Awaken Your Health Newsletter - March 2009

Welcome to the very ‘green’ March Awaken Your Health Newsletter, I hope you are enjoying your month so far.

In the clinic, I am often asked for tips to boost metabolism. This month’s newsletter is a reminder of some realistic and effective ideas to help you do just that.

The term ‘metabolism’ relates to various processes within the body that convert food and other substances into energy and byproducts. Metabolism is necessary to maintain and repair the body, and without it we would die.

Simply put, the speed of our metabolism, or metabolic rate, is the rate at which our body burns energy. It is most affected by nutrition, hydration, and physical activity. When any one of these is lacking, the metabolic rate slows. The slower your metabolism, the harder it is to keep your weight down and your energy levels up.

So grab a green tea and take a few minutes to discover some fresh ways to boost your metabolism and ultimately your overall health.

In addition, see the recipe section for a delicious and simple dish to boost your green vegetable intake!

Yours in good health, good food, and good fun the natural way,

Tabitha.

Useful tips for boosting your metabolism 1. Make sure you eat breakfast Eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism for the day. 2. Get a little sunshine Sunlight signals your body to be awake and active, and supports healthy metabolism.

3. Get Moving
You know the drill – at least 30 to 60 minutes of walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or some other form of aerobic exercise, a minimum of three times every week.

4. Don’t starve!
Dropping your calorie intake below 1000 calories a day will signal to your body to be in starvation mode, and this will slow down your metabolism to preserve and store fuel. Also, it is hard to get all of the nutrients you need with a restricted diet.

5. Have healthy snacks between meals and make meals a little smaller.
Portion size is a key factor to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and metabolism.

6. Build muscle with weight training or resistance exercise
At least twice a week do some resistance exercise or weights training that builds muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the higher your muscle mass, the more calories you burn – even while at rest!

7. Water, water, water!
Adequate hydration is imperative to burning energy effectively. Most people need between 1.5-2L daily. This can include herbal teas.

8. Get enough B vitamins
Take a supplement – if you are suffering from low energy you need to make sure that you are getting enough B Vitamins. B vitamins increase energy levels, help us to cope with stress, and are involved with several aspects of metabolism.

9. Spice it up
Add chilli, paprika, garlic, curry, turmeric, ginger and spices to your diet to increase circulation and thermogenisis (energy burning).

10. Drink Green tea
Green tea is full of antioxidants and phytochemicals that have been shown to stimulate metabolism – and this is not attributed to the small caffeine content of green tea.

11. Sleep
Your body needs between 7-8 hours per night to recover, repair muscles and de-stress, PLUS, it has been shown that people who sleep less that 7 hours a night put on more weight, perhaps due to an increase in circulating stress hormones.

12. Get on-top of your stress
Physical and emotional stress activates the release of cortisol – a steroid hormone that slows down metabolism and can contribute to weight gain – particularly around the waist,

Recipe: Delicious Seasonal Green Veggies with fresh herbs This simple recipe is a great side dish to any Dinner, and is a fabulous way to increase your green veggie intake. It’s great to aim for about 5-7 served of vegetables every day. The fresh herbs in this recipe not only add flavour, they also add loads of antioxidants and other protective phytonutrients to your day. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 to 4 medium Zucchini’s, plus another green vegetable of your choice cut in 1-2cm thickstrips (try Broccoli, Asparagus, Green beans, Chinese greens such as Bok choy / Choy sum, Brussel sprouts etc)
• 1 bunch Continental parsley, chopped finely
• 1 bunch Mint, chopped finely
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed, and salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. First, chop the zucchinis long-ways, into thick strips (about 1-2 inches long), then chop the other green vegetables of your choice in a similar way.
2. In a heavy based pan, add a good splash of olive oil and the crushed garlic. Put on medium heat for a minute or two.
3. Then add the zucchini and other green vegetables to the pan.
4. Sautee vegetables on medium heat until zucchini’s are a slightly golden colour.
5. Then add the chopped herbs and stir well until vegetables are covered with herbs and smell delicious. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serves 3-4. Enjoy!

Tips:

• The key to the delicious taste of this recipe is the fresh herbs – even tastier if they are home grown!
• In addition to the above herbs, try adding coriander or dill for some variety.
• To store your fresh herbs, wrap in paper towel and place in a plastic bag in the fridge, or stand them for up to one week in a jar of water covered with a plastic bag.