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Fire Up Your Metabolism

When you make small changes in your daily life such as eating better, soaking in your hot tub, and exercising, you can increase your metabolism and feel better every day.

In this article, let”s look at how to fire up your metabolism.

What is Metabolism?

Your metabolism is a collection of chemical reactions that take place in your body. Metabolism converts food into energy – it’s the energy your body burns and is a major factor in weight loss or weight gain.

Ways to Fire Up Metabolism

Are there ways you can crank up your metabolism to lose weight? Well, yes and no. There isn’t a magical switch to your metabolism. You can’t turn it on or off to help you lose weight.

If you see a pill that promises to do just that, approach it with caution. In this Mayo Clinic article on metabolism and weight loss, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D, L.D., warns that boosting your metabolism through supplements won’t help you lose weight. Changing your diet and lifestyle helps make that change.

That said, changes to diet and lifestyle can help with your metabolism.  If you search for metabolism-boosting ideas, you’ll find simple weight-loss tips.

Are there changes you can make in 20 minutes a day or less that can affect your metabolism? Yes! Here are a few ideas that you can put in place for just a few minutes a day.

Eat Right – At the Right Time

Start your day with a good breakfast. As a survival mechanism, your body reacts to hunger by slowing down and adding fat to conserve energy. According to a study shared by The Toronto Sun, people who skipped breakfast are four and a half times as likely to be obese than those who don’t. Eating small meals during your day keeps your metabolism running. Focus on foods like lean protein, complex carbohydrates and not junk food.

Have Some Whey Protein

Try making smoothies with whey powder. “Whey protein increases calorie burn and fat utilization, helps the body maintain muscle, and triggers the brain to feel full,” according to Paul Arciero, a professor in the Health and Exercises Sciences department at Skidmore College. Proteins like whey have a thermogenic that makes your body produce more heat and burn more calories. Whey seems to have a metabolic effect even greater than meat proteins.

Enjoy Your Coffee

The average metabolic rate of people who drink caffeinated coffee is 16% greater than those who drink decaf, according to a study in the journal Physiology & Behavior (cited at Health.com).

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by increasing heart rate and breathing. Note: The cream and sugar you’re adding can negate the positive benefits.

Go Green

The list of benefits of green tea continues to grow. Among its other healthful qualities, green tea contains a compound called ECGC, which promotes fat burning. According to an article at Active.com, people who consumed three to five cups a day for 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6%.

Choose Organic Produce

Pesticides found on produce have been blamed for slowing metabolism and causing weight gain. Try mixing up your purchases and add some organic produce to your shopping cart.

Step It Up

Increased activity fires up your metabolism and burns more calories. As a health tip, this one’s probably obvious to just about everyone.

Try pushing your exercise into a higher intensity workout. It fires up your resting metabolism the most, according to WebMD.com. Consider other small changes during the day that can help.

For example, when you get a phone call, stand up rather than staying seated. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a 150 pound person burns 72 calories an hour sitting and 129 calories an hour standing. Walking around the office while you talk increases the total to 143 calories an hour.

Treat Yourself to Some Dairy

Try milk or low-fat yogurt for a calcium-rich snack. These snacks can help your body metabolize fat more efficiently, according to a University of Copenhagen study (reported in Active.com).

Incorporating small changes into your life can help heighten your metabolism over time.

Source: Caldera Spas