We all love to talk about metabolism. A lot.

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. Read More »

It’s summertime… which means it’s hot and humid and my hair is poofing like Sarah Jessica Parkers in Girls Just Want To Have Fun- only I’m not trying to make it look that way.

But at the same time, it’s summertime! (Notice the difference with the exclamation point. Adds a nice exciting touch don’t you think?) And a little humidity and ugly hair is not going to keep me cooped up inside. I’m spending as much time outside as possible thank-you-very-much because before I know it I’ll be knee deep in snow, picking icicles off my eye-lashes (yes that has happened before) longing to be drenched in sweat.

So in order to maximize my time outdoors this summer, I have found the key is staying hydrated. And now, the same great people who brought us those yummy Luna Bars (try Carmel Nut Brownie as a mid-afternoon snack) are making it easier for us to get in our 8-10 glasses of water a day with Luna Elixir’s. Four great guilt free flavors that not only keep you hydrated but pack a whole lot of goodness for our female figures. Read More »