Have you ever looked at a supermodel and envied her beautiful figure? Of course you have! Who are you kidding? You must have tried various fad diets, excessive work outs, hit the gym, followed a strict health regime, played a sport, but you may not have lost those extra kgs as easily as that slim friend of yours or that lean cousin do you know why? May be because you have a slow (perhaps lazy?) metabolism. So what does that mean? Does that mean that you will never succeed in losing that extra weight and getting a fabulous body? No, you can improve and boost your metabolism. If you are excited to know how, keep reading.
1. Exercise: Yes that’s the first step to boost up your metabolism. If you are thinking that you have been exercising for a while, try increasing the intensity, or try to change your workout routine a bit, like if you have been brisk walking for a long time, try to jog in between. If you have been doing cardio exercise for quite some time, try adding some weights and building muscles. You should try this even if you are a woman, adding weights to your exercise won’t make you bulky and give you muscles, it will only tone your body.
2. Sleep: The most important part of exercise is rest. You need to rest your body, because that is when your body repairs the broken tissues. Researches have shown that people have uninterrupted sleep for 7-8 hours a day tend to lose more weight. It is also said that if you are really tired, it’s better to skip the exercise and rest for the day, because if you exercise even in fatigue you will lose proper posture and are prone to injury. To have uninterrupted and peaceful sleep, try using Eye Masks to achieve complete darkness and avoid unnecessary light.
3. Water: Exercising or otherwise, don’t forget to drink water. Drinking a lot of water benefits your body in a lot of ways. For starters, it helps to flush out the toxins from your body, it cools down the body temperature, it also processes the calories. When your body is dehydrated, your metabolism automatically slows down. Keep in mind that you consume a lot of fresh fruits like watermelon and oranges to keep yourself hydrated. Avoid aerated and sugary drinks by all means.
4. Eat organic: Researches have shown that organic fruits, vegetables and grains, i.e. food that is free of pesticides keeps your fat-burning system running compared to the ones that contain pesticides. This is why it is suggested that you go completely organic.
5. Eat protein: A lot! No matter whether you are on weight loss regime or weight gain protein, you should consume a lot of protein. Protein digests slower than fat or carbs, that is why you feel fuller for longer duration and thus don’t end up eating junk food. Protein also helps to repair and recreate the damaged tissues that were injured or broken while you were working out. Whey Protein or Fish Oil is a really great way to consume protein.
6. Black coffee: Coffee contains high amount of caffeine which boosts the metabolic rate for a while, thus helping you digest your food easily. It also helps you feel fresh and less tired and even increases your endurance while you are busy burning the calories when exercising.
7. Green tea: Green Tea is rich in antioxidants and contains an active ingredient called catechin which improves the metabolism. Catechin also speeds up the fat oxidisation in the body and might help to produce higher energy. Now you have another reason to gulp down that cup of your beloved green tea.
So waiting for, stop being jealous of that great bodied friend of yours and get to work. Follow these simple tips and improve your metabolism and fulfil your life long dream of being lean and healthy.