Boost Your Metabolism: 10 Ways to Do It
What is metabolism anyway? Well, your body takes in nutrients and then uses them for energy. It’s the process of breaking down food into compounds that our bodies can use. Metabolism itself actually burns calories. So it makes sense to want to speed yours up a bit, right?
Luckily there are some simple things you can do which will help boost your metabolism. There are also some not-so-great ways to do this though too – watch out! Here we go:
10 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism:
Drink coffee – Drinking a cup or two in the morning before breakfast has been shown in studies to have a positive effect on metabolism. It helps with blood sugar regulation which is important for weight maintenance.
Have protein with every meal – Studies have shown that protein increases your metabolic rate more than any other nutrient.
Eat breakfast – Skipping breakfast is terrible for metabolism. It makes you more likely to overeat the rest of the day and if you do eat in the morning it slows down fat-burning at night by up to 70%, even when total calorie intake is controlled. Eating breakfast also reduces cravings during the day, probably due to stabilizing blood sugar levels after a good night’s sleep.
Keep healthy snacks around – This rule goes nicely with #1 about drinking coffee in the morning! You don’t want your afternoon coffee to be followed by an empty stomach -‘s not good for your metabolism! Keep healthy snacks around to tide you over. These could be things like nuts, yogurt, fruit, etc.
Eat foods with high water content – Water keeps your metabolism going by flushing out waste and toxins from the body. Foods with a high water content include cucumbers and tomatoes which are great salads or snacks. Also fruits and veggies in general as well as soups and stews.
Exercise – As we all know, exercise is great for your metabolism! It builds muscle mass which increases the number of calories you burn at rest. If weight loss is something you are working on then it’s important to be active too – both cardio and strength training contribute to a healthy metabolism.
Avoid eating processed foods – Foods like this often contain poor-quality fats (trans fat) or sugars that can mess with your blood sugar levels, promoting insulin resistance which leads to weight gain.
Eat smaller meals more frequently – Eating small amounts more frequently helps keep metabolic rate up by preventing big drops in blood sugar levels. This also helps prevent binging because you’re not expecting such a large meal so soon after coming off starvation mode!
Drink green tea – Green tea has caffeine but less than coffee, it also contains catechins which are antioxidants that have been shown to increase metabolic rate by around 4% !
Limit alcohol – It might be fun to let loose with friends, but alcohol is terrible for your metabolism. So you’re better off not drinking at all if weight loss is your goal.
Don’t smoke – Yes, smoking can sabotage your metabolism by reducing blood flow to muscles so they don’t get the oxygenated fuel they need for optimal performance. Just don’t do it!
The above 10 ways are great for increasing your metabolic rate and helping with weight loss without too much effort on your part. They are mostly simple changes that you can make to your day-to-day routine that will help you lead a healthier life. Keep in mind that it’s still important to practice moderation and eat a balanced, plant-based diet with plenty of whole foods!