Most of us look forward to the holidays and we certainly don't wish to deprive ourselves of the culinary treats. Wouldn't it be great if we could indulge ourselves from Halloween through to New Year and not gain weight. It seems like wishful thinking, but there are ways that we can celebrate in style and not pile on the pounds.

Each individual is different, and foods that cause weight gain in one person will not necessarily have the same effect in another. Let's assume we have a passion for chocolate, one person doesn't gain weight but the other does. This is due to metabolism, and the metabolic rate plays a significant role in determining body fat. In essence, the faster the metabolic rate, the less weight we gain.

So what is the metabolism and how can we speed it up? An easy way to think of it is by visualising a coal fire. The coal being the fuel, as in the food we eat and the flame being the energy we use to burn the fuel. Obviously the flame needs to be fed to keep it alive, if we don't put coal on the fire it will die out and this is the same for the human body. If we don't eat enough we have less energy, therefore the metabolism slows down.

The more muscle we have the more fat we burn. Muscle mass decreases as we age and this is why we tend to put on weight as we get older. Gym based activity is excellent for building muscle and therefore increasing the metabolism. If this doesn't appeal, then cycling, jogging and swimming are also great for muscle building. Still too energetic? Then perhaps consider a yoga class; yoga is great for toning muscle and is also good for balancing the emotions. If we regularly partake in yoga we may not even want to eat excessively during the holidays.

Extremes of temperature speed up the metabolic rate. Going from a Sauna to the Cold Tub or an icy shower, then back in the Sauna and so forth speeds up the metabolism. Do this a couple of times each week to maintain a high metabolic rate.

Eat plenty of spices; such as Chillies, Jalapeno and Cayenne peppers. The heart rate increases when we eat spices and this can speed up the metabolic rate for up to three hours following the meal.

Drink green tea as this is high in the antioxidants necessary for increasing the metabolism.

Along with all the holiday treats, try to eat a high fibre diet. Fibre not only reduces hunger, but it takes fat away from the body before it is absorbed.

Foods high in fibre include:

Wholemeal cereals, bread, rice and pasta.

Baked potato skins.

Lentils, peas and beans.

Nuts and seeds.

Dark green leafy vegetables

Drink plenty of water. Water assists fibre in removing fat and various toxins from the body. Water also reduces hunger, the brain has a way of tricking us into believing we are hungry when we are slightly dehydrated and this can lead to over eating. Often we find that if we drink water when hunger occurs, then the sensation of wanting to eat disappears.

If we begin now in taking action to speed up the metabolism and incorporating this into our lifestyles, we can indulge ourselves at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New year and be successful in maintaining our body weight.

Sources:

Women's Health and Wellness - Oxmoor House

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2310175/how_to_prevent_holiday_...