10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism & Lose Weight
Your metabolism works hard every day to burn calories. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you'll burn. There's an assumption that your metabolism just naturally slows down as you age. While that's true to some extent, you actually have a lot more control over your metabolism than you may realize. With some simple changes to your daily routine, you can give your metabolism a boost and start burning more calories each day. Learn more about how to increase metabolism naturally using these 10 tips.
1. Don't Skip Breakfast
Your eating habits have a significant impact on your metabolism. For example, eating a healthy, filling breakfast has been shown to help with weight loss because it kicks your metabolism into high gear first thing in the morning. If you were to skip breakfast, your metabolism would actually slow down in an attempt to conserve fuel for the day. So rather than starve yourself or try risky crash diets, it's better to eat healthy meals and snacks regularly throughout the day to keep your metabolism at a higher rate.
2. Eat Metabolism-Boosting Foods
Now you know you should be having regular meals and snacks to maintain a faster metabolism. But what exactly should you eat? The following foods can help to boost your metabolism naturally:
One unique thing to note about produce is that organic fruits and vegetables are actually better at boosting your metabolism. That's because the pesticides used on most produce can interfere with thyroid function and cause your metabolism to slow down.
3. Drink Coffee or Tea
Do you need your daily coffee fix? As it turns out, drinking coffee can actually boost your metabolic rate. If you're not a fan of java, consider green tea instead. This healthy drink is also linked to higher metabolism. Just remember not to overdo it with either beverage as excessive caffeine intake can have negative side effects.
4. Get More Iron
If your body is low on iron, it can slow down your metabolism. You don't necessarily have to take an iron supplement to boost your iron, though that is one option. It's even better if you can incorporate healthy sources of iron into your diet, such as beans, dark leafy greens and iron-fortified cereals.
5. Build Muscle
When you have more muscle, you'll burn more fat. In order to quicken the pace of your metabolism, incorporate strength training into your regular workouts. You don't need to do strength training every day, but you should try to work on building muscle at least two or three times per week.
6. Try Interval Training
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Another type of workout you should try to do two or three times per week is high-intensity interval training, often referred to as HIIT. This workout style is all about short but intense bursts of activity. For example, you could go for a run, but every so often you should do a 30-second sprint before returning to your normal speed. If you can't do an all-out sprint, start by just increasing your pace for that 30 seconds. This works for a number of popular workouts, including dancing, swimming and even walking.
7. Take a Fish Oil Supplement
Fish oil is helpful for making your workouts even more effective. When you combine regular exercise with a fish oil supplement, you're more likely to lose weight. A high-quality fish oil supplement should have at least 300 milligrams of EPA and 200 milligrams of DHA per capsule. About two hours before your workout, take two capsules to get better weight loss results. As with any supplement, you should talk to your doctor before you start a new regimen.
8. Get Enough Sleep Every Night
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Being sleep deprived does more than just make you feel sluggish the next day. It can also have a negative effect on your metabolism since it affects hormone levels in your body. To keep your metabolic rate higher, aim to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night.
9. Drink Cold Water
Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is great for your metabolism. However, you might be surprised to learn that the temperature of the water you consume can actually affect your metabolism as well. Drinking cold water increases your resting metabolism since your body uses energy to heat the water to your body temperature. As a nice added bonus for those trying to lose weight, drinking water about a half an hour before a meal helps you eat less.
10. Stand Up
Do you sit for long periods throughout the day? Sitting too much is bad for your metabolism, so be sure to break up that time by standing up or getting a standing desk.
Use these tips to make sure your metabolism is working hard to burn calories and help you stay trim.
