Nutrition

What Are The Best Foods To Boost Your Metabolism?

What Are The Best Foods To Boost Your Metabolism?

Published by on May 25, 2023 | Leave a response

If you’ve been part of our community at Team Worx in Alexandria, VA, you know that exercise is just one of the many things that can boost your metabolism. Food can also put your calorie-burning fires in high gear, just as other lifestyle changes can help. Eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise should be at the top of your list for changes if you’re having problems losing weight or just want to make the process faster and keep the weight off permanently.

How does increasing your metabolism help with weight loss?

Your metabolism has to do with your body breaking down food for energy. If your metabolism is high, you’ll burn more calories than someone whose metabolism is functioning in low gear. If you have a slow metabolism, gaining weight is easy, but losing it seems almost impossible. An increased metabolism, based on resting metabolic rate, affects the calories burned 24/7. It’s a measure of the calories burned just to perform basic bodily functions, such as brain activity and pumping blood.

Aim for a high-protein meal with lots of fiber if you want to increase your metabolism.

Protein is necessary for tissue growth, tissue repair, and keeping your metabolism higher. Unlike sugary products and other simple carbs that digest quickly, protein takes far longer to digest, so means your body has to work harder. Consider both animal and plant proteins like lean meat or legumes. Don’t set aside all carbs. They can also boost your metabolism, especially those high in fiber. Fiber can help reduce inflammation, which slows metabolism. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are high in fiber content.

Don’t skip fat!

Some fat is unhealthy. Trans fats, for instance, can cause damage to your body. That shouldn’t stop you from eating fat. Your body needs fat, but it needs healthy fat, like that from avocados, fatty fish, and nuts. It not only uses fat to create many hormones, but healthy fat also helps burn fat, and increases the metabolic rate. Too often people fall for the low-fat, no-fat options in food, but those are often unhealthy. Since fat provides both taste and texture, removing it affects both. To combat the bad flavor, manufacturers often add sugar, which causes inflammation that slows metabolism.

  • Add some spice to your life and indulge your taste buds with cinnamon, ginger, or hot peppers. While other spices also raise body temperature and increase metabolism, these are leaders of the pack.
  • You don’t have to eat a special meal to increase your metabolism. Staying hydrated can keep you moving at peak performance, flush out toxins, and increase metabolism.
  • Exercising regularly can also boost your metabolism, especially HIIT workouts. It builds muscle tissue and muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the higher your metabolism.
  • Have a cup of green tea or coffee. Both contain caffeine and speed up your metabolic rate. Green tea contains catechin that helps break down fat while increasing metabolic rate.

For more information, contact us today at Team Worx Fitness

Posted in
How Do You Lose Weight During Menopause?

How Do You Lose Weight During Menopause?

Published by on January 25, 2023 | Leave a response

You might feel like it’s an impossible task to lose weight when you’re going through menopause, but it’s not. Even if you’re doing everything right, it’s still a bit harder than it was when you were in your twenties. During menopause, sex hormones are out of balance and HGH is lower. Muscle mass is also dwindling, making weight loss even more difficult. The hormonal changes can also affect how weight is distributed.

Start simple.

A few things can help that take very little effort. Eating more fiber is one of those. Fiber fills you up and helps you eliminate it easier. Drinking more water is another important part of weight loss, like fiber, it can fill you up so you eat less. Your body also dehydrates faster, so you’ll rehydrate, boosting your energy, while making your skin more youthful. Getting adequate sleep is important. When you don’t get enough sleep, it interferes with the balance of the hunger/satiety hormones, while reducing the potential for insulin resistance.

Choose a low carb or keto diet to help maintain blood glucose levels and reduce insulin resistance.

Choose foods higher in protein, which also helps keep you feeling full, while aiding in building muscle mass. If you’re still having problems with weight loss, give up all foods with added sugar or restrict consumption or try intermittent fasting, where you reduce the window where you consume food. You start by eating later, say starting at 11:00 a.m. and don’t eat after 7:00 p.m., narrowing your food intake to an eight hour window.

Exercise, exercise, exercise!

Your body needs all types of exercise. You need flexibility training, endurance, balance and strength training. Strength training is particularly important for preventing bone loss. The more muscles you have, the more they tug at the bone and the more calcium the bone uptakes to maintain strength. HIIT—high intensity interval training—is also exceptional for weight loss.

