Looking For a Way to Kick Start Your Metabolism?

From your favourite Trendy Fit columnist: Steph

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, and with one holiday already under our belt, it’s a good idea to start thinking about how to offset all the yummy traditional holiday foods we enjoy. We have all been known to indulge a bit during the holidays whether it’s a few glasses of eggnog rum or Nana’s famous cookies, that’s ok! Allow yourself to enjoy these things because that’s part of the holiday season. What we need to focus on is making sure we control how much we eat but we also need to make sure to balance our lives and diet.

It’s always a good idea to consume power foods that help kick-start our Metabolism into gear, i.e. spinach, asparagus, salmon, dark berries. And yes, while it is OK to indulge during the holiday season with your families, friends and co-workers, just don’t completely give up on your healthy mindset.

We’ve talked about a healthy balance before and really; this is what life is all about. If I know I’m going to a holiday party I make sure to get in a great workout and add in power foods, as well as simple tricks that are going to kick-start my metabolism for the day. Like we talked about before, something as simple as drinking water all day before will help your system to stay on top of things is a major help.

As for other tricks I use to help my system with indulgence, I usually focus on 3 main ones.

Always, always eat a healthy breakfast

I know you’ve heard it: break the fast. Breakfast is literally what kicks your body into gear in the morning everyday. Research suggests that people who always eat a healthy breakfast every day have less trouble managing their weight. Remember to include a whole grain, lean protein and some fruit. Stay away from over processed, high sugar content breakfast foods like store bought waffles and cereals.

Sip on Green Tea

I am definitely guilty of consuming more coffee then I should but I will often replace one (or two) of my coffees with a Green Tea. Often times we are just looking to have a hot beverage or something in our hands, so why not make it something that will work to help your body? Green tea can help increase metabolic rate, while also improving fat oxidization. This can contribute greatly to weight loss. Also, the ingredient polyphenol found in green tea work to increase thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned), and therefore raises metabolism. Add in a lemon to add an even greater metabolic increase!

Find a way to de-stress

Doesn’t matter what the problem is, there are millions of things that can stress us out daily. We may not even know what we are stressed about; we just feel that ping of something. Stress has a negative affect on the body and can spike your cortisol hormone (steroid hormone as a result of stress and low blood sugar), increasing your appetite and thus sabotaging your metabolism. There are countless ways to de-stress. A favourite of mine is yoga BUT it is different for everyone. Go for a walk, get your nails done, gossip, get your nails done and gossip at the same time, whatever it is, focus on something that will de-stress you!

At the end of the day it’s continuously about creating that balance in our lives. Go to the parties, enjoy yourself, but never give up on bettering your health. It’s all about maintenance and allowing yourself a treat, but never letting it spiral beyond your control, you are the control and always in the drivers seat. These little tips and tricks are just there to help you stay in the drivers seat during the busy holiday season that will be here before you know it!

Tell us:

What are your methods to kick starting your metabolism?

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