I’m not a big fan of metabolism pills. Sure, they can help burn fat faster, but I’ve heard a lot of scary side effects (like jitters, or even heart attacks). It just isn’t worth putting my life on the limb. Besides, with all the chemicals that are already in the food, do I really want to add more synthetic stuff to my diet? Are there any other natural and safer ways to boost metabolism? According to the health and fitness experts i talked to, YES!
Eat breakfast
We sleep for eight hours, so when we skip breakfast our body actually goes for 12 hours or more without food. This can trick our body into thinking that we’re ‘starving’ and then survival instinct sinks in. Our body starts digesting food slower to make reserves last longer. Eating breakfast trains our body to digest food at a more normal rate.
Get sleep
Studies conducted by Columbia University in New York found that people who get less than four hours of sleep have a 73% more chance of becoming obese.That’s also because of survival instinct: the body thinks it’s on ‘survival mode’ and will burn calories at a slower rate in order to keep you going through your 20-hour workday.
Drink cold water
Your body needs water, and apparently adding ice cubes to your glass can even help you lose weight. It’s controversial, but one German research found the body has to burn 50 extra calories to raise the temperature of ice cold water so it is equal to the body’s temperature. How true is that? We don’t know, but won’t hurt to try!
Get iron
Iron deficiency can affect your body’s metabolic rate, because it helps the blood transport nutrients. Get iron from red meats, dried fruit and spinach.
Get caffeine
Coffee and tea’s caffeine can improve your body’s metabolic rate—that’s why a lot of diet pills contain caffeine. Plus the antioxidants may further raise the metabolic rate of your body by around 10%, meaning an extra 100 calories burnt a day.
Take smaller meals
Many fitness and diet experts recommend eating five small meals instead of three small meals. These are easier to digest, prevent ‘energy crashes’ and also help you avoid binging. Just stick to the right serving size.
Exercise!
Muscles burn fat even when you’re not doing anything, so if you want to burn calories more efficiently then try a muscle toning routine.