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5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Burning calories by just sitting around sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Well, when you were in your 20’s you did that pretty efficiently. That’s when you had your highest resting metabolic rate. After 25, your body stopped growing bone, and your basal metabolic rate has dropped about 2% every decade since then.That’s why you might find it harder to work off that desert or bounce back after the holidays now. Don’t worry, because there are things you can do. Here are 5 simple ways to boost your metabolism.

DRINK WATER

Staying well hydrated and drinking plenty of water does many positive things for you including boosting your metabolism. According to a study by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism [1] healthy men and women who drank just 17oz increased their metabolic rate by 30 percent! For best results you should consume half your body weight in ounces each day. For example: someone who is 200 pounds should be drinking about 100 ounces of water each day.

GET STRONG

steve stearns skiingExercise and strength training, in particular, is a simple way to boost your metabolism. Lean muscle is more
“metabolically active” than fat and that means muscle burns more calories at rest! Any type of exercise will help. So get walking, running, cycling, skiing or anything you enjoy that keeps you active.

Take a Cold Shower

I know it might sound crazy but there are some amazing health benefits from going cold in the shower. One you may be most interested in is the boost in metabolism you get. Taking a cold shower causes your body to produce brown fat, which has been shown to fight obesity among other things.[2]

Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Each night when you’re sleeping you’re “fasting” and an important part of the day is breaking that fast. That’s where breakfast gets it’s name. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is really helpful in boosting your metabolism. The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center says eating breakfast can increase your resting metabolism by up to 10 percent.

Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep can help boost your metabolism. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep effects hormones that help regulate appetite and negatively impacts your metabolism. How much sleep should you get? Well the National Sleep Foundation[3] recommends the following:

  • Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
  • Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
  • Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

Bonus: Eat a Well Balanced Diet

One of the very best things you can do to improve your metabolism is to eat a balanced diet of whole clean foods. There may be foods in your diet right now that are sabotaging your best efforts, they might even be disguised as healthy choices! By redirecting your food choices and making simple easy adjustments you can see amazing results, just like I did! It’s easy and the best part is, what you learn let’s you maintain this way of eating forever!

References

  1. Water-Induced Thermogenesis. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2017, from http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
  2. The Body Fat That Might Help You Shed Pounds. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2017, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20141022/brown-fat-weight-loss#1
  3. National Sleep Foundation Recommends New Sleep Times. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2017, from https://sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times

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