Everyone wants those six-pack abs and that athletic looking body. The issue is not many of us are willing to make the sacrifices and put in the time necessary to attain such a goal. With the prevalence of quick fixes and ‘too good to be true” promises, we all know that nothing comes without some sweat equity, dedication and discipline. Today we will share a few tips on how to naturally boost your metabolism.
The typical attitude today is, “How can I get the most out of doing the least?” We are all guilty of this mindset.
Our sedentary, technology-filled lives are a big problem as are our poor diets and lifestyle choices. We can attribute those above to the spare tire, the extra pounds and the lethargy we all feel, be it acutely or chronically.
There are many studies today showing the correlation between sitting for extended periods vs. smoking and how the former is as harmful as the latter, if not more. Surely you have heard the headline – “Sitting Is The New Smoking.”Not exercising is a huge detriment to your health, eating ultra-processed foods and sugar-laden diets are not only dangerous but killing you slowly. We are all creatures of habits and tend to become complacent. We enjoy our comfort zone and cannot be bothered to change our ways. The only constant in life is change, therefore being resistant to change goes against natural law.
Adaptability is our greatest ally and should be applied daily. Below we have compiled a list of action steps you can take to start changing your ways and changing your life.This isn’t a one size fits all as we are all unique, but it is a starting point. We hope it will stimulate you to start using these approaches or to motivate you to find what works for you.For the sake of repetition, please use what works for you and drop what doesn’t.
Tips to Naturally Boost Your Metabolism
COLDER TEMPERATURE
Cooler temperatures seem to increase people’s percentages of brown fat — which has been found to act more like muscle than actually fat. White fat is detrimental to our health. Brown fat, on the other hand, is found to be beneficial.
Some tips to keeping the white fat/brown fat conversion would include keeping your sleeping temperature in the range of 63-66 Fahrenheit (17-18.5 Celsius) at night. This has been shown to double the amounts of brown fat, which brought on more calories burned and higher metabolism.
Another bio-hack for converting white fat to brown is taking cold showers for 30-45 seconds.
The reason brown fat betters metabolism is due to the high amount of mitochondria. Mitochondria are little bacterial (good bacteria) organelles responsible for creating energy (ATP) in our body. They are like little generators to supply our body and cells with appropriate energy and survival.
STRESS CONTROL
This one is no surprise. Stress seems to be villainized for the majority of our afflictions and with good reason. The stress response or ‘fight or flight’ activates the hormone cortisol. Cortisol in the right amount is essential and healthy for our overall wellbeing, but when it runs astray and takes over, problems arise. One of those problems is high levels of cortisol and has to do with the worsening of our metabolism. This is directly related to the risk of obesity – in the long run.
Now, this is a very reductionist and over-simplified explanation, but none the less, this is the genesis of metabolic syndrome.
So, look for ways to reduce stress. Do anything that makes you relax. As we are all unique, you will have to try a few of the approaches below to reduce stress.
Ways to Reduce Stress:
Change Your Mindset
Change your Self-Talk – The conversations you have with yourself are a direct reflection of your mindset
Change your Language – Avoid phrases like “I am always like this” or “I am always doing this” for encouraging a growth mindset.
Determine the mindset you need and act as if.
Learn & Apply – Read books from great minds to understand and adapt their thinking. We have included some great books below.
have included some great books below.
Take Some Time For Yourself
• Daily exercise
• Meditation
• Quiet time
• Yoga
• Music – Listen to peaceful and relaxing music, please do not listen to music that may stress you, for example, heavy metal.
• Reading: There is nothing like sipping on tea in a comfy and cozy spot and reading a good book. If you cannot think of one, we have included some of our favourites below.
• Take a walk in Nature
• Acupuncture
• Quality sleep
The list goes on, so find what works for you and practice it daily. The importance here is that you put yourself first and practice self-loveand self-care.
SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP
Not getting enough quality rest plays a huge factor in slowing down the metabolism for both men & women. This is due to the high cortisol release caused by insufficient rest, which is known stress to the body.
Now keep in mind that we are referring to quality sleep and not just any kind of sleep. Interrupted sleep is known to have the same side effects as not sleeping enough.
Restorative sleep ranges from 7-9 hours of sleep. This range is a guestimate as some people may need more and some less, but the average should be within this range.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training is a no brainer but needs mentioning. There are numerous studies on the benefits of strength training. We won’t reference any as a simple google search will result in a plethora of studies.
We know that any movement, in general, is good for your health, but strength trainingworks best to activate brown fat and reverse metabolism.
The simple fact of increasing muscle mass will increase your resting energy expenditure. In a nutshell, this is simply the number of calories you burn when you are not active. Having more muscle mass turns your body into a fat-burning machine, even when you are resting.
To your health, wellness and longevity. We hope these tips to boost your metabolism naturally will help you to get started or spark some ideas.
Please comment and share your experiences with us.
Please visit our other blogs and shop at www.lifeinspiredbynautre.com
Please note that all opinions here are strictly opinions and for informational purposes only. They are not to be used as a replacement for medical opinions and should not be used as the only metric for diagnosing any medical condition.
This page might contain affiliate links. In the event of a sale, we will be awarded a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/health/@lifeinsbynature/tips-to-naturally-boost-your-metabolism
No comments:
Post a Comment