Appetite and Metabolism --- Part 2

Adequate nutrition combined with moderate physical activity automatically keeps our bodies at a healthy set point,a predetermined body fat ratio within a 10-15 pound weight range. Your metabolism is designed to vigorously defend your set point by speeding up or slowing down if its thresholds are threatened.

Hunger is one way your body signals that it needs or wants food. These are very susceptible to stress. Hunger hormones are part of a larger feedback system that tells your body through almost every major body function that it needs to eat. Our fat cells are metabolically active tissue that help us sense "fullness" and regulate our body heat and weight.

How much you eat and when are governed by your brain, your fat cells, and central nervous system which can be highly influenced by your environment. How well you digest your food and rid your body of toxins relies on the helath of your GI tract and other organs. These include your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system. How efficiently the cells in your body convert food into energy is affected by the health of your respiratory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and immune systmes.

The reality is, that losing weight really means shifting your point of view away from calories and fat in, calories and fat out, toward a more holistic approach. Our way of life today has confused our biochemistry into accepting what is essentially an "abnormal" state: being unhealthy and overweight.

To permanently lose weight, your body has to feel safe enough to just let go. This means getting all your major systems in your body healthy, for your body relies on these chemical messengers, your hormones, as these regulate metabolism.

Low-fat Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies--from Jamie the Titanium Chef

A lot of us probably made some sort of New Year's Resolution to eat better.  But that doesn't mean you can't still have something sweet every once in awhile.  Try out these very flavorful, yet low fat cookies!

Low-fat Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup pumpkin
2 egg whites, whipped
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cup flour (can use half white and half wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 or 2 drops maple extract
splash of milk

Directions: In large bowl combine pumpkin and eggs whites.  In seperate bowl combine sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, oats and raisins.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just moistened.
Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet, 2" apart.  You can leave cookies in the shape of a ball (the baked cookie will still be a ball) or flatten them out with the bottom of a glass before baking.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
For Glaze: mix the powdered sugar, milk and maple extract in a small bowl, then drizzle over cooled cookies.
You can also save some calories by eating the cookies plain without the glaze, enjoy!!

Don't Make This Huge Mistake

You May Not Be Eating Enough.

Going long periods of time without food causes dips in blood sugar that can lead to cravings and binges. Plus dieting only works in the long term if you can stick to it--and total deprivation is IMPOSSIBLE to sustain.

Eat small protein and fiber filled meals throughout the day. They will sustain you longer and be lower in calories.

TG-2000 ADVANCE (click on bottle at left for more information), may be the perfect solution for helping curb your appetite while helping to burn off the fat. A healthy eating plan and TG 2000 ADVANCE are a great combination.

Your Appetite and Metabolism

Burning fat and building muscle results in healthy leanness. Two key processes for a functioning metabolism include digestion and elimination, and cellular work such as membrane repair, cell division, and endocrine function.
A full-functioning metabolism has three jobs:

1. to convert energy from the food we eat into work and heat
2. to eliminate any toxins or unnecessary nutrients in the form of waste
3. to store glucose in the form of glycogen and extra energy as fat for future use.

All three functions are interrelated and interdependent, one cannot function properly with the support of the other two. Research increasingly shows, our nutrition serves as the building foundation for our bodies. That's why 'you are what you eat' is really true!

To have a well functioning metabolism you much support it with regular and good nutrition. What, when, and how you eat DO matter. Nothing shuts down metabolism faster than starvation and deprivation. Your body immediately switches into hoarding mode: conserving fat and burning the liver's glycogen reserves for energy. Once the reserves of glycogen are depleted, your brain sends out intense humger signals that will not be denied. This is the source of failed yo-yo dieting and gaining the weight back over and over.

A Quick Healthy Meal from Jamie the Titanium Chef

Some nights you just don't have a lot of time to fix dinner but there are quick meals you can make that are healthy to keep you from running through the drive thru at the nearest McDonalds.  Just throw a baked potato in the microwave for a few minutes and when it is cooked top it with some cottage cheese and salsa.  You get lots of good protein, calcium and best of all its great for you!  Try it out, pretty soon you won't even want a baked potato with butter and sour cream when you can have one this way!