Recently we explored foods which enhance metabolism for fat burning or weight maintenance, now let’s look at other factors which can support your metabolism.
Skipping Meals & dieting
There is a common misconception that skipping meals or dieting is a good idea when trying to lose weight. Nothing could be further from the truth! Missing meals, fasting or cutting out all fat intake can actually encourage the body to store fat, as metabolism slows down. Eating regularly throughout the day is important. A good quality, substantial breakfast, to break the overnight fast, is fundamental to kick start our metabolism in the morning. Ideally, eat within about 1/2 hour of rising, and regularly through out the day to ensure you’re body maintains it’s metabolism and doesn’t go into starvation mode. Grazing through the day is ideal. Either having your normal meals and including snacks or having regular smaller meals through the day are best. Small, regular meals ensure that you have a constant supply of energy maintaining metabolism and blood sugar levels. Avoid eating late at night or too close to bedtime when you’re body is getting ready for rest. Morning and earlier in the day, is when your body needs maximum energy to sustain it and maintain your metabolism. So eat your larger meals early in the day like breakfast and lunch and make them smaller as the day progresses.
Hydration
Drinking water and keeping the body hydrated is an absolute priority in maintaining health and beauty. It’s essential for our skin, cells and the elimination of toxins. Aim for between 1.5 to 2 litres per day, increasing that amount when you are exercising or it’s hot. When your body is dehydrated, it slows metabolism so keeping up your water intake is paramount.
Exercise
There’s no escaping it! Without regular, cardiovascular and resistance exercise, optimizing your metabolism is extremely difficult. The benefits of exercise are broad, having a positive impact on body, mind and soul! By increasing your cardiovascular fitness and building muscle, you’ll boost your metabolism. The more intensely you train, the more you’ll increase your metabolism. However, going for a brisk walk will still make a difference but if you’re serious about giving your metabolism a swift kick start, regular intense training session is ideal. Increase gradually if your just starting out. Walk briskly for 20-30 minutes a day and as your fitness increases, increase the length and intensity of your training aiming for about 45 minutes at least 4-5 times a week. Varied training like boxing, weight training and intense dancing are great to push yourself and get maximum benefits. Train as hard as you can for as long as you can, as your increased metabolism can last for several hours after your training session. Interval training is a great way of pushing yourself to your maximum intensity. Running on a treadmill or at an oval are ideal. Warm up by walking, building up to a light jog for a few minutes, then run as fast as you can for a couple of minutes, then go back to a light jog or brisk walk for a couple of minutes to recover and repeat.
For more information or if you’d like a specialized program designed for you by our nutritionist Lina Capovilla, call us on 9894 0014 now!