12 Ways to Jump-Start Your Metabolism

A healthy metabolism ensures the body convert or use energy to maintain all the working parts of the body. Kick-start your weight loss with these easy-to-follow tweaks to your daily life.

1. Use interval training to rev up your workout. Walk for the same amount of time at the same intensity day in and day out and your body will get as bored with your workout as you do. Throw in some variety with interval training, which involves changing the intensity of your workout throughout your exercise session. Every 5 minutes of your walk, jog for 1 minute. Every 5 minutes of your bike ride, shift into a higher gear and pedal hard for a minute. If you swim, speed up every other length. You'll burn more calories in the same amount of time.

2. Fidget. People who drum their fingers or bounce their knees burn at least 500 calories a day.That adds up to losing 1 lb a week.

3. Keep a small squeeze ball with you and grip and squeeze it frequently during the day. It's one of the few exercises you can do at any time. You'll build up the muscles in your hands – and muscle, wherever it is, burns a lot of calories.

4. Don't starve yourself. Cutting out too many calories can backfire in more ways than one. Try to subsist on morsels and your metabolism will slow down so much that you'll not only stop losing weight, but you'll be lucky if you can peel yourself off the couch.

5. Put five rubber bands around your wrist every morning. That's how many 16-ounce bottles of water you should drink during the day to rev up your metabolism, helping to burn more calories. At least, that's what German researchers found when they got 14 participants to drink about 500 ml of water. The volunteers' metabolic rate – or how quickly they burned calories – jumped a third within 10 minutes of drinking the water and remained high for another 30 or 40 minutes. The researchers estimated that, over a year, increasing your water consumption by 1.5 litres a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories, or about 2.25 kg (5 lb) worth. Since much of the increased metabolic rate is due to the body's efforts to heat the liquid, make sure the water you're drinking is icy cold.

6. Turn up the heat with hot peppers. Some studies show that very spicy foods can temporarily increase your metabolism. Specialist grocers often stock many different kinds of peppers. Buy one type a week and add some to various meals. Spice up your scrambled eggs with minced jalapeño, add a little fire to beef stew with half a Scotch bonnet pepper.

7. Exercise outside. Maybe it's the fresh air, maybe it's the sunshine, but something about exercising out in the open makes you walk or run faster than doing the same exercise in the gym.

8. Eat five small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals. You might think you should eat less often if you want to lose weight, but that's just not the case. By eating every few hours, you keep your metabolism fired up and ensure it doesn't slow down between meals in order to hang on to calories. A "meal" can be as small as a cup of soup.

9. Sip a couple of cups of coffee throughout the day. Studies find that the caffeine in coffee increases the rate at which your body burns calories. This does not mean, however, that you should order a fancy calorie-packed frappuccino. And skip the espresso if it makes you toss and turn at night.

10. Don't worry if you've been yo-yo dieting. There's a myth that if you've spent your life losing and gaining the same 10 to 20 lb, your metabolism gets out of kilter and ends up slowing right down. Don't believe it. When researchers reviewed 43 studies on the topic, they found no difference in the metabolic rates of yo-yo dieters compared to those of everyone else.

11. Walk with intent – and intensity. Burn more calories in the same amount of time with these strategies:

1. Swing your arms when you walk. You'll burn 5 to 10 per cent more calories.

2. Wear a weighted vest – another great way to burn calories. But leave the hand and ankle weights at home. They throw you off balance and could result in injury.

3. Walk on grass, sand or a gravel path instead of the road. It takes more muscle power to glide smoothly over these uneven surfaces (especially sand) than over asphalt.

4. Use walking poles. A U.S. study found that you get a much more intense workout than you would without the poles.

5. Walk along the shore of a river or lake with your ankles in the water. The resistance burns more calories and gives your muscles an added workout.

12. Increase the protein in your diet. There is some evidence that if you increase your protein intake to the upper end of the recommended range (roughly 20 per cent of overall calories), the amount of energy you expend at rest will remain the same even while you're losing weight. Normally, as you lose weight, your body adjusts and you burn fewer calories at rest.

10 Ways to Afford a Dream Vacation

Feel like you can't afford your dream vacation? With everyone’s busy lives and the uncertain economy, it’s understandable that planning a vacation may seem too daunting a task. Here are 10 ways to make your vacation planning easier and cheaper.

