Increasing Your Metabolism

If you are always searching for tips on how to INCREASE your metabolism, here are a few simple ways to do just that!

1. First of all, eat breakfast. It is known on average that breakfast skippers consume more calories than breakfast eaters. Some easy breakfast ideas are:

• Yogurt + low-fat granola on top
• High fiber cereal + sliced banana
• Whole wheat bagel, English muffin, or toast topped with peanut butter or low fat cheese.
• Remember that breakfast calories are burned off more easily than dinner calories!

2. Secondly, eat less saturated fat. The body stores fats easier than carbohydrates or protein. The American Heart Association recommends 30% of your daily calories to come from fat and 10% to come from saturated fat. Saturated fat is present in foods made from animal products such as: meat, poultry, butter, whole milk and oils such as coconut, or palm. It is better to choose lean meats, low-fat dairy products and oils such as canola, walnut, or olive. These oils are good sources of heart healthy omega-3 fats.

3. Eat snacks to prevent getting too hungry between meals. When you are starving you tend to reach for high calorie, high fat foods. Some hints are: eating 6 small meals versus 2 to 3 large meals, avoid snacks that are purely carbohydrates because they do not satisfy your hunger long enough, and keep low calorie snacks handy. Some ideas are:

• Popcorn
• Apple with 2 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
• 3 graham crackers + glass of milk
• Raw veggies or fruit

4. Eat a lunch full of protein as well as complex carbohydrates to maintain a level blood sugar and prevent that mid-afternoon sinking spell. Lunch ideas are:

• Salad with 3 ounces of tuna, chicken, or other lean meat
• Baked potato with low-fat cheese on top
• Sandwich with 3 ounces of lean meat, large apple

5. Stop eating when you are comfortable. Try to slow down when eating your meals to give time for your stomach to communicate with your brain that you are full…that takes about 20 minutes!

6. BEWARE OF DESSERTS! High sugar foods are full on calories and low on nutrients and should be limited. A good tip on avoiding sugar is to keep it out of the house. If it isn't there, then you can't eat it. Try to drink 100% fruit juice, nonfat milk, or water instead of soft drinks.
But don't restrict yourself to the point of causing a sugar binge.

7. Eat an early, light dinner. Try to consume 75 % of your calories before dinner and try not to consume any foods within 3 hours of going to bed.

And finally, the best way to INCREASE your metabolism is to EXERCISE!!

Reference:

1) A special thanks to Catherine Kruppa from the Houstonian! Thanks for all the tips!
2) Willett, WC. Eat, Drink and Be Healthy. 2001.