Boost Your Metabolism With These Weird Hacks

Revving up our metabolism is awesome, as it helps us meet our fitness goals and have more energy; yet, sometimes the things we eat, the behaviors we make, and unfortunately our genes can make it more sluggish. Thus, it is important to come up with weird hacks for speeding our metabolism and making us more fit and confident.

As a certified health coach, I coach people on how to feel lighter and more energetic during the day, as well as comfortable with their eating habits, exercise, and other lifestyle habits. Keeping a metabolism lifted during the day can help with confidence-boosting, self-love, and stable emotional states and drive. While genetics play a major part in giving us our base metabolic rate and natural tendencies, our lifestyle can seriously impact the speed through the foods we eat, our exercise routines, stress levels and sleep patterns, among other things. Apart from these known boosters, there are also weird, little hacks that will increase metabolism and burn. Look for these eleven unconventional tips to feel more fit and motivated each day. With such great speed, you'll be able to feel energized, toned, confident and healthy in your body, which is always an important goal.

1. Drink Plenty Of Water

"Drinking plenty of water," suggests certified healthy lifestyle coach Liz Traines, over email with Bustle, will hydrate the body and speed the metabolism. Traines recommends drinking 64 ounces per day for maximum benefits. Drinking cold water is a huge plus, as the cold nature will rev the metabolic burn. Plus, water helps prevent cravings and fills you up.

2. Take A Probiotic

This one is easy, as it doesn't require a change in diet or exercise! Simply including a supplement once or twice a day can naturally boost your metabolism without much effort on your part. It will "improve digestion," says Traines, and reduce inflammation in the body, which in turn will speed metabolic rate and calorie burn. Apart from supplements, you can consume through whole foods, such as Greek yogurt and kefir, kombucha, miso, kimchee and fermented vegetables.

3. Split Up Your Workout

While getting in a workout at any point in the day, in one sitting if so, will provide great health benefits, splitting up your workout into two or three bursts throughout the day will help keep your metabolism lifted at a stable height. I personally love splitting my workouts into two-a-days, where I do a few exercises or go for a run in the morning and then take a HIIT class in the evening. I enjoy having energy to get my workday started, and boosting it again once work is over before settling down for dinner and evening plans. Just be wary of overtraining, as that can be dangerous.

4. Do Less Cardio & More Weights

While getting in adequate cardio each day will help speed your metabolism in the short-term (which is still incredibly important!), strength training and lifting weights will increase your resting metabolism and allow you to more effectively burn calories during the day, long-term. Traines says that "lifting weights increases muscle mass, and muscles burn more calories than fat, thereby increasing your metabolism." Get a mix of both for best results.

5. Stand Up Every Hour Or So

At work, it's hard to get up off your chair to get some movement in, especially when we are on a roll with an assignment. We could start at 10:00 a.m., and then look at the clock at 2:00pm, with stomach rumbling, and realizing we should get up and get lunch. It's as though time hasn't passed! Set a reminder to stand up and take a little walk around the office every hour or so, as sitting can lead us to burn fewer calories than standing.

6. Drink Green Tea

Green tea contains anti-inflammation and anti-oxidant properties that have been shown to boost metabolism and help the body burn more calories naturally. Between the caffeine and polyphenols content in green tea, it has become an optimal beverage for increasing metabolism effortlessly. So, sip on green tea throughout the day for enhanced speed. You can also have coffee in the morning, as the caffeine will boost metabolism, too. I actually throw cinnamon in hot green tea sometimes, as cinnamon can also rev the engines.

7. Combine Nutrients Properly

The body needs nutrients to speed metabolism, and so it's important to combine carbs, protein and healthy fats so that all nutrients are absorbed by the body. For instance, vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, meaning they need a source of fat to be absorbed. Look for coconut oil, avocado, olive oil and nuts, as these all boost metabolic burn, and pair with a lean protein and fruits, veggies or whole grains.

8. Get Black Out Shades

Black out shades will keep the bedroom dark and allow you to easily get a greater night's rest. We burn calories through sleeping, which is important for overall metabolic rate at rest, and sleep will also help prevent cravings, mood imbalances, and a raging appetite the next day. When we get enough sleep, our hunger hormone ghrelin is suppressed, so we feel less hungry and inclined to grab foods high in sugar and processed additives the next day.

9. Add Hot Peppers To Your Meals

Piling on hot peppers adds both heat in flavor to your dish and in calorie burning, due to the capsaicin content. Experts believe that capsaicin can boost metabolic rate and cause us to burn more calories in a shorter period of time. So, toss a few peppers into your meal or add a spicy sauce or salsa instead of a creamy dressing or dip. It'll also save some unhealthy calories and fat that are found in many creamy and processed condiments.

10. Add Ginger To Your Diet

Some spices, such as turmeric, ginger, onion and garlic, have anti-inflammatory properties that have been found to enhance metabolic rate and help the body stay fit and less bloated. Plus, these spices can add texture and savory notes to a dish or juice, which can reduce the need for excess sodium, sugars and oils. Chew on ginger candies after a meal to also soothe the stomach and promote healthy digestion.

11. Eat Something When You Wake Up

While breakfast might not be your favorite meal of the day, as it's likely that you won't wake up hungry before work, it's important to eat something anyway. Whether it's a coffee (and you'll eat within an hour or two at work), a bite of a piece of toast, or a complete breakfast, anything will help start your metabolism. Eat something with protein, as protein will keep the metabolism elevated throughout the day.

While it seems too good to be true (it isn't, by the way), adding in these foods and lifestyle changes will automatically increase your metabolism and calorie burn during the day. Without requiring too much effort on your end, these weird, little hacks will keep you energized, fit and confident in your new routine.

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