Your body is a machine, constantly working. But, is it working at it’s full potential or getting bogged down by lack of activity and poor diet choices?
Here are 6 Simple Steps to kick it into high gear and ensure some high-functioning efficiency!
1. Rise and Shine
You’ve probably heard it before but breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast every morning wakes up your metabolism and gets it working. By skipping this oh-so-important meal, your blood sugar plummets from so many hours without food and when your tummy does growl, it will really roar, leaving you susceptible to the urgency cravings and grabbing what is quickest and closest.
2. Eat More
What?! Can that be right? Yes! But, here is the key: eat smaller portions more often during the day. Rather than sitting down to mountain-sized portions only three times per day, eat five smaller servings with some snacks thrown in. When you eat smaller portions, you keep your metabolism revving and your energy levels up. Large meals tend to weigh you down, making you feel sluggish.
3. Protein, Please
Add more protein to your diet. Don’t imbalance your diet with too much protein but make wiser choices with the types of protein you eat. Lean proteins and plant-based proteins especially, are low calorie. Your body burns more calories just digesting these foods which leaves fewer calories to convert to fat stores. The more your body works to break these down, the greater your metabolism works.
4. Ice, Ice Baby
Drink some refreshing ice-cold water. Hydration is hugely important to keep your body functioning as it should. But one tweak to your water consumption should be the temperature. By drinking cold water, your body then has to work to heat it up. Your body working means calories burning.
5. Move it
This may seem obvious but it can’t be over-stated. You body was meant to move. So make time every day, or at least more days than not, to exercise. Choose an aerobic exercise which increases your heart rate for at least 30 minutes. This increase in heart rate will increase your metabolism as well.
6. More Muscles
Just as aerobic exercise increases your metabolic rate during exercise, strength training benefits your body even during rest. Your muscles burn more calories than fat so the more muscle you have, the more your metabolism will work. Just add about 20 minutes of strength training 2-3 times/week.
