Strengthen Your Metabolism

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Metabolism gets blamed for many of our health problems, especially our weight gain.

I often receive questions like:

  • How can I speed up my metabolism?
  • Why is my metabolism so sluggish?
  • What is a good diet to increase my metabolism?

Is it true that a slow or sluggish metabolism causes you to gain weight?

Metabolism is all your physical and chemical processes working together to produce energy for your body.

Can you boost your metabolism?

Short answer: Maybe

I know, not a clear answer at all. But this just lets you know that your lifestyle factors come into play for your metabolism to function optimally.

What is your diet like?

How often do you exercise?

What medications are you taking?

Your goal is to learn how to support your metabolism in order to create the most energy your metabolism will provide. You’ll never have the same metabolism as someone else, because your lifestyle, diet, fitness, and genetics are unique to you.

Let’s look at how you can support your metabolism for better health and more energy.

Hydration – Hydration

How much water are your drinking throughout the day?

Your first goal of the day is to drink a glass of water upon rising. Some recommend drinking a glass of cold water to fire up your metabolism, but I’m not sure that is necessary. I drink a glass of room temperature water upon rising every morning.

When you do this, you are waking up your metabolism after a good night’s rest. Plus, your body has not had any form of hydration for the past six to eight hours. And you’ll get your kidneys ready to begin flushing toxins out of your body.

Keep your water bottle close throughout the day and get those ounces of water into your body.

First step for metabolism support: Drink a glass of water upon rising and drink water throughout the day. 

Move It – Move It  

Now that you’re up and had your glass of water, it’s time to move your body.

Find an exercise routine that suits your lifestyle and stick to it. Your goal is to build up your muscle mass, which helps to increase your metabolism so that you have more energy. Choose to mix up your exercise with cardio, low-intensity exercise, and strength training.

I do recommend beginning your day with a little rebounding to wake up lymph system and your metabolism. You can use a rebounder or a yoga ball for this little exercise. Jump or bounce for at least five minutes. When you begin to feel sluggish during the day, rebound again for another five minutes.

Are you sitting at a desk all day?

Try to get a desk exerciser, like an under the desk cycle, or a desk treadmill. If these are not an option, then get up and walk at least 10 minutes every hour or two. Do your best not to sit at a desk continuously.

Second step for metabolism support: Move your body with exercise

Enjoy some fiber.

Oh, I can’t eat carbs!

I’m on a low-carb diet and I don’t eat anything with carbs.

I’ve heard it all and still shake my head. Confusion reigns in the fiber/carb world.

Fiber is essential for your healthy metabolism. Dietary fiber is a complex carb that puts your digestive system to work, where simple carbs just float on by and turns into sugar at the snap of your fingers. There are different types of fiber, but just know you need to enjoy them for a healthy metabolism.

Fiber works to create a healthy gut, takes longer to break down, and produces more energy for your body. You’ll feel fuller longer and may lose a little weight for good measure.

Third step for metabolism support: Enjoy healthy dietary fiber

Enjoy your meals.  

Let me be the fork monitor for a moment.

Put your fork or spoon down between bites. Chew your food slowly, savor the taste, and enjoy your meal.

Too often you may find yourself eating in such a hurry that your brain and stomach have no clue what just happened. This messes with your metabolism too. When you consistently eat like this, you’ll find yourself gaining weight and wondering why.

Understand what drives your eating habits. Are you an emotional eater? Are you watching TV or on your phone while eating? Do you eat in the car while driving down the freeway? These habits are not healthy eating habits, and your metabolism needs you to be at a healthy weight in order to operate effectively.

Fourth step for metabolism support: Enjoy your meals without distractions

Go to bed.

How many hours of sleep do you typically get each night?

Less than six hours of sleep heightens your chance of weight gain due to the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Your metabolism works better when you get between six to ten hours of sleep each night.

Fifth step for metabolism support: Regularly get six to ten hours of sleep each night.

Your metabolism will function differently from others, but everyone can work to make their metabolism as healthy as possible. Using these tips will help you improve the health of your metabolism.

Get started today supporting your metabolism with this free printable:

5 Steps for Metabolism Support