Dopamine and Your Metabolism - By Eric Braverman MD

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?Dopamine and Your Metabolism

• By Eric Braverman MD

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As you get older, your metabolism naturally slows
down. Your metabolism is determined by a massive
genetic equation, which takes into account your
age and your current health. This equation looks
like this Rate of Metabolism Your hormones
growth hormones, estrogen, testosteroneXYour
bone strength, muscle strength, and active
neurons working brain chemistryThe number of
diseases you currently have? As you age, your
hormones drop, muscle is lost, bone density is
lost, and your brain cells fizzle. At the same
time you accumulate illnesses. All of these
factor into your metabolic rate. However, by
reversing these individual health issues, you can
increase your metabolism, feel younger, and lose
weight. When you were young, the food you ate
supported your growing brain and body. Yet once
you reached your final adult height, you may have
experienced weight gain even when you were eating
the exact same foods in the same quantities. The
problem Your metabolism weakened over time. To
compensate, you need more voltage,
or Dopamine, to jump-start your fat-burning
furnace. Without it, you'll just continue to
accumulate body fat.
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The good news is that you can jump-start your
fat-burning furnace by concentrating on foods and
nutrients that naturally increase your metabolism
and boost your dopamine. Your metabolism works as
an automatic system that is set by the fuel you
throw at it. If you've been eating junk, your
metabolism is working like a low-burning fire.
However, when you provide it with lots of
dopamine, this brain chemical acts like a pile of
coal, and ignites your metabolism to burn off
your calories.
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Remove Foods That Deplete DopamineMany common
foods actually can deplete your levels of
dopamine. For example, sugar and its many hidden
forms (high fructose corn syrup, fructose,
dextrose, sucralose, molasses, syrup, and others)
should be avoided. Better alternatives would be
pure honey, or maple syrup because they contain
additional vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
that may benefit your health. Stevia is another
natural sugar substitute. It's 200 to 300 times
sweeter than sugar, so just a tiny amount will do
the trick, and it contains 0 calories.
Also avoid simple carbohydrates and high glycemic
foods which are foods you crave if you are
dealing with a dopamine deficiency, because they
give you the feeling of increased energy in the
short term. These are generally the "white" foods
such as cakes, crackers, chips, potatoes, white
breads and rice, processed foods, etc.
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Which Foods Should You Eat? Instead of
sugar-laden and "white" foods, choose more
colorful versions that have more nutrients. Whole
grain, colorful carbs (such as sweet potatoes,
and brown rice) provide lots of energy without
being instantly converted into body fat. Although
they don't create more dopamine, they won't feed
into the food addiction cycle. Dopamine enhancing
foods are by nature calorie dense, so eating in
moderation will be key in not consuming more
calories than your body needs. Foods high in the
amino acid, phenylalanine, will boost your
metabolism. These include such proteins as lean
beef, chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, oat flakes,
yogurt, turkey, etc.The amino acid, tyrosine,
is another precursor to dopamine. Tyrosine-rich
foods include beef, chicken, cottage cheese,
duck, granola, pork, wheat germ, wild game,
yogurt, etc.
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By increasing your consumption of phenylalanine
and tyrosine, you can reverse your dopamine
deficiency. Be sure to add spices to your meals -
they are nutrient-dense and provide between 20 to
80 different nutrients. Try to include hot or
cold tea to your day - they are metabolic
enhancers that can help you burn calories and
body fat. Colorful vegetables and salads should
be included in your meals as a low-calorie,
antioxidant-rich, and nutrient-dense benefit.
Call to schedule an appointment for a full exam.
We can help you to reverse the affects of aging
so you can be a Younger, Thinner, Healthier You.
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Author Bio Eric Braverman MD Dr. Braverman is a
Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of
Brandeis University and NYU Medical School, did
brain research at Harvard Medical School, and
trained at an affiliate of Yale Medical School.
He is acknowledged worldwide as an expert in
brain-based diagnosis and treatment, and he
lectures to and trains doctors in anti-aging
medicine. Conact us Path Medical 304 Park
Avenue South New York, NY 10010