Quick Bites Nutrition • Issue 6
Welcome to the 6th Issue of Quick Bites, my New Nutrition Newsletter! Today I will give you a couple tools to make healthier food choices. Let’s dig in! - Trilety
1. Science of Metabolism
2. History of Metabolism
3. Metabolism tips
4. Whatcha Eatin'? Breakfast & Healthy Granola recipe
1. Science of Metabolism!
The Metabolism section of the course I'm taking was apparently, per our professor, the most "gnarly."
Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions that go on in the living cells of your body. For a brief and easy to understand overview of metabolism, including such things as ATP and the Krebb's Cycle, check out this 11 minute video from the Khan Academy!
2. Strange History of Metabolism:
The concept of metabolism, changes occurring in the body, has been around since Aristotle, but it was Sanctorius Sanctorius, in the early 17th century who first attempted to quantitatively document the effects of metabolism on the body. He did this with the Weighing Chair, a contraption he built himself as a tool to perform his weighing experiments.
The weighing chair was suspended from a beam in the ceiling, and "Santorio spent much of his time in this static chair measuring his own weight before and after eating and drinking, while working and sleeping, after evacuating his bladder and bowels, and purportedly after sex, diligently measuring daily changes in body weight. He often deprived himself of food so he could measure the effect of the weighing chair. He recorded data over a period of more than thirty years, and consequently this has been described as the first documented research into human metabolism." *
Illustrations of Sanctorius' weighing chair are below:
In 2018, scientists reconstructed the Weighing Chair! If you want to delve into a long and scientific read about their experiments, check it out here!
3. Quick Metabolism Tips!
About 2/3 of the energy we expend in a day supports our body's basal metabolism, which is the energy needed to maintain life when a body is at complete digestive, physical, and emotional rest - the basic processes of life - this fact astounded me!
What affects your basal metabolic rate (BMR)?
1. (Gender) Women usually have a lower basal metabolic rate than men, because men generally have more lean tissue - this means when men are just lying around, they'll burn more calories than women who are just lying around!
2. (Age) Since BMR can decrease with decreased lean tissue, older folks generally have a lower BMR.
3. (Exercise & Strength Training) Physical activity affects your BMR - the more active you are, the higher your basal metabolic rate will be!
4. (Body composition & Size) The taller you are, the larger your surface area is, thus the higher your BMR is! As a 5 foot 2 inch tall woman, let's just say, that was deflating to learn haha!
OKAY! So out of the 4 items above (gender, age, physical activity, and body composition/size), which is the most variable. . . which one of those do you have the most control over?!
That's Right, it's PHYSICAL ACTIVITY! To increase your metabolism by gaining more muscle and lean tissue, make sure to be more active.
For the short, older ladies, this means. . . LIFT THOSE WEIGHTS!
4. Whatcha Eatin'?
There is a lot of academic debate on whether or not eating breakfast can increase your metabolism, but one thing scientists are starting to agree on is that it's more about WHAT you eat for breakfast, than IF you eat breakfast.
Breakfasts that are low sugar, and high in protein and fiber, have been shown to have correlations to lower body weight. So for our recipe this week, I'm focusing on two of my go-to breakfasts!
1. Good Ol' Oatmeal!
It takes very little time to mix 1/2 cup dry old fashioned oats with 1 cup of water and cook it on the stove. Add some fresh blueberries, 1 oz of walnuts (about 14 halves), salt, cinnamon, and soy milk, and you'll have a breakfast that boasts about 11 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber!
2. Yogurt and the BEST Granola!
Most mornings, I eat about 2/3 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt, fruit, and 2 to 4T of the most delicious homemade granola!!
Megan found this recipe, and I've been making and gifting it ever since. Here's the link to the original recipe and blog post, but see below for the version I make about once a month:
Ingredients:
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1-1/2 cups nuts or seeds (I usually use sliced almonds or pecans)
1 tsp fine grained sea salt (or 3/4 tsp regular table salt) DO NOT OMIT
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Very Dark maple syrup (NOT table syrup)
a drop or two of food grade essential orange oil (optional)
2/3 cup dried, chopped fruit - added at end - I usually use apricots
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the oil and syrup mixture, along with any orange oil, and stir for a few minutes to make sure the mixture is completely coated. Then spread on the parchment lined pan in an even layer.
Bake for about 11 minutes then remove from oven and stir around the granola. For good solid clumps, press the granola down firm into an even layer. Put back in oven and bake for another 11 to 13 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Let cool for at least 45 minutes, then mix in your dried fruit. I store mine in big Mason jars and sprinkle it on my yogurt every morning.
* https://hekint.org/2017/01/22/santorio-santorio-physician-physiologist-and-weight-watcher/
NEXT WEEK we'll be talking Milkshakes and Weight Management!
Thanks so much for reading, and send in your recipes!
~ Trilety, the Aspiring Nutritionist