How often have you heard someone say, after pushing back from the table following a hearty meal and ruefully patting his or her belly, 'It isn't me-it's my metabolism'? It's easier to blame our girth on the slow rate of the chemical reactions that convert the food we eat into the energy we need to live than it is to take responsibility for the amount and kind of food we put into our mouths, and although disorders like hyperthyroidism and diabetes do damage the good work of our metabolism, there's plenty we can do to assist those chemicals in doing their job. Eating right, exercising, and reducing stress all work together to boost the metabolism and control our weight.
In The Complete Idiot's Guide to Boosting Your Metabolism, Dr. Joseph Lee Klapper, a noted cardiologist and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol (9781592575527), takes readers from what the metabolism is and how it works through the many ways to raise it-from what we eat and drink, both independently and in combination; vitamins, minerals, supplements, and herbs that can be true body boosters; to other metabolic aids such as meditation and holistic healing; and medications and surgical procedures that can be considered as a last resort. Dr. Klapper's exercise plan-including aerobic and isotonic exercises and resistance training for the upper, middle, and lower body-helps readers reduce fat and increase muscle, and his recipes show readers how delicious it can be to be a booster!