In order to lose weight we must have a good active metabolism so we are full of energy the whole day and consume more calories. Presented here are 3 things that should be avoided to keep your metabolism boosted.
1) Caffeine with sugar: All aerated drinks and flavoured coffee or hot coffee with sugar can eventually slow down our metabolism. The effect is worse if they are combined with soda.
It seems strange but caffeine actually causes the body to have short term insulin insensitivity after the initial kick to the nervous system. When extra sugar from these drinks goes into the body, it needs insulin use this sugar load. Our body compensates by producing more and more insulin to counter the insensitivity and in the process, tends to store sugar and fat instead of utilizing it.
Also when we consume liquid calories, the hunger centres in our brain do not get enough signals for satiety. Thus, we remain hungry and tend to eat snacks that might give us a quick sugar boost like bakery products. It is best to have solid foods with green tea in the evening to make you full faster instead of consuming more of empty liquid calories.
2) Artificial sweeteners: Research has shown that artificial sweeteners can adversely affect the iodine uptake by our thyroid gland. Now thyroid gland is the major controller of metabolism in our body and requires Iodine for its normal function. Too much intake of artificial sweeteners could be responsible for slowing of metabolism and may be hypothyroidism in certain people.
Some of these sweeteners like Aspartame also act as toxins for our nerves, and increase the release of stress hormone and cortisol from our glands. Cortisol is responsible for water retention and stress reaction of our body thus making us more vulnerable to stress eating and weight gain.
Another thing about having a sweet tooth is that the more sweets you take to curb and satisfy your sweet urge, the more it flares up. The best thing is to just have natural sweeteners like those made from stevia leaves or avoid them all together.
3) Prolong periods of inactivity:
If we constantly sit and work at one place even when we are using our brains or moving our arms, the metabolism goes for a toss by slowing to the level of sleeping. This is not good if you are trying to lose weight. So the idea is to move and shift places by getting up and moving your whole body.
Try moving up a flight of stairs or park your car further off, to get those few extra movements. Even these small add- ons may add upto 200-300 calories per day and an equivalent to half a kilo of weight loss in one week.