Maybe like me, you do more sitting around than you did in your youth. After mid-life, many of us complain about the spread that comes from sitting on our rear ends in front of a screen or with a book or two or three. Maybe, like me, you like doing things that are naturally sedentary. Or maybe, like me, you’re lazy. See that image above? It’s my preferred way to spend a day.
So what’s a girl with a sluggish metabolism to do?
There are a bunch of metabolism-boosting supplements on the market, but if you’re like me, you don’t want to put crap in your body. Or maybe you can’t, because you take prescription medication regularly. So how can we boost our metabolism naturally without spending hours at the gym? Here are a few ideas:
Eat breakfast.
Your metabolism is given a boost if you feed your body first thing.
Get enough Vitamin D
Your doctor can check your level with a simple blood test. I was low at my last physical, so i take 1000 units a day at my doctor’s recommendation.
Cool the house down.
It’s true. We burn more calories if our bodies are cold, so keep your room temp at 66 degrees or below. Oh, and drink ice water. By then, you’re shivering so much you HAVE to be burning more calories.
Kick it up with green tea. Or Pu-erh.
Green tea is known to jump-start a sluggish metabolism. A few cups a day will do it if it’s high-quality tea, whatever that means. Of course, you don’t want to give yourself the jitters, but it does have more caffeine than other hot drinks. Pu-erh is a fermented tea that is said to have medicinal benefits as well as provide a bit of an energy boost. I just started drinking it. They say the purer the tea, the better, as in tea leaves instead of bags.
Build more muscle.
You can do that a bunch of ways, and you want to, because muscle burns more calories than fat. Eat lean protein. Strength-train at the gym.
Work out smart.
Shorten your workout by using heavier weights, fewer reps. High-intensity training is actually my favorite kind. That’s been shown to not only build muscle but keep the metabolism moving for the next 24 hours. Interval training also helps. For example, if you’re on a treadmill, every few minutes give yourself a two-minute super-burst of speed, then go back to your regular speed.
Make your meals hot stuff … organic … and smart.
Eat foods with peppers as hot as you can stand. The ingredient responsible for the hot-stuff is capsaicin and it revs things up more than a little: they say it can help you burn as much as 50 calories a day. Pesticides and bisphenol we get with processed foods interfere with the metabolism, which is why organic food is recommended. Iron-rich foods help. Also, almonds, beans, cruciferous vegetables all are said to boost metabolism, as well.
So there you have it. Turns out, you can boost metabolism by doing all the right things for good health. Who knew?
Well, this couldn’t be more timely….at the holidays!! Thanks, Carol. And I’ve been doing some of these things and they do work. Now off to the gym as you precribe!
Vitamin D, eh? That’s interesting. I’ll have to ask my doctor. I love green tea, but have to take it in moderation since it still has caffeine. Great tips! Thanks!
I’m currently trying to lose my “moving weight”, so this was perfect timing!
Yup, you heard me right … “moving weight”. It seems that my summer of hiding out in a camping trailer while my house was being finished didn’t do much for my girlish figure … and probably the extra wine and potato chips I devoured to cheer me up didn’t help either. 🙂
I’m on top of everything but the green tea and the workouts … now, how to get motivated?
Lol, this post made me laugh. We keep our house kinda cold in the winter just because we’re trying to save some cash, but good to know that I’m burning extra calories 😉
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Well, this couldn’t be more timely….at the holidays!! Thanks, Carol. And I’ve been doing some of these things and they do work. Now off to the gym as you precribe!
Me too!
I do most of these already and they really do work! Thanks for the tips!
Oh yes and gym first thing or your workout first thing is a boost!
This is all great advice and I need it. After 40 it gets more difficult.
Boy, doesn’t it!
Vitamin D, eh? That’s interesting. I’ll have to ask my doctor. I love green tea, but have to take it in moderation since it still has caffeine. Great tips! Thanks!
That’s what they say!
Perfect timing Carol! I hate green tea but may have to gag some down. I’ve just started walking again but know it alone, won’t do it all.
I’m currently trying to lose my “moving weight”, so this was perfect timing!
Yup, you heard me right … “moving weight”. It seems that my summer of hiding out in a camping trailer while my house was being finished didn’t do much for my girlish figure … and probably the extra wine and potato chips I devoured to cheer me up didn’t help either. 🙂
I’m on top of everything but the green tea and the workouts … now, how to get motivated?
Green tea is so good for your metabolism and health as a whole! Thanks for the tips
Does coffee work as well as green tea? Great tips!
I adore coffee!
I didn’t know green tea can do that or about almonds. I am definitely going to keep drinking the green tea then.
And stay Hydrated. My water drinking drops off in favor or flavored coffees and teas. Slight dehydration is a major metabolism killer.
Very true.
well let’s see – i drink green tea every morning – and i exercise several times a week….
At last! A list of things I would actually do. Thanks!
This is very helpful for me because I’m lazy, LOL! This is awesome, thanks for sharing those tips!
I do these things except for the breakfast. I’ve fallen out of that habit. I’m such a bad girl, but I’m not hungry then so it’s SO hard for me to eat.
Love this. I’m taking a ton of vitamins and eating more vitamin enriched foods trying to boost my immune system and metabolism!
Lol, this post made me laugh. We keep our house kinda cold in the winter just because we’re trying to save some cash, but good to know that I’m burning extra calories 😉
I did not know that keeping the house at 66 is good! I need to look into this.
I drink green tea every morning and this is very helpful for me.
Binging on capsaicin!