Want a faster metabolism?  The answer could be in your glass.  It may not be what you are eating that is your problem, but what you are drinking.

Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories and will drag down your metabolism.  Don’t drink and you may find your weight loss taking off.  Can’t do it, even temporarily?  That’s a symptom of a deeper problem than extra weight!

Ditch the diet sodas.  They may have zero calories, but they are particularly bad about messing up your hormonal signals and triggering weight gain.

Don’t sip on sweet drinks all day.  Even drinks sweetened with good alternative sweeteners (see past posts) have a negative effect on the rate your body uses calories.  The theory is that your autopilot thinks the sweet taste means sugar is on the way and sends out the message to the pancreas to dump insulin into the bloodstream to handle it.  Insulin instructs your body to slow down and store fat — not the message we want to give it!

Lay off the fruit juice, especially the processed stuff you buy at the grocery store.  They have calories and LOTS of sugar.  You are better off eating the fruit so that you get the benefit of the fiber and the vitamins.

What can you drink?  How about water?  It is guaranteed to speed up metabolism, help control your appetite, and keep your organs functioning at a higher level.  Add some ice cubes for an even more effective calorie-burning boost.

If your weight loss has been stuck on a plateau, this simple change may make the difference you have been yearning for.

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown