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Sunday, July 13, 2014

11 THINGS THAT SLOW DOWN YOUR METABOLISM

#1 Eating Inconsistently At Odd Times From Day To Day

By eating your meal at more or less the same time each day, your body learns when to burn calories as it knows when to expect food. I know eating regularly may be a little challenging, but this is why meal prep is a must. If you have your meals ready, you have no excuses.

#2 Skimping on sleep

Just as sleeping helps to boost your metabolism, sleep deprivation can lower it. A study published in the US National Library of Medicine found that sleep deprivation reduces the amount of energy your body burns while resting.

#3 Not drinking coffee or tea

Caffeine can stimulate your metabolism for a few hours after consumption, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. So consider this not just permission but encouragement to start off your day with a java or tea fix.

#4 Doing only cardio

Running, biking, swimming, and rowing get your heart pumping, making them super-important for boosting your metabolism. But if you’re not incorporating strength training into your regular routine, you’re missing out on a double whammy. The more muscle you build, the more calories your body will burn, so grab some hand weights, do resistance training using your body weight (i.e., push-ups, lunges, and squats), or ask a trainer to show you how to best use some machines at the gym. 

#5 Dietary Toxins in Processed Foods

MSG, harmful fatty acids and toxic preservatives and emulsifers weaken the thyroid reducing metabolism up to 70% in the long-term. Mice with sustained exposure to the chemical preservatives develop significant abdominal weight gain, early insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Reducing exposure to dietary toxins, sugars, refined carbohydrates and processed foods will keep your metabolism sharp.

#6 Not eating enough

When you cut your caloric intake, your body goes into starvation mode, because in order to survive it holds on body fat. It’s your body’s way of surviving as it doesn’t know when it will receive a full meal again. And when you get your meal, the majority of the calories will be stored as fat. In this way your body creates an energy storage to survive the famine. This slows your metabolism as your body wants to keep hold of the food, rather than burning it for energy.

#7 Sitting still for long periods

A study found that sitting for a long period can make it harder for your metabolism to return to its full working order once you begin to be active again. If your job involves sitting for long periods then try to get up and move about regularly; even if it’s just to get a glass of water - better if you take the stairs and go get it to another storey

#8 Not drinking enough water

Being dehydrated has a direct effect on your metabolism. 70% of your muscle consists of water, so if your body is not fully hydrated, your muscles will struggle to work to their full potential. Dehydration also affects your body’s ability to utilise fat as fuel. Both of these combined means that your metabolism will slow down. Water is also needed to flush waste out of the body (fat included).

#9 Drinking Water Containing Fluoride and Chlorine

Both chemicals in treated water supplies also interfere with normal thyroid function. If your thyroid is sluggish, your metabolism slows down and even becomes dysfunctional. Drinking fluoridated and chlorinated water supplies will guarantee at least some dysfunction in metabolic processes. Drink filtered water whenever possible.

#10 Lacking Protein

Make sure protein is a component in every meal. It assists your body in maintaining lean muscle. Add a serving, like 3 ounces of fish, 2 tablespoons of nuts daily. Research shows protein can up post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35%.

#11 Skipping breakfast

Many people believe that opting to skip breakfast will aid their weight loss, but it actually does the complete opposite. When your body has been without food throughout the night, it needs fuel to keep it going, and by skipping breakfast, you are effectively telling your body to conserve energy, meaning that it will burn calories at a slower rate; slowing your metabolism. A study from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who skip a morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

LOW CARB CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ALMOND BUTTER NUTELLA

For the cake:
720ml/ 24 fl oz egg whites
4 scoops whey or rice protein
120g/ 1cup + 1 Tbsp flax seed, ground
almond extract
vanilla extract
1 tsp MP Flavouring, chocolate and coconut flavor (get it here: http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/mp-flavouring/10797025.html)
4 Tbsp cacao, unsweetened
pure stevia

Process all the ingredients in the blender and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/ 350°F- Let cool. Slice into 8 pieces. Spread them with Almond butter nutella (recipe follows)

ALMOND BUTTER NUTELLA
120g / 1/2 cup all natural almond butter
1/2 tsp MP Flavouring, chocolate and nuts flavor (if you can't get this one, use 1 tsp unsweetened cacao instead)
Pure stevia

Macros for 1 piece with nutella: 
270 kcal, 10g carbs (of which 6g fiber), 14.8g fats, 28g protein


Saturday, July 5, 2014

TIRAMISU IN A JAR

This is a delicious dessert that you can have on a daily basis.. and YES, even if you are trying to shed some pounds!