  • Try yoga and meditation. The simple stretching of yoga can also build strength. The breathing exercises and meditation can help reduce stress, which can cause weight gain by increasing insulin resistance.
  • Cut out the alcohol and switch to water. Alcohol is notorious for weight gain. It’s digested first and eliminated from the body, leaving the other calories to go to fat. Get rid of processed snack foods and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Switch out foods that are inflammatory, such as highly processed foods or foods with added sugar. Inflammation can lead to oxidative stress, insulin resistance and weight gain.
  • Find active pastimes you enjoy and do them. Getting exercise isn’t all done at the gym. Just walking more can be a big benefit to your body. Find ways to add steps to your days.

For more information, contact us today at Team Worx Fitness

Posted in , , ,
How To Meal Prep Healthy School Lunches

How To Meal Prep Healthy School Lunches

Published by on January 10, 2023 | Leave a response

Not all school lunches in Alexandria, VA, are healthy, which is why many people include them in their meal prep plans. By making the lunches at home, you can ensure that your child will at least be given a healthy option, even if he or she doesn’t eat everything. You can boost the potential by creating healthy options for kids that taste delicious and are fun. You also can make ones the whole family will love.

Planning the meals is a step toward success.

If you preplan all the meals, you’ll be using food more effectively with little or no waste. Leftover chicken can be a chicken salad or a salad in a jar. Did your child love the meal? You can use leftovers for school. Make roll-ups for a unique option. Use the protein source, such as chicken, turkey or beef roast and if dice it fine. Mix with some chives and cream cheese and spread on whole wheat bread that had the crusts removed. Put a midget or baby gherkin at one end and roll the bread around it, making a log. Put in toothpicks about an inch apart and slice the log for pinwheels. It’s a fun meal and you can vary the recipe to suit your child’s taste.

Always include a container of fresh fruit with nuts, cheese or peanut butter.

Keep it simple and let them assemble a healthy lunch. It makes it more fun. Include the utensils for spreading peanut butter or cream cheese on sliced fresh fruit or veggies. A plastic spoon works well. If you want to assemble something fun for a treat, make ants on a log. Fill the center of a piece of celery with peanut butter and top with a line of raisins, to look like ants crossing a log.

For older children, assembling tacos is a treat.

Include all the fixings and several soft taco shells. Include leftover taco seasoned meat in one container, chopped lettuce, tomatoes and onions or other taco fixings mixed in others. Include a spoon and it’s ready to assemble. You can make healthy muffins that contain all the nutrients of a meal, which include veggies. A hard-boiled egg, hummus dip, fresh fruit and veggies can all be the basis to build a meal. You can even include salsa and chips for scooping.

  • To keep fresh cut fruit like pears and apples fresh, toss in a 1:1 mixture of lemon juice and water. Then store them in an airtight container. Topping sliced avocados with lemon juice can also prevent it from browning.
  • You can make sandwiches ahead, but always seal in the freshness of the bread, so it doesn’t get soggy. Use a fatty spread like butter or mayonnaise. Toast the bread lightly before assembly, add the spread and assemble,
  • If your sandwich tends to be wetter, with ingredients like saucy condiments or tomatoes, store it in parchment paper wrapped deli-style to prevent it from getting soggy. If it’s a drier sandwich, make it ahead and store it in a plastic bag to prevent drying out.
  • Make lunches fun. Include pita pockets and containers of ingredients to stuff them. Flat bread roll up sandwiches are also more fun. You’ll be amazed at how your kids will eat a salad with chicken bits when it’s stuffed in a pita pocket.

For more information, contact us today at Team Worx Fitness

Posted in , ,

Alternative Breakfast Ideas To Mix Things Up

Published by on December 10, 2021 | Leave a response

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent est est, semper et mi aliquet, ullamcorper gravida mi. Nullam scelerisque aliquet ullamcorper. Curabitur tincidunt odio urna, a dapibus nunc ultrices eget. Mauris lobortis orci nisi, nec tristique nisi tempor at. Quisque dictum nec felis a tempor. Morbi ac velit a orci ultrices porttitor non vitae diam. Vestibulum a enim tincidunt diam vulputate posuere non non justo. Phasellus commodo sed tortor vitae venenatis. Vestibulum maximus dolor risus, et rutrum urna pellentesque eu. Fusce sed sem mi. Mauris suscipit lacus ut quam sodales, sit amet cursus augue fermentum.

