Ahhh! What Happened To My Metabolism? Help Dr. Oz!

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If you are in your 40's (like this reporter), you no doubt relate to this statement -- my body just isn't the same as it was in my 20's. Same story, I would guess, if you are in your 30's. I remember after turning 30, I just couldn't eat the same way anymore. And then, after turning 40, it was truly a rude awakening. No longer could I watch what I ate for a few days and see the pounds and inches go away.

Why, oh why, is this happening? I asked that exact question of Dr. Mehmet Oz, iVillage's Guest Editor and host of the Emmy-award winning The Dr. Oz Show, when we had the pleasure of interviewing him. "Our metabolism slows down for a couple of reasons," he said. "The metabolism slows down primarily because the hormones that we need to live a young life are no longer necessary. So the body appropriately downshifts. So we don't waste a lot of energy for metabolism we don't need."

Combine that with our modern lifestyles, which don't require much hunting and gathering, and we've got a problem. "We need a little bit more metabolism than we would normally have."

How To Rev Up Your Metabolism

So what's a gal to do? Dr. Oz recommends building muscle mass through exercise -- think of core exercises such as squats and planks. He also says we can speed things up a bit by eating certain foods. He's a huge fan of coconut oil, as an alternative to butter, and recommends a tablespoon full a day. "In the Oz household, we put the coconut oil in the food. So when my wife -- Lisa's a much better chef than I would ever be -- makes me eggs in the morning, she'll actually use the coconut oil instead of butter at the bottom of the pan... It's those kinds of little nudges to what we do that are easy for everyone to adopt."

Another one of those little nudges, according to Oz, is capsaicin, which is the active compound in chili peppers that makes them hot. It also stimulates metabolism and increases satiety, according to Dr. Oz. "So being able to increase your metabolism by having a bit more spice at our meals is a change from the routine, but it's a fun change."

Hot sauce here I come!

Want the body you had in your 20's? Listen to how Dr. Oz thinks you can be on your way to getting it.

 

When we chatted about metabolism, Dr. Oz mentioned his wife of 28 years, Lisa, who's a best-selling author in her own right. So we wanted to know how he keeps his relationship with his wife as fresh as ever especially when he is so busy with his daytime television show, medical work (he still performs surgeries once a week), his radio show, interviews, best-selling books, etc. What he said really stayed with me, and is something I hope to do in my marriage, now nine years old.

Oz says we need to reinvent the relationship every seven years. "We're not born to be together the way we are the whole time," Dr. Oz told me. "So although I've been married for 28 years, this is my fourth wife. They all have the same social security number. They have the same name. They share the similar genome. But they are very different people. And I think she expects me to change accordingly."

Hear more about what Dr. Oz says makes his marriage work and what could help yours too. Watch now!

 

Finally, check out this sneak peek of Dr. Oz's Thursday, February 7th show with yet another great prop -- this one to illustrate the rage in our bodies when we don't eat!

 

Be sure to come back for more from Dr. Oz this week on iVillage as he gives us his tips and tricks for revving up our weight loss, including the top three things he says you should do to shed those unwanted pounds.

Via: Ahhh! What Happened To My Metabolism? Help Dr. Oz!