1. Let the deal be the inspiration.

This is the best tip we can provide. The trick is to be flexible with your travel plans to get the most mileage from your dollar. Many destinations are fighting over business right now, and you never know who’s going to come out with the next great deal. Plus, being spontaneous about your travel destination can be half the fun of the vacation.

2. Get a head start on your paperwork and be prepared.

First things first. Even if you don’t have a specific trip in mind, get your passport. Processing times (without extra rush fees) can take a month or more and a new travel deal can be here and gone in as quick as 24 hours. Some travel deals are too good to pass up and the key is to act fast.

3. Set a realistic monetary goal for your vacation.

You are more likely to take that dream vacation if you set aside your funds ahead of time. Alternatively, you could also set a clear target price range for your trip. Once that goal is set, you’ll feel more comfortable in locating and purchasing your vacation quickly.

4. Know your travel style, and stick to it.

Would you rather lie on the beach all day or see as many sights as you can? It's best to identify the type of vacation you and your travel companions want up front. Here are 3 types of vacations to consider.

- Beach destinations Resorts are bending over backwards to attract tourists to their beaches, so this year you can soak up the sun in any number of places.

- Big city vacations Take a bite out of the Big Apple with some amazing New York City sales, or let loose in Las Vegas. This is also true across the pond. Europe is a dream destination for many people, and with multiple four-season cities like Paris and Madrid, you can have a great trip any time of year.

- Outdoor Adventures Some people think this is for adrenaline junkies alone, but thrill seeking doesn't always require a big physical commitment or giving up luxury.

5. Look for all-inclusive packages.

Bundled pricing makes your vacation planning easy. All-inclusive resort vacations are being offered at some of the best prices in years and are perfect for a cross-generational family beach vacation. Everyone can eat, stay and play at an all-inclusive resort with one set price. Plus, most resorts offer a ’kids camp’ so that the parents can enjoy some downtime with a fruity drink and a book by the pool—a rarity on most family vacations.

6. Understand seasonal travel trends.

Masses of people attend Carnival in Brazil in February. Travelers flock to Pamplona, Spain, for the Running of the Bulls in July. College kids flood Cancun for Spring Break. These events drive prices up. On the flip side, Paris and other European cities are quiet during August because locals are on summer holiday, so it’s cheap and you’ll have easier access to activities than at busier times of the year.

7. Leaving on a jet plane – midweek.

You can save hundreds of dollars just by shifting your flights by one day. You’ll find the best fares generally are reserved for midweek travel. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are particularly good, especially for international flights.

8. Extras.

Be sure to look for and compare extras when making your booking decision. You should ask when you check-in at the front desk about any available upgrades or freebies as they don’t cost hoteliers too much and increase the value of your stay and experience.

9. Exchange rates make a bigger difference than you think.

The deal might look amazing at first, but think about how much you’ll be spending on food, entertainment, and shopping while you’re traveling. Now, imagine if your dollar only went half as far as it could have somewhere else. Take currency differences into consideration and you’ll really stretch your travel dollars… as much as two or threefold!

10. Utilize online resources to score the best deals.

Let online travel tools do the hard work for you. During a down economy, travel providers look for channels to maximize their reach to consumers.

You Are What You Eat: Healthy Eating Tips That Save Money

Find out ways to eat healthy at a minimal cost

A healthy diet helps to keep you well and reduces the risk of serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. The good news is that there are lots of ways of introducing beneficial foods into your diet without making big, unpalatable changes, and at minimal cost.

Healthy diet, healthy wallet

Although choosing the healthier alternative can save you money, a few foods that offer the best nutritional value can be expensive, but you need only use them sparingly.

Go easy on meat Make meat go further by cooking it in casseroles or stir-fries bulked out with cheaper ingredients such as beans, pulses or seasonal vegetables.

Cheap, healthy ingredients Basing meals on starchy foods such as rice, pasta and bread is not only good for a balanced diet but offers excellent value for money.

Five a day for less

Doctors agree that we should all eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Here are the best-value ways of ensuring those five portions are a part of your daily diet.

Canned and frozen count too Your daily intake can include fresh, frozen, chilled, dried and canned foods, the health properties of some (like tomatoes) are even better in a canned form, as well as often being cheaper. Save more by buying the supermarket's own brand - it's just as nutritious.

Just juice One - but only one - of your portions of fresh fruit can be taken in the form of juice.

Keep the goodness in

Don't squander your money by making the effort to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and then carelessly destroying their nutritional benefits.

Fresh is best Eat fresh fruit and veg as soon as possible rather than storing - or use frozen.

