04 Jan 4 Ways To Boost Metabolism Naturally
If you’ve always wondered how you could boost metabolism naturally because you feel like yours is slow, learn all about the things you need to focus on. We tend to hear about metabolism, but don’t actually understand what it is and what that entails. Before sharing ways to boost metabolism naturally, let’s talk about how do you know if you metabolism is slow?
Signs of Slow Metabolism
These are signs that you may have a slow metabolism + that this is something that IS an issue:
- Weight gain + trouble losing weight
- Sluggish energy
- Brittle nails
- Dry skin
- Constipation
- Hair loss
- Brain fog
- Always cold
Is that you? Keep reading!
Ways to Boost Metabolism Naturally
Eat Enough
Caloric restriction has been in diet culture for DECADES! Many women still don’t even realize they are doing it. We’re jumping into intuitive eating and following hunger cues when our hunger cues aren’t even correct + you’re eating the same amount that is recommended for a toddler {around 1200 calories}. Caloric restriction can reduce your resting metabolic rate by 20%. Backing up a little bit, your resting metabolic rate is the amount of energy that your body needs to be alive in an active resting state.
Therefore, you need to EAT ENOUGH in order to support your metabolism. Your body needs to run and it requires fuel, just like a car. So, first things first, EAT EAT EAT.
Build Muscle
Next, you’ll want to build that muscle! 💪🏽 Muscle is a very metabolically active tissue compared to fat. It takes MORE energy for your body to move about your day when you have more muscle, so it naturally increases that resting metabolic rate.
Can you say, YES PLEASE?! Getting movement in many forms is amazing, but strength training is a no brainer – you need to 100% incorporate into your day! Muscle is your best friend and the most anti-aging thing you can do!
Eat Protein
One of the aspects of boosting your metabolism is utilizing the thermic effect of food. We don’t really think about it, but the body uses a ton of energy to digest and break down our food. One of the foods that take the most energy to break down is PROTEIN! 🥩 Because it takes the most energy, this is one way to fire up + use the thermic effect of food, BUT it still only accounts for 10% of your total energy expenditure.
But every little bit counts, right?
Optimize Thyroid Function
Last, but certainly not least, your thyroid. This little butterfly shaped gland is the ultimate controller of your metabolism. So, when thyroid function goes down – so does your metabolism. The less energy your body requires to run, the more it will be shuttled away into your fat cells.
When thyroid function is low, it can also make you retain more salt and water. So, the focus here for optimizing thyroid function is getting a broad amount of nutrients that are needed for thyroid (starting with a good quality multivitamin), reducing your stress, optimizing your sleep routine, + eating nutrient dense foods {maybe letting go of processed foods like wheat, sugar, refined grains, etc.}. The nutrition part of it is suuuper bio-individual, so what one person may need to do is different from what YOU need to do.
I know how much it sucks to be stuck in the dark + still unsure exactly what YOU should be doing as an individual. You might even be confused on how to assess the needs we just talked about to you personally. Have no fear! Our dietitians are here! 🎉 We offer a free 15 minute discovery call, so we can chat and decide what the best game plan would be for us to work together.
We’ll learn a little bit about your history and what brought to what you’re struggling with now. If you are ready to book that free call, head over to this page + fill out the form {+ you can check out what we offer too!}.
