How to Easily Boost Your Metabolism
Instead of being
jealous of people in their twenties who seem to have a superhuman ability to
keep their weight low with very little effort, why not try altering your habits
and lifestyle instead? Below, we've listed 10 excellent tips that'll boost your
metabolism, helping you shed plenty of pounds, and keep them off for good!
1.Eat
More Protein
Eating sufficient amounts of protein is practically
unanimously agreed upon as being essential to maintaining a rapid metabolism.
Conforming to a high protein diet will make you feel fuller after eating, and
will even help you maintain more lean muscle mass. However, you can only absorb
around 30 grams of protein in one sitting, so we'd recommend spreading your
protein intake over multiple meals throughout the day.
2.Drink
More Water
Drinking
enough water is not only essential for feeling fuller throughout the day, but
it can also lead to weight loss due to its beneficial effect on your
metabolism. According to nutritionist Lauren Pincus, "it takes
calories to process water, because everything we do takes calories,” meaning
that "the more water, the more calories you need to expend." She
recommends drinking around two liters of water each day, but this amount may
vary a little, depending on your age and activity level.
3.Begin
Strength Training
Experts
agree that strength training two or three times a week can help build lean
muscle mass. “A pound of muscle burns up to nine times more calories than a
pound of fat,” according to nutritionist Lisa Stollman. “Lifting weights is a
great way to build muscle mass.” However, after building muscle you'll also
need to maintain it. “As we age, we start to lose muscle,” says Pincus, and
“strength training not only builds muscle groups to burn more calories, but
also helps preserve them and prevent loss.”
4.
Be Mindful of What You Eat
Make
sure that you take the time to actually savor the food that you eat, since
research shows that the faster you eat, the more you'll end up eating in the
long-run. This is because the hormone that tells your brain that you're full,
cholecystokinin (CCK) takes around 20 minutes to begin sending signals.
5.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting
a good night's sleep is an extremely important part of maintaining an efficient
metabolism. “Too little sleep appears to wreak havoc with leptin and ghrelin,
two hormones that regulate appetite,” according to nutritionist Elisa Zied.
“When you don’t sleep well, you feel hungrier and you tend to eat more and
choose more nutrient-poor foods.”
6.
Drink Tea or Coffee
According
to Stollman, "caffeine can increase your metabolism up to 8%" and
"brewed tea kicks it up another notch by boosting your metabolism by
10%." Green tea is even better, due to the added presence of
calorie-burning catechins. It is estimated that drinking between 3 and 4 cups a
day can actually burn around 50 to 100 calories due to the kick your metabolism
receives.
7.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed
A
recent study from Northwestern University shows that being exposed to blue
light from screens at night can impact your metabolism. John La Puma, MD,
recommends ceasing exposure to blue light at least 2 hours before going to bed,
and says that “it resets melatonin levels so that getting to sleep becomes
harder, and too little sleep means weight gain for most people.”
8.
Don't Skip Breakfast
Dashing
out of the door instead of eating a healthy and balanced breakfast could end up
slowing down your metabolism throughout the rest of your day. “If you skip
protein at breakfast, you lose the opportunity in your day to feed your
muscles,” says Pincus. “You can’t double up at dinner since your body can’t
utilize more than four ounces at a time.”
9.
Use More Spices
Capsaicin,
which is found in many spicy foods, such as red peppers and chili flakes, can
boost your metabolic rate by up to 8%. Nutritionist, Keri Gans suggests that
you “sprinkle on red pepper flakes on eggs in the morning,” She also says that
“you could even make fish, chicken, or lean beef a little spicier for dinner.”
Just be careful not to use this as an excuse to start eating creamy curries and
spicy fried chicken pieces on a regular basis.
10.
Keep Moving, Even When You're Sitting
A
study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that non-exercise
related activity, such as fidgeting at your desk or tapping your feet while
sitting down, can help prevent you from putting on weight. In order to easily
integrate more movement into your regular routine, Pincus recommends to use a
transitional or standing desk when working, or to simply get up and walk about
for a few moments every half hour or so.
T