Pellentesque varius velit nec orci condimentum molestie. Sed ornare sapien ac purus pharetra, sit amet vulputate justo dignissim. Donec consectetur nunc nec quam consequat, nec maximus nunc ornare. Aenean quis arcu fringilla, imperdiet sem quis, laoreet libero. Nunc iaculis sed sapien quis lobortis. Sed nec dapibus nunc. Cras eleifend maximus sem, vitae tincidunt purus malesuada quis. In in commodo sem. Integer ultrices vestibulum nulla, ut volutpat erat dignissim sit amet. Quisque aliquam massa non lobortis sagittis. Nunc bibendum turpis eget efficitur mattis. Vestibulum tristique massa lacus, eu molestie dolor congue quis.

Cras ornare ut diam non commodo. Nulla sit amet justo est. Donec rutrum odio nec dapibus placerat. Etiam efficitur mattis feugiat. Cras eget consectetur ante. Proin sit amet velit lectus. Etiam eu sem felis. Mauris diam arcu, luctus id vulputate ac, porttitor rutrum nisl. Ut vehicula est ut nulla luctus efficitur. Cras gravida tortor quis arcu semper hendrerit. Aenean vel mauris quis est ultrices congue eu eget tellus. Maecenas nec consectetur erat.

Integer dapibus ac mauris fringilla sollicitudin. Nullam neque metus, posuere cursus facilisis at, fringilla eu erat. Aliquam tristique, ligula id dapibus euismod, turpis purus tempor sapien, sit amet tempor orci urna ut ipsum. Quisque in turpis scelerisque, gravida nibh id, egestas lectus. In efficitur congue libero, in consequat ligula faucibus consequat. Nulla ac aliquet erat. Nullam pulvinar arcu non lectus accumsan molestie. Vivamus ullamcorper lorem id condimentum pellentesque.

Sed consectetur sed est id viverra. Cras sit amet augue aliquet, volutpat nibh et, volutpat enim. Donec nec urna nec metus tempor hendrerit consequat quis ante. Nullam scelerisque eu lorem id cursus. Etiam convallis quam eu dui porta, eu malesuada arcu mollis. Praesent ac odio eu augue bibendum iaculis. Phasellus in tellus eget sem egestas bibendum. Pellentesque tincidunt imperdiet enim vel euismod. Pellentesque in massa varius, mollis velit id, hendrerit justo. Duis mi lectus, condimentum molestie neque ac, congue varius quam. Nunc cursus sit amet nisi nec dignissim. Praesent nisl sem, lacinia eu auctor in, iaculis et ligula.

Posted in

Personal Development: The Moment You Get It

Published by on March 6, 2018 | Leave a response

Personal Development: The Moment You Get It

Hey, hey! Coach Maia here….

This morning I woke up alive. I have been to a lot of personal development all around the world. The difference in this one is that my forum leader started out saying this…

“You are perfect as you are.”

Can you imagine the skepticism I felt???! Even though this is my go-to motivation for you!! “You are strong. That strength is inside of you.” That’s what I say.
I also say, “DO YOU and that’s enough.” I have literally built the WorX on this statement.

Yes, I believe it when I say it to YOU. But now I REALLY BELIEVE it! You and me. WE have everything we need inside of us to achieve greatness.

Usually, I leave a event with a MILE to do list, pages and pages of notes, and I get to work the next few days…

only to lose the fire… and not accomplish what I was meant to do.

Because the BS in my life was still there.

But not today.

Here’s the difference and the answer I was searching for conference after conference to the questions…. HOW do I become a better mom, business owner, leader, and friend?

Drum roll please…. the simple answer. I don’t need to change. I just need to be more of ME!

WHAT!!!! Hold the phone. I spent 3 days away from my family (so worth it by the way) … only to learn to DO YOU! (ps. That’s the number one rule at the WorX!!) Tears are literally running down my face right now because this was the epiphany and the action I took to FREE myself to be me!

One, I needed to free myself of all the baggage that was dragging me down.

