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| These pancakes, served on Livliga, are specifically designed to help reignite your metabolism (photo by LivligaHome) |
I have a confession to make. I have an inflexible metabolism. In fact, as it turns out at least 73% of us in the United States and 35% globally have the same problem. If you are overweight your body is sending more food you eat to be stored as fat than you burn. The more we overeat and the less we move the more inflexible our metabolism becomes and the fatter we get. Ugh. The good news is there is a way to reignite your metabolism and start burning fat, as your body is designed to do, and do it for the long term.
Most of what I have read has made me think losing and maintaining a healthy weight was merely a matter of consuming a certain amount of calories. To lose weight you just need to consume less calories than you burn in a day. If you want to maintain your weight you just eat what you burn each day. Turns out it is not that simple. What we eat and when we eat during the day is equally, if not more, important.
According to Drs. Holly Wyatt and James O. Hill of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center in Colorado and the authors of the State of Slim, the fat burning “drain” in our body is clogged. The solution they have found through research is to eat foods that do not automatically go to fat storage, eat them in modest amounts every 2-4 hours, 6 times a day, and get moving. This combination acts as “Drano” for our clogged metabolism.
Does their plan work? Is it doable? The answer is “yes” to both questions. I thought it was time to test it out for myself. In the three weeks I have been following the plan I have lost 15.9 pounds and have not once found the need to cheat. I do get hungry but I never feel starved. Willpower is not an issue. The menus are full of flavors, colors and textures, which is really important to achieve satisfaction at the end of a meal. Serving it on a right-sized, beautifully designed plate, like Livliga, makes the food look plentiful so you feel like you are eating enough. And as we all know, feeling full and satisfied is key to a healthier lifestyle.
To reignite your metabolism all carbs, except those found in non-starchy vegetables, are eliminated from your diet. Instead, you eat a lot of protein with the non-starchy vegetables because your body can only store a small amount of these foods. Oatmeal is the one grain included. By eating these foods it forces your body to go into fat burning mode. This does not mean you are without your treats. Consider, for example, pancakes that are specifically designed to help reignite your metabolism. This is a great way to enjoy a weekend meal. Here is the gluten-free recipe:
State of Slim Cinnamon-Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Ingredients-
1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not-quick cooking)
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon stevia (baking formulation)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups liquid egg whites
¼ cup canned unsweetened 100% pumpkin puree
Cooking Spray
Directions-
1. In a blender grind the oats to a flour-like consistency.
2. Place the ground oats in a bowl with the protein powder, stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon. Whisk them together until well blended.
3. Whisk in the egg whites and pumpkin puree into the oat mixture until smooth.
4. Coat a preheated skillet or griddle with cooking spray.
5. Pour the batter onto the skillet/griddle in 3-inch diameter rounds (use a ⅛ cup per pancake for easy pouring).
6. Cook about 3 minutes on each side or until the pancakes are golden in color and spring back when touched. Serve hot from the pan. Add a serving of sugar free syrup or jam on top of the pancakes to complete the meal.
Nutritional Information-
Yield: 20 pancakes. Serving size: 4 pancakes. Calories: 190. Fat 2.5g; Saturated fat .5g; Protein 14.3g; Carbohydrate 28g; Fiber 7.2g; Total Sugars 3.7g; Cholesterol 8mg.
Enjoy! And Live Vibrant
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