. But you should limit these meat sources of protein to about 13% of your diet. Then, get the rest from other healthy sources liked pastured eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, almond milk and plain organic Greek yogurt. If necessary, you can even supplement with a high-quality whey or egg white protein.

But protein isn’t the only food that can turn your body into a fat-burning machine.

Hot spices like red chili pepper, capsaicin and black pepper are very potent thermogenics. These peppers work by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. This can really bump up your metabolic rate and help you burn about 76 extra calories a day.

The only problem with capsaicin is that it’s hard to consume regularly because it’s so spicy. But don’t worry. You can reap the same benefits by taking it in supplement form. Look for a cayenne pepper extract that’s standardized to 0.25% capsaicin.

Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which speeds up your metabolism when you drink it. It also boosts the oxidation of fat by an impressive 17%. This means it breaks down large fat molecules into smaller ones that can be used for energy.

Not a green tea drinker? Don’t worry. You can still get in on its protective properties with a green tea supplement. Look for a supplement that contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and is standardized to contain 60% polyphenols.

Coffee does more than just keep you awake. It also boosts your metabolism. This boost comes from an antioxidant found in coffee called chlorogenic acid. This compound increases your body’s use of fat for energy.

But coffee does have a dark side. It can leave you restless, sleepless and feeling jittery.

That’s why I prefer to have my patients supplement with green coffee bean extract. It contains chlorogenic acids, just like regular coffee does. But the concentration is much, much higher. In fact, it contains a 270% higher concentration of chlorogenic acid than coffee.

In just 60 days people who consume chlorogenic acid can lose almost twice as much weight as people who drink regular coffee. I love it, because even if your diet isn’t perfect, this acid can help control the way your body stores fat.

If you start implementing these tips now, you’ll be much leaner when summer time rolls around. But there’s also a way you can supercharge your results.

Stay tuned and you’ll learn all about it in an upcoming issue of Advanced Natural Wellness.

P.S. Supplementing with chlorogenic acid is one of the best things you can do to take control of your metabolism and get your weight under control. If you’d like to find out more about chlorogenic acid and how it works, just click here for more information.

Sources:
Venables MC. “Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87:778-784.

Bracco D. “Effects of caffeine on energy metabolism, heart rate, and methylxanthine metabolism in lean and obese women.” American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism. 1995;269: 671-678.

Thom, E. “The Effect of Chlorogenic Acid Enriched Coffee on Glucose Absorption in Healthy Volunteers and Its Effect on Body Mass.” The Journal of International Medical Research, Volume 35, Number 6, November 2007, pp. 900-908(9).