1. DRINK A LOT OF WATER
This is one of oldest trick that you might have already heard. Not only because it keeps your skin hydrated and helps you feel full by preventing overeating but also because drinking a lot of water lead to weight lost as a result of metabolism increase.
Everything we ingest, take calories to be processed, so more water you drink more calories your body use to process it.
Question is: How much water we should drink?
The exact amount depends on our activity and the age.
2. BE MINDFUL WHILE EATING
Forget about the meals eaten in your desk or in front of TV. Researches have shown two important components linked when we are not mindful while eating.
1. We eat too fast without letting time to our gut to transmit to our brain that we are full. It takes about 20 min for cholecystokinin (CCK) (a hormone that signal that we are full) to kick in. Faster we eat more we eat without realising that we are full.
2. Develop unhealthy habits without having a regular dining schedule which contribute in weight gain and unhealthy eating.
In the other side to maintain a rapid metabolism, increase the amount of proteins in each meal. Protein is the most important building block for muscles. Higher protein meals make us feel more satiated after meals and maintain lean muscle mass.
How much we should eat?
We can absorb about 30g protein at a time that is used by our body for muscle group and repair.
That means around 113g/ serving or in a simplified way, to achieve the recommended daily intake of protein, just add these in your everyday healthy routine:
Good sources include poultry, fish, dairy, beans, nuts and lentils. If you find it hard to eat enough of these foods, (mainly seniors) consider adding protein powder to a smoothie
Do not forget to always eat breakfast!!!!! If we skip protein at breakfast, we lose the opportunity in your day to feed your muscles, and do not think we can double up at dinner, our body can’t utilize more than 30g at a time.
3. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEPING
This have been always one of my main battels when it comes to convincing my grown-up kids not to sleep too late and get up late. It is harder than I thought but for many reason is worth not to give up.
A quality night is crucial for a healthy metabolism because little sleep can cause great damage to two important hormones leptin and ghrelin that regulate appetite.
If we stay late at night, we become obliged to consume food to fight night hunger and we are all aware that those foods are not the best ones.
Usually when we go to bed late, we wake up late, so we automatically skip breakfast.
This make us not only crave for food during the day but force us to all kind of fast food and easy to grab foods mostly junk which are fatter and weaken out metabolism.
To improve the quality of sleep, cease exposure to blue light two hours prior to sleep. Exposure to the blue light of our electronic devices resets melatonin levels so that getting to sleep becomes harder, and too little sleep means weight gain for most people; thus, exposure to blue-light at night can impact glucose metabolism.
4. EXERCISE
Start moving!! Get the right exercise. Train two or three times a week to build lean muscle mass. Keep in mind that each 500g of muscle, burns roughly 6 calories/day at rest, up to 3 times more calories than 500g fat, which roughly burn 2 calories/day.
It’s not just about being a gym rat. In the other side, do not glue to your desk while working. To integrate more movement into your everyday routine, opt for a standing or transitional desk, or just make sure to set a timer to walk around the office every half an hour, do a few squats, use stairs, walk on way home or office, something to keep the body moving.
Different movements stimulate your metabolism and keeps off fat.
5. ENJOY A CUP OF COFFEE AND/OR TEA
“Caffeine can increase your metabolism up to 8% while Tea kicks it up by boosting your metabolism by 10%.
Green tea goes above and beyond thanks to its catechins, and the effects add up.
Drinking three to four cups a day can potentially burn up 50 to 100 calories. Always opt for the organic products.
This is not an excuse to indulge in flavoured lattes or sugary green tea drinks from the store because their effect is not beneficial.
