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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
UltraMetabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman
The odds are that even if you haven’t bought a weight-loss book, you’ve probably thumbed through one in a store. Or you might have thought about joining Weight Watchers, NutriSystem, or Jenny Craig. We are not born with a user’s manual, and that is why Dr. Hyman wrote his book UltraMetabolism – to teach people how to take care of their bodies.
In the book he discusses the “myths” of weight loss. For those who think not eating is the way to lose fat, think again. Starving yourself will ultimately make your body use up your muscle mass, thereby slowing down your metabolism. The more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate will be, and the higher our metabolic rate, the more fat is burned. This makes sense. The “Starvation” myth is only one of the weight loss myths taken apart by Dr. Hyman. Another myth is that carbs are bad. On the contrary, Dr. Hyman says that some carbs are good and necessary. So, those diets that cut out all carbohydrates are only hurting your overall metabolism.
But not only does he show you what won’t work to reduce your fat while maintaining muscle, he gives you the framework to restart your metabolism and put your body in a healthy state. He stresses that psychological health goes hand in hand with physical health. The happier you are, the better you feel. The calmer you are, the better you are. We’re all under a lot of stress. It comes with living in this world. But that stress might be what is keeping you from losing the weight you want to lose. Also, sleeping is important, and if you’re not sleeping then your body won’t work correctly. All these combine to make a healthy body.
Dr. Hyman’s book includes some interesting surveys. When you answer the questions, he lets you know what changes you need to make to help rev up your metabolism. Dr. Hyman stresses fiber, fresh vegetables and fruits, low sugar, and organic ingredients in your diet. Along with these, he lists supplements that will help put your system in balance and create a healthy metabolism.
Another aspect he emphasizes is the glycemic load and the size of your meals. Another important ingredient is the timing of your meals. Not only does he lay out all these guidelines and lists the good foods and supplements, but he also tells you why they are important. By showing you why something will or won’t work to get your metabolism working at its peak, you’ll begin to understand how your body works. Did you know that it takes longer to digest fiber than other foods, and that while your body is digesting it is burning calories and fat?
Whether you end up following Dr. Hyman’s suggestions or not, you will definitely learn more about how your body functions and what you can do to help it function at its best.
In this weight-conscious world, we’re all thinking about our weight, but how many of us are really doing something about it? Your weight problem might be physical and Dr. Hyman suggests several tests you can discuss with your physician to help rule out some issues.
Dr. Hyman would like you to think of UltraMetabolism as a manual for your body. His goal in writing the book was to give readers an insight into how their bodies function and then give them the tools to get them to function at their peak.
© 2006 Francine Brokaw
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