There are several ways to boost metabolism. Most articles and resources concerning boosting metabolism speak of specific foods and exercises. You know, the typical ones like… interval training, green tea, eating breakfast, etc. However, there are many ways to boost your metabolism that fly under radar and are overlooked quite often. Here are seven little known ways to boost your metabolism.
Hot peppers
Several studies have shown that hot peppers like habaneros, cayenne, and jalapenos can speed your metabolism. It is due to the heat in these peppers produced by capsaicin. Capsaicin generates chemical processes within cell structures that have an effect on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) reactions involved t in thermogenesis. No, this is not a missing chapter in the Bible, it is the process by which your body generates heat or energy. This increases not only your body temperature but your metabolism as well.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is not just for sweet treats. It is great for boosting your metabolism. Just ¼ – 1 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can significantly improve your glucose metabolism to help your body use insulin more efficiently. Cinnamon improves your metabolism by taking sugar out of the blood and sending it to cells to be used for energy instead of being sent to fat cells to be stored as fat. You can include cinnamon in your daily diet by adding it to your morning coffee or oatmeal.
Sleep
Sleep deprivation causes your body to store fat. Lack of sleep impairs your body from properly metabolizing carbohydrates which leads to high blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar causes increased insulin levels. Increased insulin levels signals to our body to store unused energy as fat. This ultimately leads to weight gain.
Ice Water
Before you have your morning joe, roll out of bed and grab a big tall 16 ounce glass of ice water. Researchers have found that doing this boosts metabolism by 24% for at least 90 minutes afterwards. Your body utilizes energy to heat itself up after the cold blast of water which ignites your metabolism. Also, drinking cold water in morning could help to wake you up more quickly than coffee. Not to mention it offers hydration for you after your long night’s rest which can also have an effect on metabolism.
Intermittent Fasting
Contrary to popular belief, skipping breakfast could boost your metabolism. Skipping breakfast is an easy way to easily incorporate intermittent fasting into your daily routine. Short term fasting helps to boost your metabolism and adrenaline levels causing increased calorie burning during fasting periods. By short term, I mean from 12 – 72 hours. Also, when you are fasting, your body has nothing to burn for energy except fat. So, if you eat your last meal around 8:00 PM, skip breakfast, and eat lunch around noon, you will have fasted for 16 hours which is a great short term intermittent fasting period.
Maca Powder
Maca is an adaptogen that has been used medicinally for centuries in South America. An adaptogen is a biological substance found in rare plants & herbs that help the body adapt to changes and stress. Maca has been found to increase the metabolism to burn fat and balance the thyroid. Maca improves the body’s blood sugar levels to help facilitate decreased hunger cravings as well. You can easily incorporate maca into your diet by adding it to coffee or green smoothies. You can also take it in a pill form.
Watermelon
Watermelon contains an abundance of the amino acid arginine. Studies have found that arginine promotes weight loss. A study in the Journal of Nutrition, found that supplementing the diets of obese mice for 3 months with arginine, led to decreased body fat gains by 64%. They believe that adding the amino acid to the diets enhanced the oxidation of fat and glucose and increased lean muscle. Lean muscle is excellent for burning fat. So snack on watermelon to give your metabolism a boost. If watermelon isn’t available to you year round, you can try other arginine rich foods such as seafood and seeds.
So there you have seven ways to boost your metabolism. There are so many ways to go about increasing your metabolism and burning fat. These were just a few that get a little less attention but are super effective. Try and incorporate a few of these into your daily routine and let me know how it turns out.
Till next time…
Melinda