Slow Down to Rev Up Metabolism

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As a society, it is fair to say that we are pretty weight obsessed.  The U.S. weight loss market totaled $64 billion in 2014, according to Marketdata Enterprises, a research firm that tracks the industry.¹  We obsessively count calories, eat boring, so called “healthy” food and are always on the lookout for the next fitness craze. Not to mention all the weight loss supplements on the market, yet the obesity rates are skyrocketing.

With all the things we do in an effort to “speed up” our metabolism and lose weight, we most likely have overlooked the simplest and best way to promote optimum metabolism…just slow down! In today’s modern world, we are constantly on the go and in many respects society prides itself on our fast paced lifestyle. It often feels like a competition to see who is the busiest and who can multi-task the most. If you are like me, you eat your lunch at your desk, all while checking email or surfing the web. Or maybe grabbing a few bites of food as you are chasing your kids around the house.

Life is inherently stressful and our bodies are designed to deal with periods of stress. When we are exposed to a threat, there is an automatic chain of chemical and physiological reactions that are set off. This is called the “Fight or Flight” response or the stress response. In a stress response, our adrenals release hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, which increases our breathing and heart rate, pumping oxygen and glucose to our muscles so we can get away from the threat, while other less vital functions decrease in activity (i.e. digestion).² After all, are we really focused on digesting our lunch when we are being chased by a bear? Once we get away from the threat, we return to a period of relaxation, which allows our body to recover and replenish. However, all this daily go-go-go actually puts the body in a constant, low level state of stress, often without the benefit of a relaxation phase, which can have detrimental long term effects on the body.

If you believe all the TV ads, there are tons of products out there to speed up your metabolism and control appetite. However, many of the things we are doing are actually having the opposite effect. We kill ourselves with punishing exercise, which often adds even more unnecessary stress to the body or we hype up on caffeine and other stimulants. One of the best things we can do for our body to promote optimal digestion and calorie burning is to find ways to reduce stress, slow down and relax. I know “easier said than done,” but there are a few simple things you can do:

Just breathe!

Before you begin a meal, take 8-10 deeps breaths. Breathing is a quick and easy way to slow down the body and to quickly promote relaxation. Relaxation puts the body in a state where optimal digestion and assimilation of nutrients happens.

Slow Down and Listen to Your Body

How many of us mindlessly eat? I know so many people who literally shovel a sandwich and chips in their mouth at lunch in under 5 minutes and then they wonder why an hour later they are still hungry. Your mind did not even notice you ate! Not to mention the fact that you will likely eat past the point of being full. It takes your body about 20 minutes before your stomach registers the feeling of being full.³ Take at least 20 minutes to eat your meal. Really tune into how your body feels and when you start to feel full.

Be Present

Many of us love to multitask, especially when eating. Next time you sit down to eat, make the meal the main event. Turn off the TV, stop reading emails and actually enjoy your meal. Limiting your distractions while eating not only helps you to be present, but also many of those distractions are inherently stressful. Food should be pleasurable and pleasure promotes relaxation, which in turn supports optimal metabolism.

¹http://fortune.com/2015/05/22/lean-times-for-the-diet-industry/

² http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml

³ http://www.livestrong.com/article/480254-how-long-does-it-take-your-brain-to-register-that-the-stomach-is-full/

My Healthy Lifestyle Is Stressing Me Out!!!

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Clean living seems to be all the rage. Everyday there is some new super food we should be eating, the latest diet trend or how to de-stress in 5 minutes or less. Worse still the recommendations keep changing…fats are bad, no carbs are bad and fat is good, but only the “good” fats, sugar is poison so avoid fruit and don’t even get me started on soy! It is beyond confusing…no wonder no one has any idea what they should be eating! When did eating become so difficult? I really doubt our ancestors spent hours a day thinking about what to eat. When they were hungry they ate and that was the end of it. Granted our lifestyles have evolved greatly since the time of the cave man and we have more choices than we know what to do with, but I really do think that we are making things way too complicated. Sometimes healthy living feels like a second job!

 

Although we still do see those crazy fad diets like drink only lemon water for 3 days to detox, there has been a perceptible shift towards healthful eating and general well-being. We understand the connection between stress and our health, so we strive to live a more Zen existence. However in typical American fashion, we want to snap our fingers and instantly change course or we manically try everything possible all that once hoping that by sheer volume alone something will work. Which when you think about it, kind of is the antithesis of Zen.

