Some people just have faster metabolisms than others. It isn’t fair to most of us that one person can go through a pint of ice cream without gaining a single pound. Genetics play a huge role in one’s metabolism, the body’s engine that helps continually burn calories. At the end of the day, however, slow metabolisms are no fun and the desire to make them work faster is ever-growing.
We all like easy ways, hacks if you will, that help kick-start any process. While there is no magic pill or a one trick fix to speed up the process, there are several natural ways to increase metabolism. Using a combination of the following methods, you can achieve the results you want.
1. Eat Breakfast
Getting out of bed and beginning the day can be a lethargic process. Expending the energy to make breakfast, in addition to all the other elements of a morning routine, may not seem in the cards. A healthy breakfast plays a key role in helping to shift the metabolism into gear. When you skip breakfast your metabolism slows down to conserve energy because no morning fuel has been provided. A hearty cup of steel-cut oats with fresh berries, which power you with antioxidants, and a banana is a great way to begin the day. You can also make some overnight oats so that breakfast is ready in the morning. Additionally, you can drink metabolism booster juice or blend a fresh vegetable smoothie with spirulina and almonds to help get you going.
2. Amp Up Your Workout
Exercising is a great way to get the juices flowing, but incorporating interval training can rev up your metabolism. If your workout consists of a 30-minute walk, for example, jog for 60 seconds every 5 minutes to help burn calories more efficiently. When you insert interval training into a workout, you consume more oxygen and make your mitochondria work harder to burn energy. Interval training can help burn calories more efficiently throughout the day.
3. Sip Some Green Tea
Instead of drinking your morning java, substitute in some green tea for a metabolism-boosting, caffeine spark that’ll get you going. Not only is green tea filled with antioxidants, it promotes healthy digestion and weight loss, when combined with at least three hours of exercise per week. It’s also beneficial to alternate between hot green tea and cold water in the morning. The alternation of hot and cold makes your body burn calories to neutralize the liquids to its core temperature. The amount of calories burned is not substantial, but it’s a great way to boost your metabolism. Also, drinking eight 8oz. glasses of water a day is recommended and can help boost your metabolic engine. One thing to note is that you should avoid drinking bottled green teas because many of them have sugar or artificial sweeteners.
4. Spice It Up
When it comes to adding extra flavor to your food, spice it up with some heat. Add a few dashes of cayenne, chili powder, or fresh peppers to your meal. Capsaicin, the compound found in peppers, boosts your resting metabolic rate and increases the amount of calories burned after a meal. Additionally, the added spice to your food makes you feel full and satisfied. So there will be no late night snacking, which can interrupt proper digestion.
5. Sleep and Relax
As we sleep, our bodies use energy to move blood to repair muscles and tissues. They also secrete hormones, such as the human growth hormone, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Getting proper sleep can help your metabolism function at its optimum level. The less sleep you get, the more difficult it is to process carbs. When you are exhausted all the time, your body cannot function properly because it lacks sufficient energy. This means that your metabolism naturally lowers.
Sometimes you are stressed, which can inhibit proper sleep. It also means that your body is full of stress hormones that promote fat cell growth in the abdomen and increase food cravings. Take a load off and relax with some well-deserved “me time.” If you have trouble falling asleep, there are a few tricks that will help you enter a deep slumber. You can also make yourself an evening belly fat burner drink that will speed up your metabolism at night.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
