Most of us make resolutions at the beginning of the year to improve our health, whether that be through diet and exercise, quitting smoking, cutting back on alcohol intake or other such determined plans. Unfortunately, more often than not, when the holiday season is a mere memory, these resolutions are not quite so easy to keep. Temptation edges its way back into our lives and our efforts become decidedly half-hearted! Don’t shrug it off and put it down to age. Although metabolisms do slow down with age, there are ways to speed them up again!

A good way to begin your healthy regime is to understand your metabolism. Metabolism is essential to your ability to use calories. It is the set of chemical reactions which occur in living organisms in order to maintain life. These chemical reactions are divided into two categories: Firstly catabolism which breaks down large molecules into smaller units and releases energy for the body to use. Then there is anabolism which uses the energy produced in catabolism to construct components of cells such as nucleic acids and proteins.

Basically, the faster your metabolism, the faster your body is able to ‘burn’ calories. The more calories you burn the less weight you gain, or even retain. It is therefore in everyone’s best interests to train your metabolism to be faster! How do we give it a jump start? We can all do this by sticking to a few simple dos and don’ts, as listed below.

Here are your “Don'ts”:
- eat fat (no oils except a small amount of olive oil for cooking)
- skip meals (when you do, your metabolism will actually slow down not speed up!!)
- drink more than one cup of coffee per day
- eat sugar of any kind! None!
- drink whole milk, (only drink skimmed)
- consume alcohol
- eat any creamy sauces
- eat any fried foods at all
- drink sodas (not even diet)
- use salt
- peel fresh fruit before you eat it (you’ll loose all the fiber if you do)

And here are you “Do’s”:
- eat 3 to 5 times a day, but …
- stop eating when you are comfortably full and not overly so
- get a good night’s sleep
- eat breakfast (along the lines of don’t skip a meal)
- drink lots of water (water helps the body metabolize stored fat) – the average person should consume half their body weight in ounces of water every day. Example: If you way 200 pounds, you should be drinking 100 ounces of water per day.
- choose high fiber snacks
- eat dinner early in the evening (more than 3 hours before bed)
- eat spicy foods – the boost to your metabolism is only very slight; however, the use of spice will make healthy foods taste better, so you’ll be more likely to stick to your regime of eating healthier, so go ahead and spice up your life!

Following these simple steps will assist you with your resolutions to either loose weight, or maintain a healthy weight. There are several ways in which you can get on the right track with your health without much effort. Increasing your metabolism alone won't make you thin fast. Like every healthy change to your body, it takes time. Stick to it and don’t be discouraged!

For more ideas on how to stay healthier in 2008, click on the links below to read about heart health and well being.

American Heart Association:
www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4441

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/DHDSP/announcements/american_heart_month.htm