Rev Up Your Metabolism

Posted on: 29.11.2022 Posted by: Drlark Comments: 0

July 24, 2004

Weight Loss Program

Ever wonder why slim people stay slim and fat people

stay fat? A key factor is what I call energy conversion.

Food broken down in the digestive tract is absorbed into the bloodstream

and dispersed into cells throughout the body where it fuels energy.

In lean people, heat production goes up by as much as 40 percent

after a meal. In overweight people, it may rise ten percent or less,

which means food energy is stored as fat rather than burned.

Convert Fat to Energy

There are natural nutritional supplements you can take to activate

your nervous system and increase your metabolic rate so that dietary

fat is converted to energy, not stored as body fat:

Green Tea
contains polyphenols, which have powerful antioxidant and cancer-prevention

properties. But, the real kicker may be its ability

to burn calories. I recommend drinking at least three eight-ounce

cups daily (to provide roughly 240-320 mg of polyphenols). If

you prefer not to drink the tea, try: 300-400 mg daily of green

tea extract (Be sure the product is caffeine-free and standardized

to 80 percent total polyphenol and 55 percent epigallocatechin.);

or 100 mg of green tea polyphenols, taken three times daily. (This

is caffeine free.)
L-carnitine. Many women are carnitine-deficient,
especially vegetarians and those in mid-life and beyond. Red meat

is the best source of carnitine, but too much red meat can disrupt

the acid/alkaline balance that is so important to overall good

health. I recommend taking 1,000 mg of L-carnitine a day.
Magnesium. Fat, carbohydrates, and protein
are converted into glucose, which enters cells where it’s burned

for energy. Some of the energy comes off as heat and keeps your

body at the correct temperature; the rest is stored as adenosine

triphosphate (ATP). When your cells need energy, they break down

ATP. Without magnesium your body produces lactic acid instead

of ATP. When this happens, you have less energy and the accumulation

of lactic acid causes you to feel even more fatigued. Take 400-1,000

mg of magnesium daily, in divided doses.

Thyroid Dysfunction

One in four American women can attribute their weight gain to low

or borderline-low thyroid hormones. When the thyroid gland is functioning

properly, it produces hormones that regulate metabolism and convert

food into energy. Women with poor thyroid function or hypothyroidism

don’t burn calories efficiently and experience fatigue, weakness,

depression, weight gain, and high cholesterol levels. Many doctors

ignore the nutritional supplements that can help correct thyroid

dysfunction.

L-Tyrosine,
(another amino acid), works to produce thyroid hormone and keep

thyroid production balanced. Tyrosine also revs up metabolism

and boosts stamina. Tyrosine is abundant in fish, soybeans, poultry,

meat, almonds, seeds, and peas. If you prefer to take a supplement,

I recommend 500-2,000 mg of tyrosine per day with a B-complex

and either on an empty stomach or with a small carbohydrate snack.

Begin with the lower dosage if you have high blood pressure and

monitor levels regularly.

Note: Tyrosine is an ideal complement

to thyroid medication, not a substitute for it.