You and I both know you can’t really “boost” your metabolism with fancy detox teas, waist wraps or red pepper chili flakes, but you can take your health into your own hands with some simple tricks to help keep your metabolism revving for good.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
To start, what IS your metabolism? Honestly, most people think their metabolism is in their stomach but it’s actually in their brain, and like a detective, it’s constantly scanning your internal and external environment.
I encourage you to view your metabolism as a stress barometer, it’s hyper-sensitive to stress and directly plays off your current state of being.
Therefore, if you’re stressed from chronic dieting and over-exercising or over-eating and under-exercising your metabolism will take a hit. It doesn’t understand the difference in stress, all your metabolism knows is…..it’s stressed.
When stressed, regardless of where it’s coming from, your body views it as a state of tension and what happens when your body is under tension? It’ll start pulling from other resources (ie: reproductive hormones, thyroid output, adrenal glands, etc.) to overcompensate.
Your body is SUPER SMART.
#1: Eat enough protein. This one is a non-negotiable for me because your food, specifically protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds, could help increase your metabolism for a few hours. Why? Because you’re requiring your body to use more energy to digest them, known as the thermic effect of food (TEF).
I tell my clients to aim for 20-30 grams of protein per meal and no, peanut butter doesn’t count. :). If you really want to get down to it, eat protein rich foods like I mentioned above (eggs, chicken, beef, cottage cheese, greek yogurt) if you can stomach it. All of these foods meet your needs for proper animo acids (awesome for your brain health), along with B vitamins and other great benefits. Get your protein on, yo!
#2: Lift heavy things. Out of all of them, this one is probably my all time favorite for a healthy metabolic function. Your muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn in a day, even at rest. Bottom line, more muscle = more metabolically active profile. You can find tons of strength-training protocols on the internet, but please make sure you follow someone that actually knows what they’re doing. Progressive overload is my favorite kind of training. Essentially, this means you add weight over time. This type of training is terrific for fat loss goals, muscle building and overall strength and endurance. For a free trial workout, grab this.
#3: Increase your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). You gotta move and refrain from sitting all day, even if it’s your job. You can totally make this happen, promise. Get creative and keep it easyyyyyy. Stand up and walk around every hour, on the hour for 5 minutes. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, park further away from your building, fold laundry, vacuum. These things add up!! Hitting the treadmill for 30 minutes and sitting the rest of the day isn’t going to cut it. Research shows you actually end up burning MORE calories with NEAT than during a 30-minute workout session. Get moving!
#4: Get a good night’s sleep. This one is huge! I know you already know how this works but it doesn’t go without saying, sleep is VITAL for proper metabolism and hormonal health. I see it all the time…..clients performing less than optimal because they slept like crap the night before, feel exhausted during their workout and would rather eat some donuts than lift some iron. Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Another downer? No was to sleep has been shown to boost the hunger hormone ghrelin (up) and decrease the fullness hormone leptin (down). No wonder why sleepy people crave sugar.
#5: Throw in some HIIT training. I’m not a huge component of HIIT training all the time…hello Orange Theory but I am about sprinkling it in from time to time. The benefit with HIIT is you’re burning more calories and getting your heart rate up much quicker in a shorter period of time. High-intensity exercise deliver a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts so you’re going to have to push yourself. Don’t worry, HIIT doesn’t have to be anything of long duration. I tell my clients to keep it around 20 minutes, including warm up and cool down time.
#6: Drink enough H2O! Water, water, water my friend. Drink half your body weight in ounces, okay? Sure, you might have to pee a bit more but wouldn’t you want to be properly hydrated rather than fatigued and exhausted? Yeah, me too. Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism could potentially slow down. In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank only 4. Wahhh! Get on that water, I’m watching you!
#7: Drink a cup of Joe. Bring on the caffeine! In moderation of course. :). Coffee’s benefits can cause a short-term rise in your metabolic rate. It’ll also help you feel less fatigued before a workout and can even increase your endurance while you exercise. Just make sure to drink 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of coffee since coffee iOS a diuretic and can cause dehydration.
I hope these 7 tips were helpful and debunked some of the common myths you hear about metabolism. As always, I’m here if you need me. Are you on my email list at www.kimschaper? If not, you’re missing out on tons of goodies including discounts, free content and so much more.
Also, did you sign up for my FREE Masterclass happening next week? Make sure you get on this list and save your spot. You don’t want to miss this! I’m doing a deep-dive into your metabolism and how to optimize it with proper nutrition protocols, including my PACF METHOD. You can grab your spot here.
xxo,
Kim
