10/16/09
Feel Good Friday
Good morning! On Wednesday afternoon, I had the chance to attend a conference with Dr. Robert Cooper, a renowned neuroscientist turned Fortune-100 business coach. He is actually my boss’s mentor. It was neat to hear all of his insights about how the brain works, how each of us is hardwired for one thing but then defaults to other things, how the brain is a forgetting instrument but how we can make changes and differences in our thought processes in increase our innovation in half the time. He’s the author of a book called Get Out of Your Own Way, which is one I plan on reading sometime soon.
One section of his presentation was all about metabolism, which I think really applies to our blog! He has teams of researchers dedicated to various research fields and projects for him. One such team is dedicated to researching just metabolism, the MetRev© team. They have discovered through their research a list of the following MetRev© Metabolic Prompts, or in other words, things that increase your metabolism, burning more calories resting:
• Breathing/Posture (Take deep breathes more often, increase the flow of oxygen, don’t cock your head to the side or forward when sitting or reading b/c 30% of your collective intelligence is determined by your shoulder to head position, decreasing the flow of oxygen and blood)
• Bright Light (Looking 5 seconds at a light will raise your metabolism 30% for the following hour, change your light often)
• Smart Snacks (smart snacks and light meals aren’t universal and what works for one doesn’t work for another, if you LOVE a snack then it doubles your metabolic rate, so if you hate rice cakes, don’t force yourself to eat them! Find a healthy snack you love to eat)
• Light Meals (higher protein adds mental alertness, complex carbs add mental calmness, fruits and veggies are mentally neutral, high fat foods are mentally fatiguing)
• Muscle Toning (our muscle fibers are metabolic furnaces)
• Physical Activity (exercise makes you sleep deeper)
• Hot Spices (I was thinking about this last night when Abrey was describing her way too firey dinner she made- hehehe)
• Ice-cold Water (the key here is SIPPING, if you sip 6 glasses of ice-cold water a day, you’ll burn 226.7 extra calories per day average, and the preferred place your body pulls calories from to heat the water within your stomach before it can be absorbed/digested is the belly fat)
• Non-Hurtful Humor
• Work-to-Home Transition
• Cool Temperature for Sleeping (1-5 am is the critical time for deep sleep, you’ll sleep deeper if it’s cooler in your bedroom, healing process of your muscles speeds up, metabolism roars, better recovery)
All of these things dial in your senses more and increase your metabolism. Another interesting tid bit was that half of all arguments are hunger related. Keep that at bay w/ the almost constant light snacking, or at least feed the one you’re about to fight with. Jk
What do you guys thing of that? I for one am really going to implement the cooler sleeping temperature, the ice cold water sipping, and looking at lights once in a while!!!!!! Though maybe I won't go to the extreme of making an ice bed... :)
One section of his presentation was all about metabolism, which I think really applies to our blog! He has teams of researchers dedicated to various research fields and projects for him. One such team is dedicated to researching just metabolism, the MetRev© team. They have discovered through their research a list of the following MetRev© Metabolic Prompts, or in other words, things that increase your metabolism, burning more calories resting:
• Breathing/Posture (Take deep breathes more often, increase the flow of oxygen, don’t cock your head to the side or forward when sitting or reading b/c 30% of your collective intelligence is determined by your shoulder to head position, decreasing the flow of oxygen and blood)
• Bright Light (Looking 5 seconds at a light will raise your metabolism 30% for the following hour, change your light often)
• Smart Snacks (smart snacks and light meals aren’t universal and what works for one doesn’t work for another, if you LOVE a snack then it doubles your metabolic rate, so if you hate rice cakes, don’t force yourself to eat them! Find a healthy snack you love to eat)
• Light Meals (higher protein adds mental alertness, complex carbs add mental calmness, fruits and veggies are mentally neutral, high fat foods are mentally fatiguing)
• Muscle Toning (our muscle fibers are metabolic furnaces)
• Physical Activity (exercise makes you sleep deeper)
• Hot Spices (I was thinking about this last night when Abrey was describing her way too firey dinner she made- hehehe)
• Ice-cold Water (the key here is SIPPING, if you sip 6 glasses of ice-cold water a day, you’ll burn 226.7 extra calories per day average, and the preferred place your body pulls calories from to heat the water within your stomach before it can be absorbed/digested is the belly fat)
• Non-Hurtful Humor
• Work-to-Home Transition
• Cool Temperature for Sleeping (1-5 am is the critical time for deep sleep, you’ll sleep deeper if it’s cooler in your bedroom, healing process of your muscles speeds up, metabolism roars, better recovery)
All of these things dial in your senses more and increase your metabolism. Another interesting tid bit was that half of all arguments are hunger related. Keep that at bay w/ the almost constant light snacking, or at least feed the one you’re about to fight with. Jk
What do you guys thing of that? I for one am really going to implement the cooler sleeping temperature, the ice cold water sipping, and looking at lights once in a while!!!!!! Though maybe I won't go to the extreme of making an ice bed... :)
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And don't forget about our challenge to collectively lose an average of 2lbs per person this week! Push it hard and if we hit the goal (some will lose more, some will lose less) then I'll send everyone a surprise :) See if you can fit in some extra activity this weekend :)
ReplyDeleteI am tempted to use today's weight for my weekly checkin. I go back to work tonight and the strange sleep schedule doesn't seem to allow for that morning/wake up time low.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like that conference was really interesting Sarah. I think I've heard of his book. It sounds like something I would like to read as well.
