Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism

When you’re trying to shed a few kilos there are things you can do to make that journey a little easier (it’s often hard to change habits, so every little bit helps!). Boosting your metabolism is a great way to get your body working for you, even when you’re not working out!

For a little background, basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate at which we turn calories into energy. The BMR is affected by your gender, age, diet, activity level, thyroid function, amount sleep, amount of body fat, body temperature, weight, and likely our genetics. But even if you’re being woken up 70 million times a night by a little one, or are blessed with ultra curvy genes, we have some ways to improve your metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and particularly the burning of fats for fuel.

I know, the cayenne sounds a bit scary but it has some amazing benefits. Cayenne pepper heats up your body temperature thus burning more calories. It also stimulates your body’s metabolic rate. The lemon helps to keep blood sugars balanced. This prevents insulin spikes and reduces fat storage, all the while keeping your body alkalized. Raw honey is an excellent source of all natural energy, it has medicinal benefits, and it tastes delicious!

We always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that’s especially true when you’re trying to lose weight. Having a balanced breakfast with protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and fruit and vegetables will keep you fuller longer. Some examples include oatmeal, poached eggs with avocado, and scrambled eggs with greens and mushrooms. See our Recipes section for more ideas.

This doesn’t mean you need to become Arnold Schwarzenegger, but instead build long, lean muscles with strength and resistance training. Your body’s metabolic rate increases when you have more muscle mass to maintain and you continue to burn calories long after you’ve left the gym.

This style of exercise has become very popular over the last five years and for good reason. It has been shown to burn more fat effectively than longer forms of cardio. Doing this type of exercise a few times a week helps increase your metabolism and burn fat while you are resting.

When we eat, it increases our metabolism, this is called the thermic effect of food. This occurs because we burn calories while digesting our food and processing the nutrients. Protein increases our metabolic rate by 15-30%.