Your body's metabolism is comprised of enzymes and hormones. Metabolism converts your food intake into fuel (your body's energy). You have probably heard that some people are genetically predisposed to a sluggish metabolism, which is attributed to weight gain.
While this may be true for some people, know that there are certain foods that naturally help increase metabolism and shed pounds.
The worst thing people could do for their metabolism is to skip breakfast.
Eating a healthy breakfast in the morning before heading out the door to work or school will jump-start the body into burning calories. Studies indicate that eating breakfast may increase resting metabolism by 10 percent and reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes.
Best choices?
High-grain fiber cereals, steel-cut oatmeal and oat bran which all decrease bad cholesterol and are known for their fat-soluble fiber. Having fiber in the morning also satisfies the body longer, so people end up eating less throughout the day.
Protein found in legumes and lean meats will also increase the body’s metabolism. For lunch, reach for a lean turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread instead of fatty meats such as pastrami or roast beef.
Protein builds lean muscle tissue, which helps burn fat and increases the metabolism. The body burns many more calories digesting protein as it uses for fat or carbohydrates.
Protein may require almost 25% more energy to digest compared to fat. Protein is a great energy booster that can also be found in dairy products such as low-fat cheese, yogurt and skim milk and natural soy products such as edemame, tempeh and roasted soy beans.
The best natural metabolism booster is fruits and vegetables. Make sure to include fruits or vegetables with every meal. Apple slices and carrot sticks make great-take-anywhere snacks.
When dining out, substitute a green salad for the baked potato or order fruit instead of a high-calorie dessert. Fruits and vegetables contain great amounts of fiber and powerful antioxidants that boost the body's immune system and protect it from disease.
When people have a hypothyroid, fatigue, difficulty losing weight, or continued weight gain can all be attributable to a drop in the metabolism that frequently accompanies hypothyroidism.
Even after the hypothyroidism is properly treated with thyroid hormone replacement, people may find that their metabolism has not bounced back to where it was before.
This sluggishness in your metabolism can leave you feeling exhausted, and finding that you can't lose weight, despite a healthy low-calorie diet.
Dinner should be the lightest meal, and some experts recommend people do not eat anything after 8 p.m., or any later than 3 to 4 hours before bedtime.
This helps the body process and burn the food when it is moving around, thus burning more calories per hour.
Depriving the body of fuel is a surefire way to slow it down. Food stimulates energy metabolism needed for digestion in a process called “dietary induced thermogenesis.”
When people slash calories, the calories burned by eating are greatly diminished and so is your metabolic rate. Restricting calories also signals the body that there is no food available, so it tries to conserve stores of carbohydrate and fat by slowing down its metabolism.
The best way to keep your metabolism revved is to eat regular meals with snacks when necessary to give your body a constant supply of healthy fuel.
For adults, dropping the calorie intake below 1,000 calories a day will signal the body to hold on to every morsel of fat for energy. Remember, while in this “starvation mode”, the body’s metabolism will slow down.
Smaller, more frequent meals keeps blood sugar stable and provides a steady source of energy to fuel metabolism.
Exercise most of the days of the week.
This is really a help for the metabolism. Aerobic exercise may not build big muscles, but it can rev up the metabolism in the hours after a workout.
The key is to push your body. This may feel uncomfortable, but high-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer increase in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts.
To get the best benefits, try a more intense class at the gym or include short interval bursts of jogging and sprints during your regular walks. Exercising in the morning will also jumpstart the body’s metabolism for the whole day.
At least two to three times a week, add weight, resistance training or progressive resistance exercises that build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, and the more muscle the body has, the more calories it will burn, even at rest!
Resistance training stimulates muscles to become stronger and healthier, providing your body with beneficial improvements in strength and function. Resistance training also reduces fat mass and increases muscle mass.
Research suggests that resistance training may even increase life expectancy.
The energy burning process of metabolism needs water to work effectively. In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four.
To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. In addition, try munching on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are full of fluid, rather than pretzels or chips.
Among supplements, if you are suffering from flagging energy, make sure that you are getting enough B vitamins.
Vitamin B-12 in particular is one that is essential for energy. B vitamins are key players in DNA synthesis, the central nervous system, metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein and energy production.
Inadequate amounts of B6, B12, folate, thiamin and niacin can leave you feeling depressed and fatigued, slow the body’s metabolism and increase your risk for chronic diseases.
Metabolic Blends that help boost metabolism include
❧ grapefruit
❧ lemon
❧ peppermint
❧ ginger
❧ cinnamon essential oils
Just add 8 drops to 16 oz. of water (regular size bottle of water) and drink between your healthy meals throughout the day to help manage hunger, calm your stomach, and lift your mood.
LavHa also has a wonderful metabolic blend that aims to help the body rev up the metabolism and uplift the energy, so you can move better and with a little more hop in your step.
The following oils are all very PH balancing to the body and have a soothing effect on the digestive system. This metabolic blend when combined with body movement and whole foods is a great way to shed those unwanted extra weight around your body from the inside out.
Feel better, look better and smell fresh and fruity. For more information, click on the link below:
http://lavha.com/products/metabolic-blend-for-weight-loss-roller-bottle
Sources: Dr. Oz.com, fitnessmagazine.com, cbn.com, truestarhealth.com