Minimal cooking Don't cook vegetables for too long as you will overcook them. Cover to keep in steam.

Don't dilute vitamins Boil vegetables in as little water as possible without boiling them dry, then use the water as a nutritious stock for making soup.

Clever storage Cover and chill cut fruit and veg and don't soak or vitamins and minerals can dissolve away.

Grow your own

Even if you don't have a vegetable plot, you can make savings by growing fruit and vegetables in your garden.

Be selective Don't grow vegetables you can buy cheaply in the shops, go for those that are sold at a premium, take up little space, yet are simple to grow. French beans, mangetout, sugar snap peas and cut-and-come-again (or 'loose leaf') salad, such as 'Salad Bowl', will net you the biggest savings, especially if you grow them from seed.

Pot-sized plot If you have a courtyard or very small garden, you can still grow some fruit and vegetables in pots. In a 23cm-25cm (9in-10in) pot you can grow one aubergine, pepper or tomato plant, four climbing French or runner bean plants; 32 carrots; or three strawberry plants.

Save on herbs Grow the herbs you use most frequently in a window box, pot or a garden bed by the kitchen door so you can harvest them as and when they are needed. Many have nutritional and therapeutic benefits.

Get your essential fats for less

The omega-3 essential fatty acids are beneficial fats that can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. You can increase the amount in your diet at minimal extra cost.

Swap meat for fish Replace at least one meat meal a week with oily fish. You don't have to go for expensive fish such as tuna or salmon; mackerel, sardines or herring are just as good, and canned sardines have the bonus of being high in calcium, too, as the bones are edible.

Vegetarian option Top up your omega-3 oils by scattering a handful of pumpkin seeds on a salad or eating a few walnuts. Or eat 1-2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds a day: buy the seeds and mill or grind them yourself rather than taking expensive flax oil or ground flax seed supplements.

Drink Water

Aim to drink up to 2 litres a day - and the more of it that is water the better as this ensures good circulation and digestion and prevents dehydration and the fatigue and mental fuzziness that usually accompany it.

Top tips best buys

To make sure you don't end up paying more for your healthier diet; you may have to make a few modifications to the way you shop.

● Bargains at food market Although supermarkets often offer value for money, traditional food markets can be cheaper for healthy alternatives. Some products can be found at half the price compared to the price in the supermarket.

● Buy dried not canned Pulses such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils work out about 50% cheaper if you buy them dried rather than canned. But you do need to remember to soak them before cooking.

● Buy fruit not fizz A can of a fizzy drink may contain up to 8 teaspoons of sugar, which encourages weight gain and is bad for your teeth. For a healthy alternative that contains valuable vitamins, mix 500ml of unsweetened fruit juice (orange or apple), with 500ml of water, chill and serve. It will cost just a quarter of the price of a canned fizzy drink.

Are long-distance relationships healthy?

Technology has made romance from afar more convenient than ever before. But could a long-distance relationship be bad for your health?

Once upon a time, boy met girl at a club, the office, or through close friends. Today, many homegrown love stories are becoming nostalgic relics of the past. As it becomes more difficult to fit socializing time into our busy lives, singles are looking further afield for romance and relationships. Facebook flings, email liaisons, and flirtations sparked during vacations or business trips—it's common to know someone in the throes of the agony and ecstasy that only a long-distance affair can bring. But are these exhilarating romances bad for our health?

At first glance, a long-distance relationship appears full of excitement, but the stress of dealing with the unknown, and putting one’s life on hold until you’re together again can cause all sorts of health upsets, both emotionally and physically. Toronto marriage counsellor Beth Mares says that there are pros and cons to such a union. "For some people, a long-distance relationship is easier," says Mares. "Some individuals need a lot of space, and don’t have the self-assurance to establish [that need] when they’re living with someone." She also notes that people who value their careers above relationships find geographically challenged dalliances ideal, as they don’t compete with their job for attention.

However, "most people aren’t satisfied with that," says Mares. "Most are pretty anxious to get together." While the more independent-minded or career-driven might like this arrangement, many people find the negatives strongly outweigh any advantages. The ultimate goal is for both parties to leave behind the long distance love story, and unite in the same city.

Avoiding "the dating effect"

When time and money cooperate, the best tonic to keep love alive across the miles is being together. While couples relish the thrill of ecstatic reunions, Mares warns against getting carried away with "the dating effect," where partners wine and dine each other during their short spell together, but fail to deal with the real issues of real life. "A long-distance relationship can often mask a situation that won’t work," she says.

