Fitness Tip Tuesday – 7 Ways To Fire Up Your Metabolism

September is always a time for new beginnings for me. A time to start a new project, start a new course, book, diet and of course exercise routine.

After a HOT summer of having social drinks, family and friend gatherings, it is time to really GET SERIOUS about staying lean and healthy!

 

Here are 7 Ways To Fire Up Your Metabolism to get your body sexy and functioning properly again!

 

1. Drink Green Tea – this impressive 4000 year old plant has become a staple for most fitness and health enthusiasts. With benefits such as immune enhancement and fat metabolism, it is not wonder why this ancient leaf is gaining more and more popularity.

How it Works: The polyphenols in green tea activates our thermogenisis, helping our body burn more calories faster.  As a natural diuretic, green tea will help to remove excess water weight creating a leaner look. And lastly, green tea helps to slow down the release of carbohydrates preventing rises in blood-insulin levels.

 

2. Swap Steady State Cardio for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – You can burn fat 2x FASTER  and in HALF the time by incorporating High Intensity Training (HIT) into your exercise routine.

The more intense the workout, and the more muscles utilized, and the more oxygen is consumed as muscles use energy when they contract. The more oxygen is consumed, the more energy is expended; the more calories you burn!

 

3. Don’t Skip Your Morning Coffee – caffeine has been proven to increase resting metabolic rate, meaning it enhances the body’s calorie-burning potential.  As with green tea, caffeine creates a thermogenic response, speeding up your metabolism and is also a diuretic. NOTE: Caffeine is better used prior to a workout for the stimulant effect.

 

4. Eat Breakfast – When you skip a meal, your metabolism slows down and your body thinks it is in “starvation mode”. This will signal the body to store fat, saving it for energy when needed.

 

5. Get Enough Sleep – Findings of the study appearing in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,’ add to the evidence that lack of proper sleep can lead to weight gain, not only by boosting hunger but also by slowing the rate at which calories are burned.

Sleep deprivation can also increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease; where as the right quality and quantity of sleep trigger the production of human growth hormone, which builds muscle mass, thickens skin and strengthens bones. In addition, constant fatigue causes stress and irritability, both of which can contribute to accelerated aging and prevents the body from properly restoring itself.

 

6. Eat Often – By eating every 2-4 hours your will be keeping your metabolism going. Your meals are essentially “metabolism boosters”. Once you take too long to eat in between meals, your body will switch to “storage mode”.

 

7.  Eat Protein With Every Meal – By improving your muscle mass with resistance training and nutrition, you increase your basal metabolic rate, meaning your body will be more efficient at burning calories ALL DAY LONG!  A pound of muscle can burn 20-30 calories a day, as opposed to the 5 calories a pound of fat burns.

 

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See also: 10 Lessons in Fat Loss