Boosting Metabolism

Hello!! First off, I would like to say that I'm very sorry for not posting at all last week! I had finals last week and they absolutely killed me, haha. But I'm back and I will make up for it with two new posts this week instead of my usual one! So the topic today will be about how you can boost your metabolism, which is the rate at which our body burns calories. But first, why is it beneficial to have a faster metabolism?  Having a faster metabolism means that your body will be able to break down food and sugars quicker and more efficiently so that they won't be stored as fat. So, that being said, instead of blaming your genes for your slow metabolism, here are 10 easy ways that you can speed it up!

1. Drink water
Our body needs water to process calories. If you are dehydrated, your metabolism will slow down by as much as 3 percent. Studies have shown that by drinking just 17oz of water, which is only a little bit more than a water bottle, the metabolisms of both men and women boosted 30 percent! The boost occurs within ten minutes, and reaches a maximum 30-40 minutes after drinking, so it's ideal for you to be drinking water constantly.

2. Eat breakfast
When you sleep, your body is fasting. And so when you wake up, you have to break that fast, which is why breakfast is called what it is! When you eat breakfast in the morning, you're starting up your metabolism. But if you skip breakfast, your body is still fasting and therefore is operating at a slower rate.

3. Step up your workout
High-intensity exercise, even for a short amount of time, burns more calories than low-intensity workouts for long time intervals. So try some half-hour workouts that really make you push yourself, or add in some shorts bursts of jogging when you walk!

4. Drink tea/coffee
Coffee does increase your metabolic rate, just make sure not to go overboard with the creamer and sugar! Green tea and oolong tea are very good teas for boosting your metabolism. Recently I discovered that you can go to Starbucks and order three scoops of matcha green tea powder mixed with water (you can get it iced or hot) and they only charge you $0.80 for a Venti size! The eighty cents is just to pay for the matcha powder itself, which I think is pretty great. No more sugary $3.75 frappuccinos for me!

5. Get sleep
While I mentioned earlier that your metabolism is slower while you sleep, it is important that you get enough sleep that you aren't sleep deprived, because lack of sleep stops the genes that are responsible for boosting your metabolism. The recommended amount of sleep is to get about eight hours a night.

6. Eat protein
In addition to keeping you full, protein takes more calories to digest than fats or carbohydrates, while boosting your metabolism during meals. So make sure to include some good sources of protein such as chicken, fish, lean beef, tofu, turkey, eggs, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and beans.

7. Build muscle
People with more muscle have a higher resting metabolic rate; one pound of muscle burns 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while one pound of fat only burns 2 calories. After a strength-based workout, your muscles are activated all throughout your body, raising your metabolism.

8. Eat frequently
Your metabolism slows down in-between meals, so try to eat about every 3-4 hours, which is about 5-6 meals a day.

9. Don't stress
Stress causes high levels of cortisol, which is the hormone that leads to belly fat. Hakuna Matata! "It means no worries..."

10. Eat spicy foods
Spicy foods can definitely kick up your metabolism, and though it may only be for a short period of time, if you eat spicy foods enough the benefits will most likely add up! So just add in a tablespoon of chili pepper into your dishes or sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top and you'll have a nice spicy addition to your meal that will help boost your metabolism!

This is all my knowledge and tips that I have as far as metabolism goes, I hope that this was useful and maybe--somehow-- interesting? Haha if not, well you read this entire post all the way down to here, so thank you for that! Anyways, I can't wait to talk to you guys in my next post! Actually I'll probably blog again tomorrow... so yes, I will post again very shortly! Thanks again for reading this, and for all your interest and support, you are the best! I know that I wouldn't be as motivated and dedicated to this fitness journey as I am now if it wasn't for you, so thank you.