Some of us love it (like that girl who never goes to the gym and eats french fries for every meal and somehow still wears a size 00) and some of us hate it (when we eat an apple and our thighs starts rubbing together). But does anyone really know what metabolism is or how it works?

Your (my, our) metabolism is really just your metabolic rate, or BMR, which is roughly the amount of calories that you burn when at rest. Like right now as you sit on your couch, feet up, laptop on your lap and a bowl of cereal in your hand. This is the energy that your body uses to keep organs, cells, and digestion all going. It is influenced by your age, sex, height, weight, and the amount of muscle mass that you have.

There are lots of myths around about things that will “speed up” your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories. There are also many surprising truths. I’m going to separation the fact from the fiction and give you all the tools to control your metabolic destiny. Here we go!

Myths

If your mom has a “slow” metabolism, you will too: This is one is half-true. Heredity does play a role in metabolism, but just because mama passed on that snail’s-pace metabolism doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. There are many ways to speed things up: build muscle mass, eat a balanced breakfast and overall diet, snack throughout the day on low-calorie foods, include protein in your diet, and keep moving!

Grapefruit increases your metabolic rate: Its fiber and water will fill you up, and the Thermogenic Effect of the fruit means that your body will use extra calories to digest it, but it won’t speed your metabolism up more than any other food.

Celery is a negative-calorie food: I wish! That would be easy. And I’d be eating a whole lot more celery. But, nope, it’s not so. Celery still has calories, no matter how difficult it is for our bodies to eat and digest it.

Truths

Ice cold beverages and foods rev up your metabolism: It’s true, but the number of extra calories that you’ll burn are definitely not enough to burn off the damage done at Thirsty Thursday. Studies have suggested that drinking five to six glasses of ice cold water could help you burn an extra 10 calories per day. Not too exciting, but those calories could help you burn up to a pound a year without even trying!

Drinking water can help you burn more calories: Say it with me, “I LOVE WATER.” Seriously, you need it. And not just when you’re working out and not just when you’re hungover (or chugging water late-night to prevent a hangover). We all need water all the time! Getting enough water per day for your body weight helps to keep your metabolism, as well as all of your body’s other functions, running at full speed and maximum capability.

Dieting slows your metabolism: Yep! This one’s true, even if it seems counter-intuitive. For every pound you lose, your Basic Metabolic Rate (a fancy term for your metabolism) drops about 2 to 10 calories a day. So, if you manage to lose 10 pounds, you now have to eat 20 to 100 fewer calories per day.  Counteract this effect by gaining muscle as you lost weight; more muscle mass means a faster metabolism!

Protein speeds it up! Protein is far superior to fat or carbohydrates when it comes to your metabolism, because it requires more of your body’s energy (fat!) to digest!  Studies show that you may burn up to twice as many calories digesting protein as carbohydrates. To get enough protein per day, take one third of your body weight and convert it into grams. That’s about how much protein you need to eat to keep things running smoothly.

YOUR BURN MORE CALORIES WHEN YOU’RE PMSING!: I wanted to believe it, I prayed it was true…and it actually is! Pass the Oreos, please!! Yes, PMS cravings ARE related to the boost in your metabolism before your period. Your resting metabolic rate increases between ovulation and the first day of your period and can burn up to an extra 300 calories per day! Woohoo!

Eat well, and often: Though it seems a little backwards, eating balanced meals and snacks every 2-4 hours keeps your metabolism in high gear! This includes breakfast – eat it, people! Even a tablespoon of peanut butter is better than nothing. Breakfast gets your metabolism kick-started for the day and then you can keep it at maximum speed by eating small meals and snacks throughout the day.

Drink Some Coffee and Green Tea: This one’s tough because it is true, but like water, isn’t a huge metabolism booster. The caffeine in coffee will help you burn more calories after drinking it, but very few. Green Tea, which contains a substance called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), may also help you burn more calories, but so few that any weight loss effects are almost impossible to detect.

Lift! For every pound of muscle in you, your body burns 35 calories per day. The body burns just 2 calories for each pound of fat. Conclusion? Weight train!! Increased muscle mass and density will lead to an increase in calories burned because the muscle takes more energy to maintain than the fat. This means that even when at rest you will be burning more calories! (Here are some great exercises that you can do just about anywhere!)

Some Like It Hot: Some studies have shown that hot pepper and very, VERY spicy foods can raise metabolic rates by about 20% up to 30 minutes after a meal. If burning your mouth, turning red, dealing with heartburn and sweating are worth it to you, go for it! But if you’re willing to put in that much work, why not just hit the gym instead?

I’m starting to think that there is some truth to the rule, “You are what you eat.” I think my muffin top would attest to that statement. In general, I stick to a healthy diet (of cupcakes), but when it comes time to crack the books I know that my typical eating habits will affect my scholastic performance. While I usually opt for a bag of M&Ms at the library, I now know that a giant bag of sugar is not the best thing to get me through the hours of cramming.

In contrast, there are foods out there that have been shown to improve memory retention and attention span. Read: The foods I should be eating. I am one who will do anything to pass an exam, even if it means eating my way to better grades. Because what could be better?

Eat? For better grades? Grad school may be for me after all.

When it comes to the basics, we all know the rules: “Don’t skip breakfast,” “Drink lots of water,” “An apple a day…blah, blah, blah.”But when it comes to college life, we need more than just a healthy diet – we need to feed our brains. So I’ve compiled a list of some snack foods to help our neurons rock and roll.

