50 simple ways to boost your metabolism

According to certified health and wellness coach Nicole Granato, ensuring you are taking the proper supplements is very important.

“A daily tonic may be your ticket to healthy bowel movements,” she says.

“Try taking a shot of aloe vera (full leaf) juice first thing in the morning. This will not only help with a bowel movement, but also break up any stagnation in the body that may be contributing to fatigue and moodiness.”

Dairy has been linked to a number of health issues, most of which relate to digestion and involve gas, bloating, constipation, fatigue, mood imbalances, and hormonal imbalance.

“When we ingest milk we get all of these crazy symptoms, which is our body’s way of telling us it does not know how to process it,” says Granato.

Steering clear of dairy streamline your digestion for better metabolic performance.

We’ve all heard the hype about coconut oil. Via its healthy fats, it offers weight loss, brain health, and numerous other health benefits, says registered nurse Rebecca Lee.

“Coconut oil is made up of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are metabolized differently in the body than most fats. MCTs are transferred quickly from the digestive tract to the liver, and are converted into an immediate source of energy. The more energy you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day, which leads to weight loss. Coconut oil also curbs your appetite due to the way MCTs are metabolized in your body.”

Granato suggests adding a teaspoon of coconut oil to your tea, coffee, or smoothie, as well as using it in place of any other oils you normally cook with.

A study carried out in Japan in 2009 showed that participants who consumed apple cider vinegar every day for 12 weeks lost more weight than those who took a placebo.

As well as being packed with essential vitamins and minerals (including potassium, magnesium, fiber, amino acids, and antioxidants, vinegar is believed to increase the sense of satiety after meals.

Warning: Fad diets can mess with your metabolism and actually make you gain more weight in the long run.

“When you cut out vital nutrients from your diet, you drastically slow down your metabolism,” explains Rebecca Lee.

“While fasting in itself is not bad, and may actually be recommended by some doctors, it becomes harmful when it’s done for extended periods of time. With fad diets, especially juice cleanses or detox diets, you are actually losing only water weight and not fat. Once you complete your diet and start eating normal foods again, you will gain back everything you lost due to a slower metabolism, if not more.”

Consuming protein at every meal not only helps you feel satisfied, but it also increases thermogenesis (the process by which your body burns calories to produce heat).

According to “The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review,” published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, “there is convincing evidence that a higher protein intake increases thermogenesis and satiety compared to diets of lower protein content.”

Not only can hot, spicy foods like chilies, red pepper flakes, jalapeños, and Sriracha kick up your metabolism slightly, but they also have another benefit for weight loss.

“People tend to consume spicy foods more slowly, so by turning up the heat in your meals you may eat less,” says Harris-Pincus.

As a staple every morning, certified health coach Claudia Matles recommends hot lemon water.

“It’s a very powerful aid to flush the lymph system, and a healthy clean lymph system is the foundation for a healthy metabolism,” she says.

To supercharge the effects on your metabolism, add cayenne pepper and finely chopped, fresh organic ginger root to your hot water with lemon, and sip a few more cups throughout the day for a few weeks.

A new study by Tufts University found that eating whole grains (when substituted for refined grains) may boost metabolism, with the reported increase equating to a 30 minute brisk walk.

Whole grains – such as barley, oats, unrefined rice, and whole wheat – contain fiber and B vitamins, unlike the refined versions, which often contain little to no fibre.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA recommends that Americans replace refined grains with whole grains.

The recommended minimum daily allowance of whole grains is three ounces for women and four ounces for men, the equivalent to consuming 1.5 to 2 cups of brown rice or oatmeal each day.

If you want to know how to boost your metabolism without having to exercise or change your diet, consider mindfulness, the art of focusing on the moment.

“We live such busy lives leaving us with no time to eat and enjoy our meals,” says Melendez-Klinger.

“Studies have shown the benefits of focusing on our hunger cues, taking the time to chewing each bite (15 times recommended) and to savoring and enjoying each bite.”

This article first appeard on RD.com.