Metabolism. Chances are you’ve heard this word and understand it to be related to how efficiently your body processes food and energy, which is true. High metabolism means you will burn more energy and probably store less fat, and a low metabolism means you will burn less energy and might be susceptible to weight gain.
Did you know that your daily behavior and lifestyle have significant effects on your metabolism?
Here are 7 quick and easy tips to boost your metabolism…
- Eat breakfast! You know how people say breakfast is the most important meal of the day? That’s because if you don’t eat in the morning, your body thinks that food is scarce for the day so it holds back your metabolism and energy expenditures so you don’t waste too many calories. Eating a breakfast at the start of your day tells your body that more food is coming so it starts burning calories at full capacity.
- Work out before your breakfast! If you wake up and go straight for a walk or run, you are going to be burning calories from whatever is left in your stomach, which shouldn’t be much after sleeping, and then move onto your energy stored in your body. If you wait until after your breakfast, then you will mostly be burning off just the food in your stomach. Even doing a few sets of pushups or air squats before you eat can help.
- More muscles = higher metabolism! Not only that, but high intensity interval training (aka, “HIIT”) will provide you with an additional boost on your metabolism for the 24-48 hours following your workout session. Ample protein is necessary building muscle, so make sure you have plenty of protein in your diet.
- Drink lots of water! Not only is water essential to a healthy body, but it also takes energy to digest it. Drinking water as soon as you wake up can also help jump-start your metabolism. Try keeping water on your nightstand for the morning.
- Get your omega 3’s! Omega 3, typically found in fish oil, improves your cardiovascular efficiency and will result in a more balanced metabolism. Try to get at least 1000mg per day. Flaxseed oil is also another good source of omega 3.
- Eat healthier! Whole foods with pesticides and preservatives will interfere with your thyroid, preventing your metabolism from running at full speed after eating. In addition to having zero nutritional benefit, refined sugars will trigger insulin spiking and make you feel sluggish, working against an active lifestyle.
- Be more active! Being active, even with little things, will not only burn more calories during that activity but also temporarily give you a slight increase in metabolism. Adopting a more active lifestyle can collectively add up to as much activity as a daily workout! There are plenty of ways to work this into your day, and you can always kick it up a notch if you are already doing these things and want to see improved results:
- Take the stairs.
- Use a small glass of water at your desk so you have to keep getting up to refill it.
- Walk to get food or run an errand instead of driving.
- Park further away so it forces you to walk a little more.
- Play golf? Walk instead of riding the cart.