I like a cool room when I sleep. I tend to drink room temp water and drink it fast. I'll try the sipping on ice cold water this weekend at work. Who knows, it my help me stay awake!
I ran this morning, and hope to get another little run in this weekend. I used map my run and realized how short my route is. I have two goal routes planned. One for a week from monday (about 2.5 miles) and one for the week before Thanksgiving (about 3.5 miles)I figure if I'm going to do the Berbee Derby on Thanksgiving I better be able to make the distance. I'll work on pace and consistent running for the Jingle Bell run December 12!
Have a great weekend everyone. If you happen to be awake in the middle of the night, think of me drinking my ice cold water;)
What fun ideas! I love learning some small tips that can help me reach my weight loss goals that are simple changes; like drinking extra cold water, bright light and sleeping in cooler temps! I always drink room temp water too Amy C. I like it kinda warm so I can chug it. You can't chug ice water, but that's the point huh? -sipping is the trick.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that I was able to take a walk on the bike trail near my house with the kids after school today and I didn't cough bad at all!
I'm going to try to get on the eliptical this weekend!
Love to hear from you all. Good luck with weekend workouts and stay strong! Even though I haven't been able to workout much this week, I've been great with my food and am planning on losing some weight on Monday morning!
I have really enjoyed all of the posts from this week. They have been very educational & motivational.I hope everyone is doing well with their endeavors of losing their 2 pounds this week! Keep it up ladies!!
ReplyDeleteThat was VERY great information! I love ice cold water, but I have trouble just sipping it... I can drink 8 oz just taking my vitamins! But I'll try to sip more...maybe put a straw in my water bottles in the fridge?
ReplyDeleteI totally sleep better in cooler temps... and since I've started exercising these past two weeks again, I notice I do sleep more sound... well, when the babies don't wake up with bad dreams! ha!
I totally agree with the light thing... I knew it helps with seasonal depression, but I didn't know it can help your metabolism too. The sun is scarce these days in Indiana!
I have to work on the posture and breathing. I slouch a TON, and I'll probably have a humpback when I'm 50, so I definatly can work on that.
Anyway, great stuff! I'm going to try and keep my portions down this weekend - weekends are the worst! But I think I'm doing pretty good this week, and Zumba totally kicked my booty!!!!! YEAH! It was so fun to DANCE again!
Wow, very interesting!!! I'm going to try a few of these as well! Sleep well everyone!
ReplyDeleteGood for you getting out to run, Amy C! Setting race day goals always helps me be dilligent in running consistently. Meghan, I'll bet the colors on the treesnin the bike path are gorgeous right now. I am impressed you've been so on the ball with food even while you've been sick! Amy F- I wish water drinking came as easy for me as it seems to be for you! And Zumba is so fun! I love doing all the fun and sassy hip circles and booty shaking :) I am hoping to get into a zumba class in January (I got wait listed for the one I tried to get into October through December through the local rec dept). Keep going strong, everyone!!! I am battling a once-every-4-months period so I don't think I'll be weighing in this Monday and will bow out if the challenge, but looking forward to a better mood and more energy next week!!!
ReplyDelete