Here’s the continuation from last months blog on ways to boost your metabolism at the start of this new year!
- Try lifting weights. Lifting weights can help speed resting metabolic rate because it builds lean muscle mass, which naturally uses more calories than body fat does. To gain muscle means to increase the amount of metabolic work your body needs to do daily in order to just keep you going, since muscle tissue is more active than fat is. You can get some weights and perform body resistance moves at home. Youtube is full of great workouts to try! You ideally want to do six to twelve reps, (if you can do more, the weights are not heavy enough) on each muscle group for about 30 minutes five days a week.
- Avoid inflammatory foods. Certain foods slow down digestive processes and increase free radical damage, which is the cause of aging. You can think of these as foods that just kill your metabolism. The body recognizes processed and inflammatory foods as toxins, and therefore eating these triggers your innate immune system’s fight-or-flight response, which increases stress hormones such as adrenaline production and slows down metabolic functioning. Sadly, even some foods that seem “healthy” are the culprits for unwanted weight gain, thyroid dysfunction, ongoing fatigue, hormone imbalance and digestive distress. Some examples of these inflammatory foods are: sugar, pasteurised dairy (raw, grass-fed is best), refined vegetable oils (canola, rice bran, grapeseed), refined carbs (gluten containing bread, pasta, crackers, muffins, chips, biscuits) and artificial sweeteners (these actually cause carbohydrate cravings).
- Add metabolism power foods to your diet! Some foods make the body work harder to break down and others help the body use and expend energy better. High protein lean meats and snacks help maintain a strong metabolism. Food such as wild-caught fish, cafe-free eggs, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and even raw dairy. These foods also help keep you fuller for long as protein can take longer to break down. Protein also helps keep your energy and blood sugar stable, while building lean muscle mass.
- Another favorite of mine is green tea. It is full of antioxidants and naturally boosts your metabolism, while being low in caffeine.
- Garlic is a warming food, which means it revs up the metabolisms heat producing effects. It also is a great liver food and helps lower blood sugars.
- Other natural warming foods that kick off the metabolism by increasing circulation include cayenne pepper, chill, pepper, cinnamon and ginger. Some research has found that cinnamon and pepper may help decrease appetite and slow the growth of fat cells.
- Apple cider vinegar is a winner every time! It helps with digestive health by stimulating stomach acid. It also is very alkalising in the body and is good for the liver and balancing blood sugar.
So why not give some of these a go and see if any unwanted weight starts to fall off!