 

The scenario goes something like this: get up early to do my deep breathing and meditation, although by the end of the week it usually ends up being about 5 minutes total (if I am lucky), but at least I can check it off the list! Then I make myself a green smoothie with maca powder, chia seeds and a dash of reishi for good measure and no coffee, because coffee is BAD! Maybe some eggs if I need something heartier, if eggs are okay this week. Do I eat whole eggs or only egg whites? Confused, I opt for a little almond butter on gluten free toast and race out the door. Work is crazy hectic so what that morning meditation did I have no idea and of course I work in an office, which freaks me out because I read an article the other day about how our desks jobs are killing us. Although afraid to ask, my colleagues are all secretly wondering why I make about 3 laps around the floor every hour on the hour; little do they know I have an alarm set on my phone for my “movement” breaks.  Also an excuse to refill the water container (BPA-free of course) or take the umpteenth bathroom run.

 

Lunch is its own drama. Is there really time today to walk 15 blocks to the vegan place over on 8^th Ave? Plan B is the salad bar, but is that produce organic? Of course I bring my own salad dressing, as god only knows if there will be any gluten free, non dairy, good oil only dressings available. Naturally I get off the subway one stop early on the way home to get my required daily step quota in, as tracked by my nifty pedometer. Quick change and I am off to the gym – now is tonight cardio, strength training, Zumba, spinning…although after the crazy day I had I probably should do yoga. But is yoga really a workout? Plus it's 90 minutes… instead I opt for spinning, as 45 minutes in/out and I am good to go.

 

I am home in time to eat a healthy meal before 8pm, if I am lucky, so I ensure that I have at least 2 hours to digest my meal before bed. Or maybe just a juice would be better, but is juice as good as eating the whole food, fiber and all? Good thing I spent $600 on that Vitamix! In bed by 10pm, so I get that 8 hours of sleep, but how do I fit in my nighttime meditation? Maybe a few deeps breaths will be good enough. When my alarm goes off, all I can think is “I have to do that all again??!”

 

Healthy living is supposed to makes us feel better, not stress us out! I try to follow a few simple rules and anything additional beyond that is just a bonus:

 

1.       Eat whole, real food as much as possible

2.       Move (at least a little) each day

3.       Laugh often; great stress reducer!

Is My Desk Job Actually Killing Me?

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I grew with friends who had parents that were cops and firemen…jobs that truly involve real, palpable danger! Everyone in my family put on suits and headed off to work in some shiny office building – what dangers did they worry about? Maybe the occasional paper cut? True to form that is where I have ended up; sitting in front of a computer behind a desk ALL day long. Now I must admit I have long worried about what staring at a computer screen all day might do to my eyes (I now wear glasses; although most of my family is practically blind so I am grateful I lasted into my 30s before having any issues) and we have all seen coworkers with the wrist braces due to carpal tunnel, but in general I have never been all that worried about how my job may be impacting my health.

However I recently read an article entitled “Why Your Desk Job Is Slowly Killing You.” It seems that for many of us who sit at a computer 8+ hours a day, this can have detrimental effects on our bodies, even if you exercise regularly outside of work. Previously these people were considered “active,” however now we are more accurately characterized as an "exercising couch potato.”¹ Really??!! Apparently our bodies are not meant for sitting and that even if they adapt to a more sedentary lifestyle, we decrease our ability to walk, run, jump, etc. Some studies have indicated that it actually shortens our lifespan…..sitting is now up there with other risk factors like smoking, excessive drinking, etc. Maybe I shouldn’t be so grateful to still have my job given this awful economy?? Although without my job, that is apparently killing me, I would likely not be able to afford health insurance or all that oh so healthy organic, hormone-chemical free food that is supposed to be good for me!!

The Harvard Business Review recently published an article calling “Sitting is the Smoking of Our Generation.”² It’s no secret that our poor diet, particularly due to unhealthy addiction to fast and processed foods and a more sedentary lifestyle had led to astronomical obesity rates in this country, along with many other deadly diseases. We all know that we should be moving around a lot more than we do. I get downright antsy at work and by the time I leave the office I don’t even want to think about sitting down again; this often helps rally me for the gym. Even when I am at home I am usually walking around when I am on the phone or standing at my computer. A few months ago I was suffering with horrible neck pain. Now I am sure a lot had to do with work being particularly frustrating and stressful at the time (I like many people carry all my stress in my neck and shoulders), but I am positive sitting hunched over my desk for hours at a time was not helping the situation.

Some interesting (and SCARY) statistics:

²Long periods of sitting slows the metabolism; after just 1 hour of sitting the production of enzymes that burn fat has been shown to decline by as much as 90%. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to 6% of the impact for heart disease, 7% for type 2 diabetes and 10% for breast and colon cancer. The death rate associated with obesity in the US is now 35 million - compare that to tobacco which is only 3.5 million! The New York Times reported on a study published in 2011, which found that for each additional hour of TV a person sat and watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11%. In that same article, a doctor is quoted as saying that excessive sitting, which he defines as nine hours a day, is a lethal activity!!

