This is not an advert for the Atkins Diet or a “carbs are bad” spiel. Quite simply, protein consumption stimulates diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) more than any other macronutrient. This is because the body has no way of storing protein for use later, in the way it can with other nutrients, so it must break it down for use or elimination. This process requires the up-regulation of “un-coupling” proteins (agents that break down chemical bonds) in the liver and certain types of fat tissue.
This extra metabolic work causes heat production which is called thermogenesis, and this is how we measure the calories burnt. Therefore, you will burn more calories and boost your metabolism by consuming more protein.
NEAT is energy burned whilst doing anything that is not sleeping, eating, or undertaking planned exercise. These are things like walking, working, shopping, mowing the lawn and even fidgeting! Increase your NEAT and you will increase the calories that you burn over each week.
Here are some examples of simple ways to increase your NEAT:
• Walk instead of drive at every opportunity
• Always take the stairs
• Clean EVERYTHING – the car, your house, the windows…
• Create a new routine – how about 5 incline push ups on your bed when you get up? Or 10 star jumps whenever you boil the kettle?
Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas that regulates the metabolism of macronutrients in the body by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into the cells.
Studies have found that having too many fatty acids in your blood inhibits the action of insulin, making you “insulin resistant”. When this occurs, your pancreas must produce a lot more insulin to try to compensate for the slower rate at which glucose is being transferred from the blood to the cells. This can cause failure of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, resulting in type 2 diabetes.
Higher insulin sensitivity of the cells leads to lower blood insulin levels. When blood insulin levels are lower the body switches from using glucose for energy to burning fat instead. This is essential physiological knowledge when it comes to increasing fat loss.
Scientific studies have proven that Apple Cider Vinegar consumption increases cellular insulin sensitivity. In one such study is was discovered that ACV raised insulin sensitivity 60 minutes post-meal by 34%. This is further confirmed by another study in which the insulin blood levels in diabetic patients were improved by 25% after consuming ACV.
How does ACV do this? On a chemical level it is shown to suppress disaccharidase activity (enzymes that break down complex sugars into simpler sugars) and to this affect mimics a well-known drug called Metformin which is commonly used to treat Type 2 Diabetes.
How to use this to your advantage:
• Take 1 tablespoon of ACV in a glass of water around 30 minutes before each meal
• If you find this hard to stomach, there are even ACV gummies on the market these days!
The human body is a primitive thing, it has taken 6 million years to get to where we are today and therefore, we cannot physically evolve as quickly as the world we are building around us. Our brains, the control centre of our bodies, are fixated on survival, risk reduction and self-preservation. When food is scarce (such as on a low-calorie diet), our body senses the threat of famine and automatically puts into place protective measures. This involves slowing down the metabolism and reducing energy wastage on things it does not deem important. When your body is in “famine mode” it will cling onto every bit of fat it can, and it will not expend energy on processes such as building muscle, reproduction, or other energetic exertions. If your metabolism is in this low state you will notice that you feel tired most of the time, you have a supressed appetite and a low sex drive. Your mood can also be affected, and you may feel cold and sluggish. People with bodies in this low metabolic state will struggle to lose fat and will maintain a higher fat percentage.
There are simple ways to boost your metabolism. First and foremost, you must EAT. Most people have a low metabolism because they have damaged it by eating extremely low calories for a long period of time. It might seem counter-intuitive but to lose fat you really do need to eat more. Finding out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) using an online calculator is the best way to work out the right calorie intake for you. It is ok to take it to a 10-15% deficit if you want to lose weight but absolutely no more than that, and it is always better for your metabolism to increase how many calories you are burning to create that deficit rather than reducing the amount you eat. This will keep your metabolism raring along and help your primitive body feel secure enough to put energy to good use rather than storing it all up in fear that it will not be fed!
30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking. This is a rule to live by! Tim Ferriss includes this idea in his book “The 4 Hour Body” after extensive research and note-worthy results. The concept is based around the fact that while you sleep your body undergoes a lot of maintenance, to fuel this it dips into your fat stores. If you give your body carbs (sugar) as soon as you wake it will burn this, but if you give it protein it will continue to burn fat. Along with this, eating protein decreases your cravings for white carbs which most people tend to crave and overdo upon waking.
Cortisol, often called “the stress hormone”, is produced by the adrenal glands. When the body perceives stress, it is released in high levels to increase blood pressure and heart rate as part of the “fight or flight” response.
Normal levels of cortisol are released upon waking, during exercise and steadily throughout the day to regulate your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and metabolism. The danger comes when our “fast paced” lifestyle, constant high pressure and busy way of living exposes our bodies’ to stress and therefore we pump out high levels of cortisol all day, every day. This can have an extremely negative affect on the body, including fatigue, a suppressed immune system, digestive problems such as IBS and heart disease.
It is important to understand how high cortisol levels can impact fat loss to use it to our advantage. When production is high the cells of the body call out for more energy as they think they may need to engage in fighting or flighting at any moment, these false hunger signals can make people over eat and therefore put on fat.
Another reason high cortisol levels can increase fat percentage is that it encourages the liver to release glucose stores into the blood, this has a knock on effect that causes insulin resistance in the cells and particularly encourages the fat cells to store fat rather than release it.
Ways to control your cortisol levels include:
• Getting enough sleep – Sleep deprivation causes high level cortisol production. Make sleep a priority, 7 - 8 hours a night is the goal.
• Avoid too much high intensity training - HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), CrossFit classes or other high impact training will increase cortisol production. LISS (low Intensity Steady State) training such as walking uphill will not. Try to keep high intensity training to a maximum of 2 sessions per week and do LISS the rest of the time.
• Supplement - Ashwagandha is an Asian herbal supplement that has done very well in several studies looking at cortisol levels. 125 – 250mg before bed will optimise cortisol dips overnight and help you sleep too.
• Reduce Caffeine intake – this is proven to increase cortisol production even at rest.
• Eat Cortisol reducing foods – studies have showed dark chocolate, bananas, tea, probiotics, and prebiotics all reduce cortisol levels.
Following professionally researched and proven science is one of the most important factors to achieving your target. Feeling educated and confident in the choices you make today will give you that extra edge when it comes to making your goals a reality tomorrow.
For further information on any of the points in this article, or if you have a question about your own personal situation, drop us a DM on Instagram or contact us wilderfitness@gmail.com. We will always get back to you!
