From fidgeting and eating fat to starting the day with apple cider vinegar, a leading nutritionist and personal trainer outline the top 10 ways to boost your metabolism.
To kick start the fat-burning process, the experts recommend people start the day with a nutritious breakfast, such as porridge, to get the digestion going and help them feel fuller for longer.
Trainer Christina Howells also recommends combining high-intensity interval training with traditional cardio to really make the body work to burn calories.
Building muscle could even help you lose weight in your sleep without having to visit a gym, she adds.
Dietary changes could be as simple as switching your coffee for a matcha green tea, which, as well as being antioxidant rich, seriously boosts the metabolism, according to nutrition consultant Karen Cummings-Palmer.
In a piece for Get The Gloss, London-based Christina and Karen discuss the top 10 ways people can boost their metabolism to help them shed the pounds for good.
A personal trainer and nutrition consultant outline the top 10 ways to boost the metabolism
1. Eat in the am
Eating a nutrient-rich breakfast shortly after getting out of bed quite literally wakes up your metabolism.
Try porridge with almonds and berries, or a spinach and feta omelette with a slice of whole grain toast to get your body going and keep you fuller for longer.
2. HIIT it
Christina said: ‘High intensity interval training is a great time efficient means of boosting your metabolism that has the advantage over steady state cardio in preserving muscle tone.’
Using this strategy causes you to consume more oxygen and make your cell powerhouses, known as mitochondria, work harder to burn energy.
Not to mention HIIT training can be done pretty much anywhere.
3. Make a matcha
Karen recommends a good dose of matcha green tea.
She said: ‘Not only is it a supercharged antioxidant rich drink (about 15 times more than regular green), but it’s also a massive metabolism booster.’
4. Aerobic amp-up
Christina said: ‘Aerobic exercise may not build muscles, but it’s a sure fire way to boost the engine.
‘At rest our metabolism is ticking over but if we rev up the cardiovascular system a notch, this is a super efficient means of burning calories and works to boost your metabolism for many hours after a workout.’
5. Apple cider vinegar
Karen said: ‘My clients have great results with apple cider vinegar
‘A couple of tablespoons in warm water on an empty stomach about 30 minutes before dinner seems to do the job of both boosting the metabolism and curbing the appetite – so you’ll burn a little faster and crave a little less. It’s the ultimate win-win.’
6. Individuality is key
Karen said: ‘I believe in bio-individuality. We all have different needs but lots of small meals throughout the day does not work for me.
‘Whilst it’s a perfectly healthy way of eating, I find that my metabolism works most efficiently when it is fueled by three nutritious meals a day with plenty of time to digest in between.
‘Think of the body as an engine, you burn more fuel my putting your foot down and releasing then by coasting for the entire journey – constant grazing is like coasting.’
7. Life is a gym
Karen said: ‘Opportunities to work out are everywhere and short sharp bursts several times a day are not only great for your lifestyle (we can all spare five minutes five times a day), but fantastic for the metabolism.’
8. Fats and greens
Karen advises diets high in greens and good-quality protein are better for almost everything, and certainly for the metabolism.
Moreover good fats tend to be the best fat burners.
So embrace coconut oil, raw nuts and avocados to keep the metabolism fired up and ready to go.
9. Maximise your muscles
Christina advises both strength and body weight training are efficient means of building and maintaining muscle tissue, which is three times more metabolically active than fat.
This means you continue to burn fat, even when you are sleeping!
In fact, the average woman in her 30s who strength trains 30 to 40 minutes twice a week for four months, will increase her resting metabolism by 100 calories a day.
This means you are resetting your thermostat to keep running at that rate even on the days when you do not make it to the gym!
Christina advises three sessions a week working all the major muscle groups.
10. Move more and fidget
People who cannot sit still burn more energy.
Christina said: ‘Don’t just rely on structured exercise. Extra movement requires energy, while sitting on your butt doesn’t!’
This article was originally published by Get The Gloss and reproduced with their permission.