As we get older, and especially after hitting the big 4 – 0 mark, our metabolism tends to slow down. That means we don’t burn calories off as fast as we used to and that we really have to watch what we eat or we gain weight. Men can get away with it a bit better than women as their metabolism often stays higher and then there are those people who have just inherited a faster metabolism. For those of you looking for how to boost your metabolism, there are some ways to get your body burning off calories better. Here are 7 to get you going.
1. Drinking to Boost Your Metabolism
Your body needs water to process calories. Your liver in particular is the organ responsible for increasing metabolism to burn fat. If your kidneys aren’t getting enough water then the liver takes over some of its work. That slows the liver down from converting stored fat into energy. The average person needs to drink about 2 quarts of water a day. This of course should not be all at one time, but rather spread out throughout the day so as to not overtax the kidneys. One research study reported adults drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily showed more calories burned than those drinking only 4 glasses daily. If you have trouble getting that much water down a day, add fruits and veggies that naturally have water in them to your diet.
Green tea is another drink that can help boost your metabolism. Research studies have shown that catechin, found in green tea, can help burn off fat. Since green tea also has EGCG and caffeine, it gives you the extra metabolism boost associated with those. One study concluded that drinking between two and four cups of green tea daily can help your body burn 17% more calories when exercising.
2. Enzymes to Boost Your Metabolism
For a natural and healthy way to keep your metabolism high and your fat content low, add enzymes to your regimen between and at meals. Enzymes help boost your metabolism. These enzymes contain amylase, cellulase, lipase, protease, and lactase for more efficient digestion to avoid the after-meal energy slump. These enzymes with an extra boost contain cayenne and other ingredients to increase metabolism, burn fat, digest a broad spectrum of substances, and clean up waste in the body.
3. Exercise to Boost Your Metabolism
According to Gary Hunter, PhD, a professor of human studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, getting exercise such as strength training twice a week can boost metabolism that has slowed down due to age. Doing less intense exercise can help boost your metabolism too if you add in 30 second periods of more intense exercise. For example, start out walking and add in several 30 second bursts of power walking or jogging. Mark Hyman, MD, an integrative and functional medicine specialist in private practice in Lenox, Massachusetts, and author of Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss, explains how this boosts metabolism by making your body use more oxygen and your mitochondria burn energy more efficiently. Aerobic exercise is another good type of exercise for boosting your metabolism. The more intense workout you do, the better when it comes to boosting metabolism and maintaining a higher metabolism level even when resting.
4. Metabolism Boosting Foods
Eating antioxidant foods that are high in flavonoids are another way to boost your metabolism. This would include berries, pears, apples, green tea, dark chocolate, onions, peppers and most of your bright colored vegetables. Adding these types of foods to meals or as snacks also gives you some extra water. If you are trying to boost your metabolism, get organic fruits and veggies as your metabolic system works better when fed metabolism boosting foods not grown with pesticides. Foods grown with pesticides interfere with the thyroid’s ability to regulate metabolism. If you are a snacker, these are much better choices for a variety of reasons than foods loaded with sugar or simple carbs. Another good snack is this snack bar made with high-quality, organic ingredients, fortified with sprouted grains for antioxidant power, greens, and AFA bluegreen algae. It also has almond butter for a smooth texture and is sprinkled with minced almonds which helps make it great tasting as well as nutritious and convenient.
5. Omega-3 Fatty Acid to Boost Your Metabolism
Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid and a polyunsaturated fatty acid and we get it from metabolism boosting foods such as salmon, herring, cod, mackerel, tuna, flaxseed oil, chia seeds, dark-green leafy vegetables, walnuts, olive oil and AFA bluegreen algae. This fatty acid works to boost metabolism by reducing insulin levels so that fat is burned off rather than being stored and lessening resistance to leptin, a hormone linked to fat burning.
6. Dump the Trans Fats to Boost Your Metabolism
You probably know that trans fatty acids are considered one of the “bad” fats. But do you know why and that they slow your body’s metabolism? This type of fat increases LDL cholesterol levels and lowers HDL cholesterol levels, can increase triglycerides, cause insulin resistance, lead to inflammation and it attaches to fat and liver cells. All of this can affect your metabolism by slowing it down. Some transfat is naturally occurring such as animal fat in meats, but transfat can also be created by taking vegetable oil and adding hydrogen to it. Most of your fried foods contain transfats and margarine, cookies, crackers and pasta are foods that often have this type of fat added.
7. Protein to Boost Your Metabolism
Protein is digested more slowly than fats or carbohydrates. This means your body will use more energy absorbing nutrients from protein foods. A study from Purdue University reports that high protein diets help maintain leaner body mass which also aids in burning fat. Stick with the good proteins instead of those that have a lot of fat. Good proteins come from lean sources such as beans, soy, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts and low-fat dairy. Another way to get some good protein into your diet is with this whey protein powder shake mix. Composed of pure whey protein from rBGH-free milk, natural favors, sunflower lecithin, and sweetened with stevia and all-natural Whey Low®, along with raw organic sprouts, protein-digesting Enzymes, and organic AFA bluegreen algae, each serving gives you 22 grams of high quality protein. Whey protein isolate is high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates to help preserve and build muscle while losing fat. The wheat sprouts in this drink mix give you a good source of fiber and protein as well as being high in essential minerals, amino acids, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and active enzymes. Since whey protein has to be broken down into amino acids for the body to use it, this mix also includes an enzyme blend that will do just that.
You don’t have to settle for the job your metabolism is doing for you now. Turn back the clock and give your metabolism a boost with any or all of these 7 tips. Giving your metabolism a boost will pay off in how you look and feel, your energy level and how well your body will perform for you.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-boost-your-metabolism?ecd=wnl_wmh_062614&ctr=wnl-wmh-062614_ld-stry&mb=Xenvmz6dAtHtkRjp7Is6CeHnVev1imbCfXusP2Lh3sM%3D&print=true
https://office.newearth.com/ProductDetail.aspx?item=21603
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306911,00.html
