6 top ways to kick start your metabolism right now
Now that we are waving goodbye to the longer, darker days, the promise of spring is growing ever closer.
Yet, as the flowers begin to blossom and we pack away our chunky jumpers and thick tights, many of us will be thinking about how we will look in our favourite dresses and swimwear come summer.
If you over-indulged in comfort food during the winter months, then don’t worry – it’s normal to crave carby foods during frostier days! In fact, our bodies are designed to do so.
However, if you’re already dreading wearing thinner, skimpier clothes, then there’s plenty you can do to feel body confident and shed the winter excess.
Want to leap into spring feeling your best? Here are our top ways to jump-start a slow metabolism, helping you to ditch the muffin tops and shed those stubborn pounds for good!
How to kick start your metabolism
1) Rest
It may sound like a strange one to start a metabolism-boosting post, but rest is every bit as crucial to your metabolism as exercise is – if not more so!
In particular, it’s important that you’re sleeping enough (in an ideal world, this will be at least 7.5 hours or more). This is because scientists believe that, when we are sleep deprived, we struggle to manage our blood sugar levels. What’s more, our hormones go haywire, with our hunger hormone ghrelin going into overdrive after a bad night’s sleep. This means that our appetite increases, so that biscuit tin will look even more tempting mid-morning!
Poor sleep also elevates levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Not only does this mean you’re likely to feel more frazzled and on edge the next day, but you may even start to store excess fat around your tum, resulting in that dreaded muffin top.
2) Eat Breakfast
We’ve all heard that we should breakfast like kings! And, actually, it’s true – to help give your body some TLC, it’s important that we start the day with a nourishing, healthy breakfast.
There have been all kinds of studies which show that eating a good breakfast can help to kick start our metabolism, helping our bodies to burn more energy (and therefore calories!) throughout the day. A good breakfast also helps to keep our blood sugars balanced and stable, which means we will be less tempted by sweet, sugary treats later on in the day.
If you struggle to feel hungry in the morning, then it doesn’t need to be a huge bowl of oats. Something as simple as a chia pudding, or even a green goddess protein smoothie can do the trick – if you need some inspiration, then head to our lifestyle pages for some delicious breakfast recipes.
Rejuvenated Green Goddess Protein Smoothie
3) Re-Set
Sometimes, we all need a boost, a helping hand along the way. Our Re-Set supplement can work wonders when it comes to slipping back into those skinny jeans and firing up a tired and weary metabolism.
Our unique Re-Set formula can help you to find balance in blood sugar levels and manage weight and fat loss, even helping with muscle tone. The ingredients in Re-set include a potent blend of herbs, as well as chromium, copper and zinc, which work to encourage the formation of extra energy in the cells to enhance healthy metabolism. Our new formula also has added choline, which contributes to normal lipid metabolism and the maintenance of liver function. These small pills can also reverse signs of ageing and boost energy – perfect for that extra Yoga or Pilates class!
Check out more on how Re-set can help you
4) Stay Hydrated
Not only can staying hydrated help to plump up the skin, giving it that gorgeous glow that we all desperately want, but it can also help with flagging energy levels and even stimulate our metabolism.
In fact, some studies have shown that regularly sipping on water can fire up our metabolism by up to 30 per cent, while even mild dehydration can see it drop by 3 per cent.*
For super-charged hydration, our H3O Hydration sachets can help you to stay hydrated from the inside, out. These sachets dissolve into water, providing your body with all the minerals and ions key in hydration for skin and health. They also offer nutritional support for our skin throughout the day and contain specific nutrients to enhance water absorption.
Discover the power of H3O Hydration
5) Healthy Fats
After years of being told to follow a low-fat, low calorie diet, we’re now finally starting to wake up – fats (or at least, ‘good’ fats) are our friends! Foods such as avocado, coconut oil and nuts and seeds contain essential fats which are building blocks for our hormones. They can also help to reduce inflammation in the body, and are a great source of energy once our bodies have burned calories from carbs.
As well as this, fats keep us feeling fuller for longer, while some even speed up our metabolism. These fats – found in foods such as coconut oil – are called MCTs and are used immediately by our bodies for fuel, rather than stored as fat. These same MCTs are also thought to encourage fat loss and energy production, as well as our performance in the gym!
To benefit from these wonderful MCT fats, try adding a spoonful (it could be coconut oil or even MCT oil) to our Protein Smoothie for a nourishing, filling meal that is great pre-workout.
6) Ditch the Booze for Good
If you like a glass of red wine (or two) come the evening, then we come bearing bad news! To fire up metabolism and fat loss, it’s better to avoid alcohol altogether.
Unfortunately, studies have shown that, not only does alcohol carry extra calories, but it can also slow our metabolism down by a whopping 70%. Next time you’re tempted by an evening tipple, why not pour yourself some Collagen Shots instead…?
Clinical studies
