Speed Up Your Metabolism - Part 2

FM Serenity Prayer

Author Unknown

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept
The things I cannot change,
The courage to change
The things I can,
And the wisdom to hide
The bodies of Doctors I shot
When they said,
"You're perfectly healthy,
It's All In Your Head."

I thought I'd start today's blog with a little FM humor - thank you, readers, for "humoring" me.  

As promised, this is part two of tips to keep your metabolism moving simply by incorporating certain foods into your "diet".

Ya know, I really hate the word diet.  "Don't eat that!  It's for Mom's diet!"  the kids will lecture to each other when ogling the last "clean muffin".  Then I watch them roll their eyes when I say (in a not-so-great-New-Joisy accent), "It's notta diet, it's a lifestyle change."  

Not to preach, but it really is.  With a diet, I feel the mentality of some people (including my old self) is that it's a temporary change in eating habits that will some day be abandoned in the future. That can't be the case if you want to stay healthy the rest of your life.  I CAN NOT EAT DAIRY.  I CAN NOT EAT GLUTEN.  I CAN NOT EAT CORN.  I CAN NOT EAT SOY.  Before I really got serious about my health, it took me a long time to be settled with this "mantra" because I felt so deprived.  I HAD to make a lifestyle change - and it didn't have to be boring!  There was a whole world of food out there that I COULD eat that had flavor, and personality (yes, food can have personality), and that was healthy for me.

So, before I list the next five metabolism assisting foods, I want to do a quick shout-out to two ladies who inspired me and encouraged me from THE DAY of my diagnosis to today.  Monica Zoener Dominic and Kristin Rensch.

There was a day a stupid foot specialist (after removing the second attempt at foot casts to try to help resolve my plantar fasciitis (a condition of swelling or tearing of tissues in your foot and/or heel which is common in FM sufferers) told me that it was unlikely that I would get full use of my feet again.  Woah!  WHAT?!  Ex-squeeze me?  To make matters worse, that same week I received the results from my visit with the immunologist (allergy specialist) which stated along with soy, I was allergic to all grains except quinoa, brown rice and millet.  I knew I was lactose intolerant due to the casein protein found in dairy (cow's milk - thank you Dr. Tre) and of course preservatives, white flour and sugar flared me up.  What was I sentenced to?  A life full of boring chicken and brown rice or a life full of flare-ups that landed me in bed and in pain because I cheated on my "diet"?  

It was too much for my brain to process.  My husband drove home while I sobbed.  Coincidentally, my wonderful friend Monica had called to check on me and I explained to her what happened. She was at my door in 20 minutes and basically said, "Get your shoes on - we're going to the store.  I'm gonna show you how you can eat and still be satisfied!  You'll feel like you're cheating!"  If you know Monica, you know "the voice" she used, too!  <wink>

By the end of her visit, she had made a meal I have now lovingly dubbed "ABC Chicken".  It's a tasty Almond Butter Chicken recipe with fresh ginger (never even knew it existed) and coconut milk.  A delicious recipe I still make to this day - 5 years later!  I also had a ginormous bowl of "homemade-by-Monica" salsa to put over some chicken or a baked potato!  It was good enough to eat by the spoonful.

Thankfully, that same week, a good friend of mine Kristin, who is a fellow "police wife", had called me and I shared my struggles with her.  She came over and lent me my first Clean Eating book.  I had no clue what clean eating was, what it meant, or who Tosca Reno was!  But, after a couple of hours of reading her book - I knew I was on to something.  Or, that Kristin had found something that I desperately needed in my life and lovingly shared it with me.

Readers, that is what it feels like to be loved.  My heart gets warm thinking about how God placed these two ladies in my life.  Thank you Monica and Kristin for opening the door to a lifestyle change that has allowed me to be free!  I can never repay these two ladies for guiding me onto a path that has helped literally save my life, but I can certainly acknowledge their generous spirits.  I love you both!

Thank you readers for permitting my tangent ;)  It was on my heart and now it's out for the world to read!

And, now <drum roll please> the other five foods to help your body burn some major calories:

6. Garlic and Onions - Garlic actually acts as a diuretic encouraging muscle contractions that loosen fat and help wash it out of your body.  No kidding.  Onions also contain oils that help break down fatty deposits and speed up your metabolism.

7.  Tomatoes - They contain certain acids that help flush more water through your kidneys and prompt them to filter out fatty deposits.  It has Vitamin C and a cancer-fighting antioxidant that stimulates your body's metabolic rate by up to 1/3.  Go Salsa!!

8.  Healthy Fats - Olive oil, canola oil, cashews, peanuts all contain MONOsaturated fats which help blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and work to control diabetes!  Omega-3 fats (flaxseeds, salmon, mackerel, tuna - to name a few) reduce inflammations and tumor growth.  They all also improve immune function and protect against sudden death from heart disease - the number one killer of women!  Listen up, ladies, not all fats are a four-letter-word ;)

9.  Low-Fat Plain Yogurt - Okay, I can't have dairy, but if you can, there are yogurts (Greek) that contain probiotic cultures that are vital to a healthy digestive track and they have a significant effect on metabolism.

10.  Greens - Asparagus contains a chemical that breaks up oxalic acid that glues itself to fat cells so the body can remove that waste.  Cabbage contains sulfur and iodine which breaks up fat in your stomach and intestines.  So, if you have a pot belly or spare tire - eat more cabbage!

So, to sum it all up, diets are not conducive to long-term health - only life style changes AND amazing friends are!  Happy "Clean Eating" Everyone!