3 Ways to Boost your Metabolism

Did you know you can improve your metabolism? Yeah, you ACTUALLY have control over it. And these 3 tools are backed by science, which makes it even cooler.

Eat protein at every meal.

Eating will increase your metabolism and burn calories for a few hours while you digest. It’s called the thermic effect of food. And protein has the highest thermic effect out of all the macronutrients. Protein also has the added benefit of making you feel satiated which can keep you from overeating. And it helps with building and maintaining muscle.

What can you eat for protein? Eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, fish, shellfish, lean cuts of pork and beef, wild game, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, and protein powders to name a few.

Lift heavy things.

Building muscle will increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories, even at rest. Muscle is metabolically active tissue that requires energy (calories) to maintain, whereas fat tissue is not. So if you weigh 150 pounds and have more muscle mass, you will burn more calories at rest than if you weighed 150 pounds with less muscle mass. If you’re new to strength training, start with 2 days per week. If you’ve been consistent with lifting, then 3-5 days is what you should aim for.

Move more.

When we sit around, we burn less calories. Every little bit counts. Use a standing or treadmill desk for work. Go for a short walk first thing in the morning and after dinner. Do household chores and gardening. Use a fitness tracker and set a step goal to meet each day. Even fidgeting burns calories. For real, people who fidget can burn 800-2500 calories more than those who don’t. Whatever you do, keep moving.

When you have a higher metabolism, you become a calorie burning machine.

So those days you indulge a little more, celebrate with friends,

or gather with family, won’t have to derail your progress.

In Health,

Dr. Kira