10 Ways to Turbocharge Your Metabolism
By Sandy Schroeder
Each person has an individual metabolic rate that determines how fast the body burns calories. Finding ways to speed up the process would make life easier for those of us who tiptoe past the scale, or sigh as we indulge in a forbidden double hamburger from our favorite drive-thru. Here are some tips that might help.
Eat several times daily – Keep your metabolism humming by eating small meals or snacks every 3 to 4 hours. Do not skip meals, or eat large meals infrequently, which may lead to slower metabolism and fat storage.
Accelerate with spice – Chopped green or red chili peppers will naturally turbocharge metabolism. Stir them into omelets, beans, soups and casseroles.
Move more – Try for 30 minutes a day of doctor-approved exercise. Break up workplace sitting sessions with five-minute walking breaks. After work, walk with your kids, garden, or walk the dog instead of collapsing on the couch. Keep the weekends active with biking, swimming, camping or wilderness hikes.
Fill up with fiber – Nutritionists say fiber can increase metabolism by as much as 30 percent. Eat 25 grams of fiber daily, choosing beans, nuts, popcorn, baked potatoes with skin, brown rice, oats, and berries.
Rest well – Doctors tell us people who sleep less than the recommended 6 to 7 hours are often more stressed out and apt to have more unhealthy visceral fat.
Opt for protein – Try for 70 grams or more of protein daily. More calories are burned digesting protein than carbohydrates or fats. Choose beans, nuts, chicken, eggs, fish or low-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Avoid trans fats – Artificial trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid to create a longer shelf life. Mayo Clinic says they are double trouble for the heart, increasing bad cholesterol and reducing good cholesterol. Watch for the term “partially hydrogenated oils” on cakes, cookies, pie crusts, crackers and chips.
Stay hydrated – Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water daily to power metabolism and flush out toxins and fats. A glass of ice cold water before a meal may make you feel full faster.
Increase late day exercise – Thirty minutes of walking before supper helps increase the metabolic rate for another two hours.
Make breakfast a must – Establish your metabolism with a high-protein breakfast and keep it going with small meals throughout the day. Try a veggie-filled omelet with a side of spicy black beans or hot oats with a slice of turkey bacon.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Zionsville, Ind.