Fire Up Your Metabolism!

When I lived in Northern California we had a wood burning stove that was the only source of heat for the house. At first I was so excited – ooh! fire! But I soon learned, upon waking to a freezing cold home or coming home from work to an ice box, that we needed a better system. Letting the fire burn out was a very inefficient way to keep warm, and also wasted more of our wood resources, time and energy when rebuilding the fire so many times.

Believe it or not, that experience taught me something about my body as well. Most of us “run out of fuel” and have a very inefficient system of eating that wastes our resources instead of maximizing our potential energy. I have now come to call my approach to eating as “fueling the furnace.” I learned the hard way not to let my wood burning stove run out, and I have also learned how silly it is to let my body’s metabolic furnace run out by not eating enough throughout the day.

There is a reason it is suggested to eat at least six small meals a day. Your body uses energy and if you are not taking care of it then a few things will happen: your blood sugar levels will drop, your energy will drop, AND your “lizard brain” will think you are in a famine and will shut down your metabolism. So not only will you be fatigued and less productive, but you are almost certainly getting FAT as well!

In fact, one of the most horrible myths out there right now pertaining to weight management is that you should eat less and exercise more. Whoa! That is actually the exact type of behavior that, again, triggers you body’s survival mechanism thus shutting down your metabolism. We want to sooth our mind, to assure it we are safe, and by doing so we want to eat regularly and “fuel the furnace.”

Another way to look at this is that eating six small meals a day also helps prevent overeating, which is often a consequence of not eating enough. Did you know that, according to Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Ultra Metabolism, the modern American diet is very similar to the Japanese Sumo Wrestler diet?! Keep in mind that Japanese are not traditionally the size of enormously heavy men with funny underwear; they actually work very hard to become that size. How? The main ingredients are skipping breakfast for starters, then eating large amounts right before bed among other things. It is no wonder much of our population is starting to take on this ancient sport, at least visually.

So, if I am throwing a few logs on throughout the day then my fire can burn strong and long, as opposed to waiting then piling up a stack and trying to light a fire under that. And when is it a good idea to throw a log on? In my experience I try to think about eating when “the light bulb first goes off” at the phase one trigger. Meaning, you may be busy at work, working on a project, when suddenly you realize, Ding! “Hey… I think I might be hungry in a bit.” That is a great time to start wrapping up your work and begin thinking about and/or preparing your meal. You want to eat at phase two which says, “Woo hoo! Food!” Beware not too wait too long, then you might think “I am going to hurt anyone in my way I am so desperate to eat anything I can get my hands on!” That is phase three or four, when you are in danger of overeating or grabbing any crappy low-quality thing you can find.

Which brings up another great point that I learned from my wood burning stove! The final piece to this lesson is that I also learned different wood burns better than others. In the beginning I was Miss El Cheapo and purchased the least expensive piles of wood I could get my hands on. To my surprise they blazed up almost immediately and we found ourselves buying more a lot sooner than we had expected. Then I learned another great insight! Hard wood burns longer and hotter… Soft wood stinks!

Ok, ok… this is getting good. The question is, what kind of fuel do YOU choose? You could go for the el cheapo pine and blaze up in a fury by eating high glycemic foods such as bagels, cold cereal, or (sorry to say) oatmeal. OR, you could choose lower glycemic foods such as plain yogurt smoothies, eggs, or protein sources. According to Dr. Hyman healthy fats (especially omega-3), protein, phytonutrients (brightly colored fruit and vegetables) and fiber all help lower the overall glycemic load for an meal. Furthermore, the more living food you eat the better – fresh, organic, as close to its original source as possible. This tells your “lizard brain” things are great! And it kicks your metabolism into high gear.

So, when it comes to healthy eating, remember: fuel the furnace and keep stoking that metabolic fire with some high quality sources of energy. Maintaining this system will do wonders for your metabolism and energy levels, not to mention take you that much closer to your ideal body weight. I know it has made an amazing difference in my own life and the lives of my clients. Go ahead, light that fire!

©laynewhitley, 2010. Article may be reprinted with permission.

Layne Whitley, Food & Weight Loss Coach, helps clients lose weight, eat healthier, and feel great… naturally! To get your FREE e-book on lasting weight loss and receive her weekly recipes & success mindset articles on reaching your wellness potential, visit www.laynewhitley.com or email her at coach@laynewhitley.com.