Over the course of the pandemic, people’s workout and eating habits have drastically changed. According to a new JAMA study, it suggests the average person gained more than half a pound every day during the shelter-in-place orders.
As we are preparing to bring life back to normal it’s important to shed off these unwanted pounds.
Paul Jenkins, Nutrition Expert and Founder of DNA Lean, has put together his Top 5 Tips to Burning Off the Pandemic 15 :
- Lockdown has proven to be stressful for many of us, unfortunately, stress hormones can result in an increase in fat storage. This is because hormones such as cortisol increase blood glucose, consequently stimulating insulin release. Insulin is linked to fat accumulation. Performing a 15–20-minute meditation first thing in the morning is proven to reduce stress and stress-related hormones.
- Burning fat requires a substantial amount of oxygen; in fact, if you exercise to the point where you are panting, fat oxidation cannot occur because the body lacks the necessary oxygen to oxidize the fat. Performing 3 sessions per week of deep yoga breathing can increase your habitual breathing volume, subsequently oxygenating the body and providing the necessary oxygen to help burn fat.
- Set a proper sleep schedule. A full 8 hours of sleep can burn between 400-700 calories. Unlike intense exercise that burns glucose and requires a ton of oxygen, sleeping is ideal for the body to burn excess body fat.
- Eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates. Various strong lines of evidence demonstrate that protein is linked to satiety, helping prevent over-eating. Replacing some of your carbohydrate intake with protein can also help reduce insulin – a fat-storage hormone.
- Lift weights three times per week. Resistance training increases oxidative capacity, that is, the body’s ability to burn fat. Furthermore, skeletal muscles are the furnace that burns fat off, therefore adding a few extra pounds of muscle increase your fat burning capacity.
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