I am guessing you might be working hard at eating more healthfully and taking your exercise up a notch with the New Year. Unfortunately, as we get older, it takes a more concerted effort to lose body fat. Those splurges you had over the holidays may be harder to take off this January than they were twenty or even ten years ago. That is why finding ways to naturally boost your metabolism are super important. Let’s take a look at some of these methods that can enhance metabolism.
Strength Training – my favorite, and probably the most effective way to boost metabolism is with strength training. Using some kind of exercise, be it with weights or even your own body’s weight, to build muscle is effective because muscle is a calorie burner. As we age, we lose both muscle and bone. It is a natural part of the aging process. However, exercise is the great equalizer and it helps to slow that loss and possibly even reverse it! The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate. This is one reason men have a higher metabolic rate than women. They simply have more muscle. Also, after an intense strength training session, your body will burn more calories post exercise than it would if you had not exercised. Therefore, you have a higher metabolic rate for the rest of the day, and you guessed it, burn more calories even sitting on your bum when you get back to the office. What about cardio? High intensity interval training has been shown to produce greater fat burning effects post-exercise than steady state cardio. Mix up your workouts so that you add some of this very beneficial exercise.
Eat Protein – protein takes more energy to digest and assimilate than carbs or fat do. It also helps to reduce sugar cravings, and stabilize hunger. Lastly, you need protein to build muscle, which is a metabolism booster in itself. Chicken, fish, lean meats, eggs, plain yogurt and some protein powders are great foods that can help you meet your daily needs.
Caffeine – rejoice if you are a coffee or tea drinker, because there are benefits to consuming caffeine. Now, I am not talking about a pot of coffee per day, that isn’t good. But, having some caffeine does have positive benefits, one of those being a boost to your metabolism. And if you get your caffeine from green tea, that is even better.
Green Tea – this beverage not only gives you a bit of caffeine, but it also contains polyphenols, the most notable one being EGCg. This polyphenol has been shown to increase 24-hour energy expenditure in human subjects who consumed 270 mg of EGCg and 150 mg of caffeine three times per day by 4%, which translates to an extra 100 – 150 calories burned per day. Not bad. If you are not a green tea drinker, you can supplement with EGCG, which also allows one to get the most effective dosage for the metabolism boosting effect. My favorite green tea extract is Designs for Health’s EGCg. I am happy to send you more information on this product if you like, just drop me a line.
Sleep – getting at least seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep per night is super important to your metabolism because sleep helps to keep your hormones in balance. When you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol (a stress hormone) will be elevated, and overtime this can lead to mid-section weight gain. Excess cortisol also breaks down your muscle; not good. Lastly, if you are sleep deprived, your body can become more resistant to insulin, which makes it harder for your body to burn sugar, and ultimately leads to weight gain.
Do you have any tips for boosting metabolism naturally? If so, tell below.
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