Couples should enjoy the romance of their situation, but also discuss the issues that all must face: where to live, opinions on finances and religion, and most importantly, whether they both want kids. For many, that biological clock is ticking—loudly. "In some cases they’re waiting to have children," says Mares. "They need to find out [how their partner feels about kids], otherwise they have to find someone else."

Distance can sour these relationships when even one missed phone call sets off all sorts of suspicion and worry. As a result, trust and commitment issues grow unchecked, and unhealthy obsessive behavior—such as leaving repetitive phone messages—can be unleashed. "If you notice these things happening, there’s a problem," says Mares. "It tends to escalate. If one person gets needy, the other might distance themselves. One might have doubts whether [this relationship] is right for them."

How to make a long-distance relationship work

The key to avoiding destructive actions or thoughts is to keep the relationship on track. It takes plenty of effort, but the results speak for themselves. Maintaining the lines of healthy communication between in-person visits is a breeze with today’s social media. Twitter, Facebook, instant messaging (IM) and Skype make connecting with one another easy and affordable. Mares recommends that couples, "find out how they spent their day," and not treat each conversation as a happy-go-lucky extension of a date. Like all successful, healthy relationships, a solid foundation based on the day-to-day sharing of each other’s triumphs and failures is key.

Consequently, it’s no surprise that if couples don’t communicate fully, their health will begin to suffer. The stress that results from worries over fidelity, trust and where the union is heading can manifest into sleeplessness, weight loss, anxiety and even depression. While these ailments are concerning, Mares states that there’s no data to suggest that they are dangerous, or life-threatening, but they could facilitate a permanent break-up.

From long-distance to long-term relationship

Ultimately, Mares says, it’s imperative for the health of the couple and their relationship to eventually live together in the same locale to see if their bond can survive normal daily pressures. "It’s not like a weekend where you’re devoted to each other and then longing for each other the rest of the week," she says. "Things might be different when you live together. You need to find out if it’s going to work."

It’s encouraging that marriages following distant courtships have the same success rate as unions established in the same area code—provided they don’t rush down the aisle as soon as they cohabitate. "If they move in together first and it works well," says Mares. "[The future marriage] would work as well as any other marriage."

How to Make Your Marriage Stronger

Find out the health of your relationship by taking this simple test

In one famous study of marriages, researchers asked therapists, married couples, and others to watch videotaped conversations of ten couples and try to identify the relationships that had broken up. Even the therapists guessed wrong half the time. But there are ways you can predict the health of your own relationship, according to Tara Parker-Pope, author of For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage (Dutton).

1. Do you avoid arguments?

A University of Washington study of newlywed couples showed those who argued relatively little were happier than combative ones. When the same couples were checked three years later, however, those with an early history of bickering were more likely to have found stability in their marriages, whereas couples who prided themselves on their equanimity were in troubled relationships or already divorced. It turns out the garden-variety marital spat is actually good for you!

2. Do you roll your eyes in response to your spouse?

The same researchers found that eye-rolling, even when accompanied by a laugh or smile, indicates some degree of contempt—poison to a relationship. “The obvious first step is to stop the behavior,” says Janice Kiecolt-Glaser at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. “But the second is to explore the reasons behind it.”

3. Do you allow your mate to make the decisions involving what to do with your time together?

According to psychologist Howard Markman, professor at the University of Denver, it’s risky for your relationship when one of you controls the social agenda.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

A perfect dessert for family meals and a dinner-party.

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

3 tbs white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 (10 ounce) packet frozen raspberries

2 tbs white sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

3 (8 ounce) packets cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix cookie crumbs, 3 tbs sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tbs sugar, cornstarch, and water. Boil for 5 mins, or until the sauce thickens. Strain the sauce to remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 165 degrees C. Melt white chocolate chips and cream in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half the batter over crust and spoon 3 tbs raspberry sauce over it. Pour remaining batter, and spoon 3 tbs sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 55 to 60 mins. Let the cake cool, then cover and chill for 8 hours before removing from the pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

Apple Cake

A quick and easy apple cake to satisfy your cravings

Serving: 24

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

3 1/2 cups chopped apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, Sift together flour, sugar, salt and soda. Make a well in the center and add oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well (batter will be thick). Fold in chopped apples and nuts. Spread into a 9x13 inch pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Glaze while still hot.

4. To make the glaze: In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over cake while still hot.