In a number of my previous articles I have stated that you should go for complex carbohydrates where possible and minimise your consumption of simple carbohydrates. After thinking about this for some time I realised that I had never fully understood or explained the difference between the two. That's why today I am going to be discussing carbohydrates in greater detail. WHAT ARE CARBOHYDRATES? Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients with fats and protein being the other two. They are made from a combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen hence the name 'carbo' (meaning carbon) … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2009
Kick Things Up a Notch: The Top 3 Everyday Cardio Exercises to Help You Stay Fit
Hello everyone. Today's article is a guest post from Nick Clipton who manages and writes for the weight gain blog: http://www.buildingbodymuscles.com/. Nick's blog contains lots of fantastic muscle building information and also reviews many of the top body building programs so feel free to check it out after you have finished reading. ----- The importance of exercising cannot be stressed enough no matter what body type it is that you have. The human body is made to move and if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle with hardly any exercise, there is a big possibility for you to experience … [Read more...]
9 Top Tips for Maximising your Metabolism
In my last three articles I revisited the topic of boosting your metabolism discussing the effect that both food and exercise can have. I explained that metabolism generally refers to the number of calories your body burns in a day. It is influenced by three main things: - Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) (the number of calories you burn performing the basic functions that keep you alive). - Your level of Physical Activity. - The Thermic Effect of Foods that you Eat (the number of calories it takes to digest and absorb the foods you eat). Today I would like to bring all this information … [Read more...]
Exercise and Metabolism Revisited
In my last few posts I have been revisiting the topic of boosting your metabolism. I began by explaining exactly what metabolism is and then moved on to explain how eating affects your metabolism. Today I am going to discuss how exercise affects your metabolism. As I mentioned in previous articles metabolism is influenced by three main factors: - Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) (the number of calories you burn performing the basic functions that keep you alive). - Your level of Physical Activity. - The Thermic Effect of Foods that you Eat (the number of calories it takes to digest and … [Read more...]
Eating & Metabolism Revisited
WHICH FOODS CAN BOOST YOUR METABOLISM? The main way food affects your metabolism is through its thermic effect. The thermic effect of foods is relatively static. However, there are certain foods that can give your metabolism a slight boost and I have outlined these below: 1) FIBRE:- Simple carbohydrates such as sugars, white bread and white pasta are much easier to digest than more complex, fibrous carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. On top of this high fibre carbohydrates have a number of fantastic health benefits and fruits and vegetables are a rich … [Read more...]
What is Metabolism?
WHAT IS METABOLISM? Many people claim that they cannot lose weight because they have a slow metabolism and are constantly looking for ways to boost their metabolism. A lot of these people do not truly understand the term metabolism. According to Wikipedia: “Metabolism is a set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms in order to maintain life” In humans the food we eat fuels these chemical reactions. So when people refer to a fast or slow metabolism they are generally referring to the average amount of calories their body burns in a day. There are three main factors that … [Read more...]
What Is Cancer?
In a number of my previous posts I discussed the various types of cancer. However, one thing I failed to do in these posts was to actually define cancer and explain what it is. That's why today I am going to discuss exactly what cancer is and explain the various types, causes, signs & symptoms, tests and the treatments available. WHAT IS CANCER? Cancer is a disease that affects the body's cells. Every cell contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a substance that contains coded instructions called genes. These genes tell the body's cells when to divide and reproduce and when to die. … [Read more...]
