Your metabolism is the rate at which your body uses energy stored as calories to provide energy for breathing, digestion, circulating blood and growing cells – it varies between people.
Sleep, eating healthy meals, and exercising regularly are all effective strategies for increasing metabolism, but sometimes these strategies alone aren’t enough to accelerate weight loss.
High-Intensity Exercise
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) can be one of the most effective ways to boost your metabolism, along with diet. Studies have demonstrated that HIIT can increase metabolic rates for hours after exercising, meaning you’ll continue burning calories throughout your day even when not exercising!
HIIT can also improve cardiovascular health. Research has demonstrated its benefits in terms of reduced risks of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and obesity.
However, high intensity interval training (HIIT) should only be undertaken under the guidance of an experienced coach. Also remember that this form of exercise can be very demanding on your body and could even lead to injury, so take great care in planning short and intense workouts with this form of workout.
Weight training can also help increase metabolism. By strengthening muscles and increasing their metabolic activity, weight training helps create metabolically active tissue which needs replenishing regularly – helping you burn more fat!
Your bodyweight movements and strength training exercises may also contribute. Light gym equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells may be utilized.
There are a number of HIIT workouts you can try at home, like Signos’ 10-Minute HIIT Workout. It provides an effective way to explore new exercises without dedicating a significant amount of time or energy.
If you are new to exercise, start slowly before ramping up to more rigorous activities. Judge the intensity by how your body responds – rapid breathing or sweating are signs that you may be overdoing it; otherwise if fatigued or soreness sets in stop and rest before trying again.
Iodine
Iodine (commonly referred to as iodide) is essential to your health. It helps the thyroid gland produce hormones which regulate many different bodily processes including metabolism, fetal development and cognitive performance.
As the body can’t produce its own iodine, it must be consumed through food or supplements. Common sources include seafood, eggs from dairy animals and iodized salt as sources for this mineral.
Iodine deficiency can cause an enlarged thyroid gland, commonly referred to as a goiter, in pregnant women and can result in several health issues including brain damage.
Iodine deficiency is also one of the primary preventable causes of intellectual disabilities among children worldwide, while pregnancy-induced deficiency of this mineral may result in fibroids on breast tissue.
if you are deficient in iodine, your physician may suggest supplementation. Most forms of iodine supplements come in the form of potassium iodide or elemental iodine which your body recognizes and uses effectively.
Iodine when taken internally works to convert thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to triiodothyronine and thyroxine hormones which help control many functions within your body such as metabolism and bone health.
Povidone-iodine, an antiseptic medication made up of iodine as its core component, is commonly used for wound care treatment for cuts and burns.
Iodine not only improves your metabolism but can also protect against inflammation and cell damage – this is particularly relevant for people recovering from trauma or recovering from a heart attack.
Iodine is a rare mineral found in soil and ocean waters, though most commonly consumed through foods like iodized salt and seafood products; it may also be present in certain plants.
Organic Foods
Organic foods are free from artificial and harmful chemicals, making them healthier than their conventional counterparts. Organic products may also contain additional antioxidants and vitamins; furthermore, many people with food- or chemical-related allergies find that consuming only organic products alleviates symptoms of their allergies.
Yoghurt, eggs, green tea and fresh fruits are some of the top organic foods to eat to boost your metabolism and help burn off fat faster. They contain plenty of fibre and antioxidants that aid in this effort.
Eating organic food can also reduce your risk of health conditions like type 2 diabetes and postmenopausal breast cancer, while supporting an ideal balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids within the body, making for optimal human wellbeing.
According to a study published by Advances in Nutrition, the BioNutriNet project conducted an in-depth examination of 34,442 French adults’ diets to understand how organic food consumption affected their health and well-being. Researchers determined that those consuming organic food had diets richer in plant-based foods as well as lower caloric intake and body weight than non-consumers.
Organic produce contains less pesticide residues than conventionally farmed food, and organic eaters had lower urinary pesticide metabolite concentrations compared with non-organic eaters, according to a study.
Even with these positive findings, many factors can impact metabolic health such as age, gender, genetics and diet; thus it is recommended that before including organic foods into your diet consult your physician first.
Laugh More
Laughter can be one of the best ways to increase metabolism, reduce stress levels and strengthen immune systems.
Attribute laughter into your everyday routine easily! Start by keeping things that make you giggle around such as funny photos or greeting cards; listen to a joke podcast; or watch comedy videos online.
If you find yourself aimlessly scrolling social media, try following pages with comical posts or signing up for apps that notify of funny news stories.
Studies published in the International Journal of Obesity have demonstrated that one minute of genuine laughter burns 10-20 percent more energy than doing the same activity at rest. When an actual laugh happens, heart and lungs work to increase oxygen supply to your brain thereby raising blood pressure and stimulating immune systems.
Researchers believe laughter may help reduce inflammation and boost production of good cholesterol (HDL) production in your body – potentially decreasing cardiovascular disease risk and stroke incidences.
Laughing can also have other significant advantages to mental and physical wellbeing. It lowers stress hormone levels while releasing feel-good chemicals known as endorphins which have numerous positive side effects such as relieving tension or discomfort.
Laughter can also speed the healing of damaged tissues by stimulating the release of fibrinogen, an essential protein used for natural wound repair, while simultaneously increasing collagen production for strengthened bones and joints.
Avocado
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is an effective way to rev up your metabolism, but avocados offer even greater metabolic boost. Their rich source of nutrient can also help you shed excess pounds.
Avocados are high in both fat and fiber, helping promote feelings of fullness after meals. Furthermore, avocados contain potassium – an element which has been found to both reduce blood pressure and regulate body temperature – making them an invaluable source of nutrition.
A small study revealed that women who consumed an avocado every day for 12 weeks saw significant reduction in abdominal fat. Furthermore, they experienced greater energy and had improved ability to burn calories when compared with those eating similar meals without avocado.
Avocados provide a satisfying source of fats that work by slowing the release of food from your stomach, keeping you feeling full for longer. Furthermore, their rich supply of antioxidants reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Researchers have also discovered that eating avocados while pregnant can help protect the health of both mother and unborn child. Folate is essential to proper fetal development and may reduce risks such as neural tube abnormalities.
Studies have revealed that increasing intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), like those found in avocados, while decreasing saturated fats and carbohydrates is one of the key steps toward lowering heart disease risk. Furthermore, MUFAs improve brain function naturally as well as balance hormones naturally to decrease depression and anxiety risks.
Noting the above, however, it should be remembered that studies investigating avocado’s effects on weight loss tend to be partially funded by the Hass Avocado Board which may skew results. Therefore, it’s wise to incorporate avocados in moderation into your diet.