8 Ways to Boost your Metabolism
By Orla, June 12, 2013
For some of us, metabolism is the bane of our lives. Naturally sluggish metabolism makes shifting weight tough, while piling on the pounds is very easily done, and it can make you feel sluggish and tired.
Luckily there are numerous ways to naturally boost your metabolism and speed it up, so you can enjoy all life has to offer with a burst of energy.
1. Intense Early Morning Exercise
Before you quince at the thought of this, think again. As little as 5 minutes in the morning will leave you feeling energised for the whole day.
A short burst of intense exercise when you wake up really can make the difference for your metabolism, and the simplest of exercises will do the job – jumping jacks, jogging on the spot, lunges, or of course if you own a cross-trainer or a treadmill that will do the job perfectly aswel.
The important thing is to get your heart rate up and at it for 5 minutes.
2. NEVER Skip Breakfast
Breakfast genuinely is the most important meal of the day, and unfortunately most people skip out on it or grab something really quick that has poor nutritional qualities.
The best thing you can do for your metabolism is eat a healthy breakfast in the morning.
Examples of nutritional breakfasts include poached eggs, a high source of protein, on wholemeal bread with orange juice, or natural yoghurt and muesli with fruits full of antioxidants like blueberries, strawberries, oranges and red grapes.
Take the extra few minutes to eat something substantial, you’ll feel the difference.
3. Drink Plenty of Water
Water speeds up metabolism because water fuels the metabolic process, drink plenty of water – roughly 2 litres a day is recommended for women, and 3 litres a day is recommended for men.
Not only will your metabolism reap the benefits, but your skin will also benefit from a high consumption of water.
4. Eat Spicy Foods Regularly
Hot spices such as curry, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper are known to help speed up metabolism.
However, if you are not a fan of spicy foods there are other spices that do the same trick, such as, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg. These spices can be added to soups, casseroles, stir-fries and more.
Try a sprinkle of cinnamon in your coffee, or even in hot chocolate – there are endless ways to incorporate these spices into your diet.
5. Don’t Eat As Much in the Evening
We generally tend to snack later in the evening or before bedtime, but this is a huge factor in sluggish metabolism. Try to eat more food earlier in the day rather than later, especially at breakfast time, and try not to snack for at least three hours before bedtime.
6. A Healthy Thyroid
The thyroid regulates our metabolic rate and is closely related to changes in body weight and energy levels.
A healthy thyroid needs selenium, zinc, copper and iodine to function effectively. These minerals can be found in seafood in nuts.
7. Build up Muscle Mass
Building muscle mass should be part of everyone’s fitness regime, males and females. Lifting a few simple weights everyday will help build muscle, which in turn speeds up metabolism.
You don’t have to be a gym member or fork out for dungbells, using heavy cans of food as weights can do exactly the same job.
8. Ditch Breakfast Tea for Green Tea
Green tea is a superfood packed with antioxidants and researchers have found that it speeds up metabolism. What’s more is, it’s naturally calorie free, so it can be guilt-free aswel.
For those who aren’t particularly fond of the flavour, there are brands that offer green tea infused with vanilla and other flavours – it’s worth a try!