While there are a plethora of foods out there to give your brain a boost, not all are study-friendly. Salmon and eggs, for example, are great brain foods, but being the “smelly kid” has never been cool, so it’s not realistic to brown bag these snacks to munch on in your study groups. (However, these are fine foods to eat for breakfast or lunch before a big exam…alone in your apartment.)

A personal favorite study snack (which is perfect for winter exams) is hot chocolate. But not any hot chocolate: DARK hot chocolate. It is lower in calories than its milky brother, and has a moderate amount of caffeine to boot. Dark chocolate also has a suspiciously high amount of antioxidants (chocolate? good for you? I know!) and natural neural stimulants that increase blood flow and enhance your mood! This warm bevy will keep you alert and in a good mood, no matter how late you have to be in the ‘brary.

Speaking of drinks, green tea is known for being fabulous for our brain and body. My tastebuds never quite agreed (green tea tastes like dirt) until Arizona Tea came out with Blueberry Diet Green Tea. I’m not a fan of drinking my calories (unless the drink rhymes with “odka”), so I stick to this diet version (10 cals per serving). I bring one of these with me to the computer lab whenever I go and it definitely keeps my brain turned on. If Starbucks is more your style, try mixing 2 tea bags (like Orange & Spice with Green Tea) for a tasty brain beverage.

Perhaps you don’t believe me on the Blueberry Green Tea, but I think we all know that blueberries themselves are hella good. They are in season right now and are great for snacking (and dieting, if that’s your thing). Ounce for ounce, blueberries actually have a greater antioxidant capacity than most any other fruits or vegetables and contain 5 grams of fiber per cup! These are also perfect for eating in the library (some rules were just meant to be broken) – no one can hear you munch on them.

Note: If blueberries are not too accessible, Craisins are a good substitute. Dried berries last a long, long time (becuase, seriously, who has time to go to the freakin’ market?), so load up, refrigerate, and grab em whenever you need a little brain boost.

From my own experience, however, the olympian of brain-boosting foods are nuts. Almonds, in particular, are great for your general health, but cashews and walnuts are where I get my fix. Not only do these jewels contain healthy fats that stabalize your blood-sugar for hours, but nuts have been shown in recent studies to be associated with better memory retention and mood. Both very important things for a super long study sesh.

Truth be told, keeping your glucose levels afloat will have a similar affect on your GPA. Happy snacking!

Doctors and nutritionists are now saying that the best way to stay energized, full and healthy is to eat 6 small meals a day and not the two huge ones like so many of us do. Note: 6 small meals do not include cupcakes, bags of chips and other fatty snacks.

So, how do you get through the day and not pack on the pounds? Start with some healthier snacking options:

1. Almonds and Laughing Cow Cheese. Portable and protein packed, almonds are one of the best things for your body. Pop a handful in a Ziploc bag with two wedges of Laughing Cow cheese (30 calories each) and, for under 200 calories, you have a healthy, filling snack.

2. 100 Calorie Packs. These are great on the go because they give you a quick low-cal fix and totally ease the cravings for the bad stuff. If you’re really in the mood, grab two bags. If you were to dig your paws into a real bag of Ruffles you’d wind up eating way more than the 200 calories (not to mention all that grease!) in this snack.

3. Trail Mix. No not a store bought one – make your own! Take dried cranberries (excellent for protein, antioxidents, and nutrients), wasabi peas (which give it a nutritional kick with only 2 grams of fat and 120 cals per serving), sliced nuts of your choice (again, almonds are great for you) and some raisins if you want a little somethin’ sweet. The mix of protein and natural sugars will give your body a natural energy and a great boost for those afternoons that seem to drag on and on and on and on…

4. Oatmeal. Not just a breakfast food. It warms and fills your tummy, keeping you full for hours.

5. Rollups. Leave the bread at home: take thinly sliced turkey and fat free cheese and roll the pair together. Throw a few in a Ziploc bag with some carrots and you’ll get a healthy treat for any time of the day.

6. Bagel Chips and Salsa. I don’t know if you’ve looked lately, but salsa is NOT bad for you and tastes fab. What could be better? Dip some bagel chips or baked tortilla chips (or even veggies!) in some salsa and you’ll satisfy your hunger and your carb craving.

7. Veggies and Hummus. Raw veggies like celery, carrots and peppers, are extremely healthy, but can be bland in flavor. A way to spice ‘em up is by dipping them in hummus, which is a great source of iron (from the chick peas) and in general, is not very fattening. If you’re not a fan of hummus, try a low-fat or fat-free veggie dip.

8. Smart Pop. Popcorn is my favorite. Movie popcorn, with the “butter” that you pour on and get all over your hands is my absolute favorite. Too bad it’s bad, bad, bad for you. An alternative? Smart Pop; it’s just as good, but not as buttery or packed with the millions of calories and fat. I like to throw some hot sauce on my Smart Pop to give it a low-fat kick too.

9. Smoothie. If done right (with low-fat or fat free yogurt and FRESH fruit, not that syrupy crap), smoothies are a great source of vitamins, energy and nutrition. Plus they are delish!

10. Cool Whip & Fresh Fruit. Slice up fresh strawberries, blueberries and peaches into a bowl. Throw on some fat-free Cool Whip and you’ll eat this treat right up! Perfect for a hot day when you’re dying for ice cream but don’t want the calories.

What are some of your favorite low-fat snacks?

[Photo courtesy of naturalpath.com]