But what do you do? If your job is in an office, you likely don’t have the luxury of quitting and doing something else. I know I don’t! And with the advent of technology, we don’t even have to use our biceps to pick up the phone and call someone or god forbid walk down the hall to meet with someone in person! I seriously have people at work that I can see across the floor while sitting at my desk, that would rather chat me than get up off their butt to come ask me a question! How many times have I gone to a conference for a meeting, as I love getting away from my desk, to be the only fool sitting there because everyone else dialed in from their desks?

I read a suggestion by James Levine, a well know obesity expert, that people with sedentary jobs should get up for 10 minutes every hour.³ Nice work if you can get it, but most of us don’t have the ability to take a 10 minute break every hour…that’s a significant chunk of productive work time! I’d rather get in, get my work done and go home to do something fun with that 90 minutes! (He also suggests a treadmill desk (which he coincidently invented), but I am not even getting into how unrealistic that idea is!)

Turns out a few simple things can help:

1) Take the stairs rather than the elevator

2) If you can bike or walk to work. Or get off the subway one stop earlier (for you drivers…park your car farther away from the office door)

3) Stand up as much as possible; stand when answering the phone or walk around the office if you use a headset or speaker phone

4) Take breaks as often as you can, even if it’s just a quick lap around your floor or an extra walk around the block when you are grabbing lunch. I sip on water all day long figuring my bladder will force me to get up even if I don’t think about it!

5) Try to do the same this outside of the office; get up and walk around during commercial breaks rather than checking email (or even better do some jumping jacks, sit-ups or even some gentle stretching...commercial breaks are longer than you think!!!) 

Those few minutes here or there that you can move around a bit really add up and make a difference over time.

¹Why Your Desk Job Is Slowly Killing You

²Sitting Is The Smoking Of Our Generation

³ Obesity expert says daily workouts can't undo damage done from sitting all day

More interesting info:

Six Desk Stretches

Your Body's Biggest Danger: Sitting Disease

Mayo Clinic’s 10 tips on how to burn calories at work

Just Breathe

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So who amongst is not stressed? Day-to-day life can be demanding between school, work, family, etc. Have you ever seen anyone looking Zen during their daily commute? Whether you’re sitting in traffic or fighting your way into a crowded subway car, just getting to work can set your stress levels on overdrive before you even get there. Add to that the current state of the world; unrest and violence in multiple parts of the world , continuing fiscal doom, our elected officials acting like 5 year olds that don’t know how to play nice in the sandbox or how even normally “safe” places like schools and movies theaters don’t even provide the respite they use to. Just watching the news is enough to stress anyone out!

I always love the idea of being one of those people who could mediate and do yoga for hours. I see all these yoga teachers who just scream Zen existence with their gentle movements and soft, soothing voices. When I do actually take a yoga class I feel amazing after, but I have a really hard time relaxing and quieting the mind. Don’t even get me started on trying to meditate! Disaster! I am the typical New Yorker who only knows how to go at 100mph in everything I do – slowing down is just not in my vocabulary! I can’t lie, there is a big part of me that does love my “New Yorkness” and would not want to be any other way (I know you non-New Yorkers think we are all insane…and even we know we are a little crazy…), however being on constant overdrive does wear on the body.

Fortunately there are some, simple ways I have found to find my version of Zen, even if only for a New York minute. The power of breath is an amazing thing. I have heard this for years and in general just pooh-poohed it, but then I started reading some stuff by Dr. Andrew Weil and he inspired me to give it a shot. He recommended the following simple 4-7-8 breathing exercise¹:

· Inhale for 4 counts
· Hold breath for 7 counts
· Exhale fully for 8 counts (squeeze out as much of the air in your lungs that you can!)

I started out by repeating this 4 times every morning and now have increased it to 10 times. Although I have managed to slow down my morning routine a bit, so I am not running around like a crazy person dressing and shoveling my breakfast in my mouth all that the same time, weekday mornings are anything but relaxing. Taking that few minutes a day really calms me before I walk out the door. You know your day is going to be what it is, but I always feel like starting out on the right foot helps. We have all had those days where everything goes wrong; you oversleep, your shower runs out of cold water, you get halfway to work and realize you forgot something, etc…you know it is all downhill from there…

Those few minutes of conscious breathing have now become a part of my daily routine. And the great thing about it is you can do it anywhere! Even at work, when I am so frustrated at times I want to rip my hair out, instead of sitting there and fuming I go to the bathroom for a few minutes and just breathe. Now I will admit there are days I literally am in there 10 times (my colleagues must think I have the tiniest bladder on the planet!), but it does work! And I do think it trains your body to more easily get to that relaxed state when you most need it.

We don’t have control over a lot of things, but there are small things we can do that really do provide an incredible benefit. Hey if this crazy New Yorker can do it, so can you!

See below links for more information on stress reduction through conscious breathing and the impact of stress on the body:

¹Dr. Weil: Breathing Exercise

Dr. Weil: Art and Science of Breathing

Stress and Adrenal Fatigue

Stress Can Shorten Your Life Span