A slow metabolism is often to blame when we’ve put on a lot of weight or are struggling to lose weight too, but there are certain things you can do to boost this chemical process and shift any unwanted pounds.
There are plenty of natural ways that you can give your metabolism a boost, and it’s nothing too daunting either. Simple changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference to your metabolism and encourage your body to burn your energy more efficiently.
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Give HIIT a go
High Intensity Interval Training works to get you sweaty, boost your heart rate and in turn boost your metabolism as it improves how much oxygen the body utilises during intense exercise.
Previous research has shown that giving our body these bursts of speed encourages and stimulates the fat-burning response of the muscles.
Boost your gut health
Our digestion can be impacted by the amount of bacteria that’s in there and it’s important to have the right balance between good and bad. Ensuring that you consume a good quality probiotic supplement regularly could help to improve ohwo your body digests what you consume, as well as supporting your metabolism.
Choose protein with every meal
Protein is a good choice to have with every meal because it has been shown to give the biggest rise in your metabolism compared with carbs and fats. Research has also shown that it keeps you fuller for longer than other types of foods which helps to stop you from overeating.
Don’t starve yourself
One of the worst things you can do for your metabolism is starving yourself in a bid to lose weight. Keep your metabolism steady by ensuring that your blood sugar levels are steady and you don’t get huge spikes of insulin, which causes the body to store fat.
Eating small meals regularly throughout the day, or ensuring that you have three meals and two healthy, balanced snacks is the best way to prevent your bloody sugar from dipping too low which results in your metabolism slowing down.
Boost your magnesium intake
Not getting enough magnesium in our diet can not only effect metabolism but have an impact on sleep, and when we don’t sleep enough this impacts metabolism too.
Including a magnesium supplement in your lifestyle can help to support relaxation and sleep, as well as impacting the energy of our metabolism too.
Build muscle
As well as including HIIT workouts in your schedule, you should also make time for muscle building too. Having a body that is made up of lean muscle will increase your metalbolism greatly than having a body that’s made up of fat, so even when you’re resting your stilling burning more calories.
Continuing to lift weights will also ensure that you retain the muscle you’ve built and can be beneficial in ensuring that your metabolism doesn’t drop when you lose weight.
Make sea vegetables your go-to snack
Looking for a delicious and nutritious snack? Sea vegetables could be just what you need. They’re nutrient-rich, plus they’re high in iron, magnesium and calcium too. Not only that, but they’re also packed with iodine which helps to support thyroid function, which works to improve your metabolism levels.
Add more spice to your food
Ingredients like peppers and chillies contain capsaicin, which help to naturally boost your metabolism. You do need quite a bit to have a huge impact on your metabolism, but when you’re using them in combination with these other ways to boost your metabolism you could definitely see an effect.
Snack on peppers with houmous through the day, add crushed chillies to homemade dishes and top dishes with fresh chillies and jalapenos to really feel the heat.
Choose green tea
Research shows that one of the main ingredients in green tea, catechin, can help to boost metabolism. Some experts suggest that you might need to drink five cups of green tea a day, but if you start at one and build up from there you’ll definitely see a difference to your health, simply because they’re packed with antioxidants too. Try drinking it iced if you’re not a fan of hot drinks.
Boost your vitamin B intake
Vitamin B is an essential vitamin that our body needs because it helps to turn the foods we eat into energy, if you’re not getting enough of it your metabolism will slow down, which will result in your feeling tired, depressed and increase your risk of diseases.
Ensure that you’re getting enough vitamin B in your diet by eating foods like broccoli, melon, spinach, beans, eggs and fish.