For the cake (makes 8 servings):
3 egg whites raw
100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) coconut oil
1/4 cup almond flour
100g/ 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp oat flour
2 scoops whey - vanilla, chocolate, mocha etc are all flavors that work great
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
pure stevia
almond extract
rum extract
pinch of salt

Blend all the ingredients together and pour into a deep baking tin. Bake for 25 min at 180°C/ 350°F.

Macros per serving: 224 kcal/ 16g fat/ 9.6g carbs/ 12g protein

Now, you can have your cake plain or turn it into a delicious tiramisu. I slice my cake into 8 pieces and freeze them because I like to prepare my tiramisu fresh every morning. Here's the procedure for 1 serving:

Mix 1/4 cup coffee (or more) with 1/2 scoop casein powder and a few drops of rum extract. You can add more coffee if the cream turns out too thick. Drop in your piece of cake, sprinkle it with unsweetened cacao and some powdered stevia. Add a handful of almonds and refrigerate for a few hours.

Macros per tiramisu serving: 350 kcal, 15.5 carbs, 21.3g fats, 26.2g protein


#proteinsnack #tiramisu

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

SUMMER OMELET

This is what I have for my AM snack recently... the summer omelet and a piece of fruit. The omelet is really easy to prepare and it tastes delish even cool.

Here's the recipe:
5 egg whites (adjust according to your protein needs)

1/3 cup cooked/ grilled veggies (I used grilled eggplant, raw red bell pepper and fresh basil. But it tastes delicious also with sauteed broccoli or zucchini or cherry tomatoes and peppers. Use what you like most)

salt, black pepper, garlic or chives

I use the microwave omelet maker which makes things much easier. You can find it here (http://www.amazon.com/BPA-Free-Microwave-Omelette-Maker-Sunflower/dp/B005ODCMEA). Otherwise you can bake your omelet in a traditional way using a pan, but I must admit I'm really bad at flipping it over and with omelet maker with 3 min in microwave you are done with no mess to clean.

Tastes yummy with mustard!


Oh, and can you believe this whole meal has only 146 calories?! Amazing, ha?!

For more healthy recipes, tips and motivation, please visit my FB page by clicking here

Saturday, June 14, 2014

CHOCOLATE MINT PROTEIN ICE-CREAM

Directions:
-1 serving of protein powder (any kind, any flavor. Vanilla or banana work great)
-1 cup of Greek Yogurt or creamcheese (you can even use water)
-3 cups of cubes
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum (if it upsets your stomach use corn starch instead)
-cacao, unsweetened
-Peppermint extract or mint leaves
OPTIONAL: 
- nuts or cacao chips etc ( depending on your meal / timing and calorie/goals) 

Blend until it gets super thick, smooth, creamy with no ice crystals. Consistency is just like soft serve.

#icecream #protein #quickmeal #snack #yummy

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

NUTS 'N MORE COPYCAT RECIPES

Step 1:
Make your own peanut or almond butter by toasting the nuts in microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Using a powerful blender or food processor, process the nuts till you get a creamy butter.

Step 2:
Get creative!
CHOCOLATE PEANUT/ ALMOND BUTTER
5 scoops chocolate whey protein
10 tsp unsweetened cacao
150g / 5.2oz peanut or almond butter
pinch of salt
pure stevia

macros per 2 Tbsp: 147kcal/ 3.6g carbs/ 7.8g fats/ 16.8g protein

CINNAMON RAISIN PEANUT/ ALMOND BUTTER
50g/ 1.7oz seedles raisins
5 scoops vanilla whey protein
pinch of salt
pure stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
150g/ 5.2oz peanut or almond butter

macros per 2 Tbsp:159kcal/ 6.5g carbs/ 7.4g fats/ 16.8g protein

COCONUT CHOCOLATE PEANUT/ ALMOND BUTTER
5 scoops chocolate whey protein
10 tsp cacao, unsweetened
40g/ 1.4 oz coconut flour
pinch of salt
pure stevia
150g/ 5.2oz peanut or almond butter

macros per 2 Tbsp:173kcal/ 4g carbs/ 10.2g fats/ 17g protein

Process the ingredients together, transfer to a jar and keep in a coll and dry place.

Enjoy!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

LATE-NIGHT CHEESECAKE IN A MUG

What you need:
1 mug
Lemon juice
1 egg or 2 egg whites
3oz/ 65g creamcheese, low fat
pure stevia
Vanilla extract (optional)

Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients together in a cup and microwave on high for 90 seconds, stopping the microwave and stirring every 30 seconds. The cheesecake will become firm in the fridge so if you want a lighter consistency, microwave for just 60 seconds.

Macros: 134 kcal, 2.5g carbs, 8.3g fats, 12.5g protein

#latenightsnack #muscle #protein