  • My father lived in the Philippines and TO ME he wasn’t available.
  • My parents sent me away to the Philippines for a year and TO ME I was alone.
  • My mom was a loyal wife and TO ME I felt disempowered.
  • I was mentally and physically abused growing up and TO ME that left me broken.
  • I had a stupid short boy hair cut in 5th grade and TO ME that was just wrong to do to young adult going to a new school and built up resentment, and more and more.

This was the noise I heard all the time. A broken record screeching in my head…. telling me I’m not good enough… I wasn’t meant to be loved… or a powerful leader! Hopefully, you can see the pattern where I went wrong.

ERRRRR…. (sound of brakes hitting the floor)!

Stuff happened. That’s it and TO ME… I let all that keep me from being who I am.

This is where you come in! The irony of all is I created the WorX to help reduce this noise for YOU! Sure…. we do fitness! Workout classes, right?!!!

At the end of the day…. I want YOU to know YOU matter and you the POWER to change your life is in you.

As your leader, I called my parents and owned up to my stuff and I let them know of a new possibility to create a real family NOW. I called my husband, my sister… I am WorXing on the rest of my family. I called my most of my staff so far and friends closest to me and got real with them!

I am still making phone calls. LOL!

and don’t think I’m not thinking of YOU! That’s why I wrote this. In the past, I always WANT to write you and share with you ME…

I hope you can understand why I struggled to do it. I am my word so you will hear from me again.

Take action in your life. Do you! And let’s get to WorX!

Hugs and high Fives,
“Coach Maia”

My personal development

Tips on personal development

Posted in , , , Tagged , , ,

Undo the Weekend (48 hour recovery)

Published by on July 18, 2017 | Leave a response

What a weekend that was! You went out, you ate and drank and had a blast! And now the fun is over and the consequences are setting in…you feel terrible. You woke up with a headache, an overall feeling of bloating and a sluggishness that you can’t shake.

It’s time to undo the damage brought on from that epic weekend. Here’s how…

  1. No More Junk! It may sound obvious, but the first step to recovering from all that fun you had is to stop the damage. No more naughty foods. No more alcohol.

When you are vacationing or partying it’s easy to remove your mindful eating and drinking mechanism, and to replace it with the anything-goes mindset. This makes sense for party-mode, but once you come back home and get back to real life it’s important to firmly put an end to the junk food and calorie-laden beverages. If you don’t then your weekend diet may continue into your week, resulting in tons of extra calories that quickly add up in unwanted pounds.

  1. Flush Your System. For the next 48 hours your main mission is to drink as much water as possible.

All of those poor food and drink choices result in dehydration, which manifests in a pounding headache and a feeling of sluggishness. Plan to sip on water throughout the next two days, adding in fresh sliced fruit, cucumbers, mint or basil to add a refreshing and rewarding flavor.

  1. Get Some Rest. End the party or vaycay Sunday afternoon so that you can get into bed early in preparation for the week ahead.

It may not sound super exciting to plan an early-to-bed night at the end of your weekend but, come Monday morning, you will be functioning much better with a little rest under your belt. Plan to get to bed early the next couple of days as well, and fit in a nap if possible.

  1. Eat Cleansing Foods. You’ve stopped eating junk, now fill your diet with small light meals consisting of fiber and a serving of protein. Stick with only whole foods for the next 48 hours.

Fruits and fresh veggies should make up the bulk of your calories as you recover. Asparagus, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and raw veggies are all wonderful items to enjoy in addition to high quality, low fat protein.

  1. Avoid Going Extreme. Yes, you ate and drank a LOT this weekend, but swinging the pendulum too far in the other direction isn’t actually going to help. Overcompensation is rarely a winning idea.

Fight the urge to skip meals or to over-exercise in response to your indulgences. Going from one extreme to the other creates a bad cycle that leaves you feeling even more tired. In addition, taking your body from feast to famine will actually make you more prone for fat storage.

Getting and staying in great shape will not only help you bounce back from the weekend faster, it will also help you achieve healthy habits that will stick with you even as you party and vacation.

My programs are designed with your overall lifestyle in mind and I’m here to get you (and keep you) in your best shape ever!

Call or email me now to get started on a fitness program that’s specially designed for you. Let’s do this!

www.theworxbymaia.com

Posted in ,