Rev Up Your Metabolism

Did you know that certain foods can increase your metabolism? The higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to maintain your weight or get rid of unwanted body fat. Here are 5 tips to rev up your metabolism, which will help you lose weight.

1- Drinking plenty of H2O. Studies show we need 64-80 oz. of water every day to meet our needs.

2- Daily exercise remodels your metabolism, so your body burns more fat. Intensity trumps all. Exercising actually increases your metabolic rate by 15–30% (Please consult with your MD before any rigorous exercising)

3- When your body is sleep deprived, it suffers from an increase in both appetite hormones, leptin and ghrelin. These hormones cause you to feel hungry all the time. Lower these hormones by getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

4- Trace minerals such as zinc, selenium and iron are very important when it comes to thyroid health. When your body has insufficient levels of these vital minerals, the thyroid and immune system run out of control. Boost your intake of these trace minerals with these foods:

Selenium-rich foods -

• Brazil nuts

• Seafood, including crab, salmon, tuna and prawns

• White meat and poultry like turkey and chicken

• Grains like brown rice and lentils

• Vegetables such as peas and potatoes

Zinc-rich foods -

• Beef is one of the most zinc-rich foods

• Flax seeds and pumpkin seeds

• Egg yolks

• Lobster, for those gourmet days

Iron-rich foods -

• Shellfish

• Spinach

• Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas and soybeans)

• Red meat

• Pumpkin seeds

• Quinoa

• Turkey

• Broccoli

5- Apart from providing you several other benefits, green tea also speeds up your metabolism significantly. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, which boosts your metabolism. For best results you should drink at least 3-4 cups of green tea every day.