It's that time of year again…

and many of us want to shed excess weight.

At any one moment in the United States 50-60% of population is actively dieting. We all know the first law about losing weight: Burn more calories than you take in! True, however not the whole truth. Most of us will swear that the small amount of food we are eating should be causing some weight loss. And if that’s not the case, there are many possibilities to consider, some that may go unnoticed until we really pay attention. A slow metabolic rate and poor adrenal function are often overlooked.

The other law we all have to face and deal with is exercise. Unless we take steps to exercise on a regular basis we will lose lean muscle mass, which is the furnace where calories burn, causing our resting metabolic rate to gradually decline.

Another common sense point is eating too quickly. Inhaling our food doesn’t give our brain the time needed to produce the hormones that tell you when you're full, and that can lead to overeating. So, Mom was right - slow down and chew your food!

It’s a tough battle! After age 20, our metabolism decreases at a rate 0.5% per year, mostly due to the loss of 5-10 pounds of muscle tissue every decade. This means at age 30, we’re burning 5% fewer calories, 10% fewer by age 40. In other words, we burn 5% fewer calories per decade.

As a result of age, we have to cut calories, pick up the exercise or BOTH.

COMMON-SENSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERYONE:
 Burn more calories than you consume
 Balance your endocrine system: Take the load off the pancreas/adrenal.
 Eat plenty of low glycemic foods and if needed, protein type snacks to protect your blood sugar levels and cortisol throughout the day and night.
 Regular cardiovascular and resistance training.

Words and suggestions taken from:
Ben C. Markham, DC, DIBAK, DACBN, CCN