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Everybody likes a short-cut, and most people seem to be interested in being less fat, so here are some lifestyle and diet tips on how to boost your metabolism and increase the breakdown of those stubborn fat stores.
Increase the intensity of your workouts
In my experience, this is the most effective way to help your body burn more fat. I explain this in-depth here.
Do some activity in the morning (preferably on an empty stomach)
In the absence of carbohydrates, your body will burn fat stores. Drink a coffee, and smash a work-out!
Try skipping breakfast and/or Intermittent Fasting (IF)
If you want to try a new fat-loss strategy, IF can help increase your metabolism because (among other things) it causes your body to release more adrenaline and in turn your body is forced to bun more fat in order to fulfil this extra energy requirement.
Eat smaller meals more often
This is a topic that is completely up for debate (whether there is a difference between eating 3 big meals vs 5-6 smaller meals), but I personally found that this did help me shed unwanted fat, and the principle is sound (eating on a more regular basis helps maintain an active metabolism). This strategy has not necessarily proven to be more conducive to weight-loss, but I would certainly suggest doing it.
Eat more fiber and protein
Not only does your body burn more calories digesting foods high in fiber & protein but if you increase these types of food in your diet, you’ll be substituting less-desirable foods like simple carbohydrates (sugar) that will cause you to store fat. Try to make sure that protein makes up at least 30% of your diet.
Drink cold water
Drinking water fills you up and keeps your metabolism functioning at an optimal level- some studies have shown that fat-burning metabolism can increase by up to 30% within 10 minutes of drinking 500mL of water. Adding ice to your water (or simply drinking it as cold as possible) also makes your body work harder because it has to heat up in your stomach, which increases your metabolism.
Drink coffee
I covered the benefits of caffeine in my last post. Coffee a stimulant that contains caffeine. Among other things, it can help you boost your energy expenditure and speed up metabolism by making your body release more fat burning hormones like adrenaline.
Drink green tea
Green tea has compounds called phenols that have great thermogenic properties beyond those explained by its caffeine content. It is also full of a phytonutrient called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which increases the hormone responsible for making you feel satiated. Drinking green tea daily can have the long-term effects of helping prevent the storage of excess fat, improving your appetite-regulating hormones and changing how your body handles cravings and metabolizes food. Some studies have shown that green tea can help you burn up to 40% more calories per day and lead to sustainable weight-loss. Have I mentioned that green tea also has a high caffeine-content?
Add cinnamon to everything
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Spices in general are good metabolism-boosters, but cinnamon is my personal favourite- mostly because it is delicious, but also because it is powerful and can increase your metabolism twentyfold! Cinnamon also slows the passage of food through your stomach and has been shown to lower blood sugar levels by stimulating glucose metabolism.
Spice it up
Some plants contain the bioactive ingredient capsaicin, which not only makes them spicy hot, but can also double energy expenditure for up to 3 hours after a meal. Sources include chili peppers, cayenne, jalapenos, habaneros, and even Tabasco. Capsaicin may also work to decrease appetite centers in the brain by boosting the release of certain neurotransmitters (making you eat less). It also raises your body temperature, which may boost your metabolism. Even spicy mustard has been shown to make people burn additional calories.
Ginger
Has been shown to aid digestion, increase body temperature and increase metabolic rates as much as 20 percent after eating.
Turmeric
Turmeric contains the polyphenol Curcumin which has shown to increase the secretion of bile acids, which help metabolize fats; hence the link between turmeric and increased lipolysis rates in the body (the breakdown of fats).
Garlic
Eating garlic has many health benefits, including links to the breakdown of fat and increased metabolism. Garlic works to reduce fat cells, promote peristalsis (which can loosen fat and flush it from your body), and raise body temperature- all helping to stimulate your body’s ability to burn fat more efficiently.
MCT oil (Medium chain triglycerides)
Most fats contain long chain fatty acids, but medium chain fatty acids are more easily digested and converted into energy. MCTs bypass the lymphatic system and are transported directly to the liver for metabolism. Due to this different pathway, MCTs release energy into the blood steam more quickly (more like a carbohydrate) and are thus less likely to be stored in fat cells. Studies also show that when a meal includes MCTs, there is a significant increase in the number of calories burned (increased thermogenic effect), and when more calories are used, fewer are stored as fat. The most commonly used MCT is unrefined coconut oil- which I recommend putting in your coffee for breakfast.
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Eat beans
Beans will keep you full, are high in resistant starch (meaning that some of the calories consumed cannot be absorbed), reduce blood sugar, and create the fatty acid butyrate, which has been shown to increase fat-burning. Studies also show that butyrate improves mitochondrial function in your cells, which can lead to a decrease in fat.
Healthy foods in general
Lots of other whole foods have been shown to boost metabolism like avocados, apples, kiwis, whole grains, etc., so stick to whole, natural foods (read: unprocessed), and you’ll be happy with the results.
Supplements
There are plenty of fat-burners and metabolism boosters out there, but are the top 3 that I’d try first: Caffeine is a no-brainer, and it is the key ingredient in almost all fat-burning supplements. Raspberry ketone regulates adiponectin (a protein used by the body to regulate metabolism) and has shown to break down fat cells more effectively (note: eating whole raspberries will not get you the necessary dose, as you’d have to consume roughly 90 pounds of the berry to reap the benefits). L-carnitine has shown links to fat-loss, but no concrete scientific evidence proves that orally-ingested L-carnitine makes a difference; it can increase the rate of transport of fats into the mitochondria, which can increase fat loss, but there are many variables at work, and more studies need to be done (personally, I’ve tried it, and I did not notice much, if any, difference).
If you have any questions about these metabolism-boosting tips and how to incorporate them into your lifestyle, don’t hesitate to drop me a line!
Happy Monday!
-DW
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