Staying fit is one of life’s greatest challenges. If your metabolism isn’t burning calories the way it should be, it’s difficult to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, which can be extremely frustrating. However, there are things you can do to ensure your metabolism is doing its best work. Here are some ways to kick your metabolism into gear, making sure that it’s burning the maximum amount of calories from dawn to dusk.
Start With Breakfast
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? If you want to jumpstart your metabolism, then yes, it is! By skipping breakfast, your body thinks that it needs to conserve calories, leading to daily snacking and weight gain. Additionally, the snacks that you’ll choose probably aren’t going to be healthy options.
Alternatively, eating breakfast is great for your metabolic health. Some of the benefits include consuming less fat and eating more fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Eating breakfast also generally helps you to perform better in school or at work because it positively affects your attention span, memory and energy level. If you think that a bagel and coffee are healthy breakfast options, think again. For the best metabolic results, choose foods high in fiber and low in fat and sugar. Some tasty options are eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese or a protein shake.
Drink Lots of Water
Staying hydrated will keep you and your metabolism from becoming lethargic. Drinking water actually boosts your metabolism for an entire hour after ingesting it. As long as you’re drinking periodically during the day, your metabolism will continue this trend. In particular, consuming cold water works the best because when your body has to use energy to heat fluid in order to meet your body’s temperature, your metabolism has to increase.
Pay Attention to the Food Amount and Type
You may have heard that eating several smaller meals is better for your metabolism than eating three large meals. However, the amount of meals you eat is irrelevant; the most crucial factor to consider is the amount of food you eat in each sitting. There are no advantages to eating the same amount of food in three meals versus six meals. Often, if you switch to six meals, you end up eating more overall.
The most important thing to consider is what you’re consuming during each meal (regardless of how many meals per day you eat). Several foods help to increase your metabolic rate. Adding these foods as part of your daily intake can do wonders for your body. Keep in mind, however, that eating these foods is not a weight loss guarantee. Instead, they should merely be part of your healthy balanced diet. Some foods that will increase your metabolism are meat, chili peppers and beans. If you’re curious about what to drink, coffee, tea and green tea are possibilities. Also, consider adding a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a cup of water for a daily metabolic boost.
Add Spices
Do you love flavorful food? If so, you are in luck. Some of the most popular spices work to increase your metabolism, including cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg and ginger. One popular way to use ginger is to add it to hot tea or water. Not only does ginger increase your metabolism, but it also makes you feel less hungry.
Reduce Stress
When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol. This hormone ends up slowing down your metabolism and causes cravings for unhealthy foods, which can result in depression, exhaustion or weight gain. It’s important to learn how to deal with stressful situations before they negatively impact your body. Try breathing exercises, a workout routine or yoga. The most important thing to remember is that stress doesn’t last, so you shouldn’t let its effects be permanent either.
Conclusion
Keeping your metabolism going strong isn’t difficult. By following through with a few different activities, you can give your metabolism the daily boost it needs.
