The happy days of the holidays are now over and that daunting reminder of all the deliciousness you ate during those precious moments are really starting to manifest into something like a holiday hangover. As the fatigue sets in, your body looks forward to finding some relief from the late night celebrations, carb overload and heavy sugar abuse. And if you're one of those many individuals who enjoyed a good party in your mouth, chances are you're in need of a little kick start back to health as you return to everyday life. These tips can help you boost your metabolism while increasing energy.
- Drink water, and lots of it!: The body is made up of close to 75% water. It is necessary for the body to flush toxins, carry nutrients and oxygen to our cells, and regulate the body in general. Water provides our bodies with the cellular energy needed for our busy lives. Also, in 2003, a study done on water induced thermogenesis found that drinking 500 ml (or approx. 17 ounces) of water increased metabolic rate by 30%.
- Eat: This obviously starts with good food first. Eating more vegetables and fruit while minimizing processed foods is a quick way to stimulate your metabolism. With the right nutrients the body is able to safely detox, improve the digestive system and even stimulate weight loss by maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Good fats like coconut oil and fish oil may help improve cellular energy, which can also increase your metabolism.
- Sleep: Our hard working vessels require adequate sleep for optimum health. This is when the body is repairing itself by flushing toxins and replenishing the body for the next days challenges. It is recommended to get more than 6 hours of sleep each night to ensure good energy throughout the day. It is also known that sleep deprivation can wreck havoc on your metabolism by decreasing leptin (the hormone that signals satiety) and increasing ghrelin (which signals hunger).
- Move as much and as often as possible: To get away from the sedentary lifestyle that can hinder our health, find reasons to move during the day. Dr. Joan Vernikos, former director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division, found in her studies that "the act of standing up is more effective than walking for counteracting the ill effects of sitting. The key is frequent intermittent interactions with gravity. Standing up 35 times at once will provide only a small percent of the benefit of standing up once every 20 minutes." This can certainly help to increase energy and support a fast metabolism.
