A slow metabolism is very common among people past their teenage years and it can make it really difficult to lose weight and extremely easy to gain weight. Besides, a slow metabolism can you tire out easily so you don't enjoy life to the fullest. Fortunately, you can easily boost your metabolism naturally and you can find easy ways to do this below:
1. Early morning intense exercise: a short burst of intense exercise after just waking up is an excellent way to speed up your metabolism. And the best part is that you only need five minutes of intense exercise. Either running in place, jumping jacks or lunges will do trick. Also, if you have a stair master or a jogging machine, that is perfect as well. Get your heart rate up for five minutes and cool down for two minutes.
2. Drink lots of water: drinking more than 2 litres of water a day will not only cleanse your body but it will also boost your metabolism because the metabolic process needs water for fuel it. To get the best results, drink alkaline water.
3. Eat more spicy foods: Indian cuisine had it right... Hot spices like curry, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cumin, and turmeric all help the body speed up your metabolism. There are also other hot spices that won't strike you as such but they have that effect on the body. These include cinnamon, cardamon, ginger and nutmeg. These spices can be added to different dishes, including soups, stir-fries, casseroles, among others. A great combination is cinnamon an coffee. Just add it before you brew it.
4. Take care of your thyroid. This gland needs certain minerals such as selenium, zinc, copper, and iodine to work efficiently. You can get such minerals from seafoods and nuts.
5. Don't skip breakfast. Many people skip this very important meal of the day due to their fast-paced lifestyle or their lack of appetite when they wake up. However, your metabolism needs a healthy breakfast to perform efficiently during the day. That is why it is a good idea to have some healthy protein like eggs and fruit bursting with antioxidants like blueberries and strawberries in the morning.
6. Eat less late in the day. It is not recommended to have a big meal for dinner nor snacking at night before bedtime if you want to speed up your metabolism. Follow the pyramid diet: eat more earlier in the day and less at dinner.
7. Get your omega-3's. Eating great amounts of food rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, herring and tuna can help boost your metabolism since omega-3s balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation, helping to regulate metabolism. They may also reduce resistance to the hormone leptin, which researchers have linked to how fast fat is burned.
8. Make some muscles. This rule is not only for body builders, but for everyone. In fact, muscle uses more energy than fat. After months of strength-training, your resting metabolism will burn more calories.