How to Boost your Metabolism with Food
What is your metabolism?
Your metabolism refers to how fast your body burns the energy from the food you eat (i.e burns calories). Think of it as the engine to a car, burning fuel to keep it running. Your metabolism is constantly running to keep your body doing simple things, like breathing to extreme things, like exercising.
A high or fast metabolism means your body burns energy at a fast rate – so you are burning more fat.
A slow metabolism means your body burns energy at slower rate – so you are burning less fat.
A slow metabolism is commonly blamed for weight gain…. but this is generally not the case. Weight gain comes from eating more food than your body needs, which results in your body storing excess fat.
How do I boost my metabolism?
The rate of your metabolism is determined by your genes and it does slow down as we age, but there are some things you can do to stop it slowing down too much!
Don’t skip meals!
The thing is, back in the caveman days we did not always have lots of food available to us 24/7 as we do now. Our bodies are designed to hold on to fat in the case of famine. If you skip a meal, the lack of food tells your body it is starving, so its response is to slow down your metabolism to reserve that fat and energy to keep you alive! So, skipping meals can be counterproductive if you are trying to lose weight. Download your nutrition plan from your dashboard to see a sample meal plan for your body.
Eat protein
Compared to carbs and fats, your body uses more energy to break down the protein you eat, which is metabolism boosting! Plus, protein helps to maintain your muscle mass. Having a good amount of muscle mass also boosts your metabolism. Make sure you have a protein source in every meal like lean meat, fish, chickpeas, lentils, beans, eggs, tofu, dairy, nuts or seeds.
Find out how much protein you need each day here.
Check out our top 9 high protein foods here.
Have a look at our recipes which are all full of a good source of protein here.
Eat small meals regularly
Your body uses energy to break down food. This means it keeps your metabolism busy! This does not mean you can eat more, as your body will store any extra energy as fat. It just means you should have regular smaller meals rather than one big meal in a day. Follow your nutrition plan and have 3 meals and 2 snacks throughout the day!
Exercise
The energy you use during exercise will keep your metabolism high not only during, but for a couple of hours after! It’s good to have variation with your exercise. Makesure you book into one of our range of classes in park and online that will help to boost your metabolism. Don’t forget to eat protein after your workout!
Check out this healthy recipe which is high in protein and also a classic Aussie meal!
Rissoles with Homemade Tomato Sauce
Serves: 4 Time: 25mins Cost: $18.30 approx. ($4.60/serve)
Ingredients;
- 500g lean beef mince
- 1 cup wholemeal bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 1 TBSP white vinegar
- 1 TBSP honey
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper
- 1 can pineapple rings
- 1 can diced beetroot
- 2 cups salad greens
- 1 tomato
- 1 cup grated low-fat cheese
Method:
- Mix mince, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Mould into palm sized rissoles with your hands.
- Heat grill with olive oil on medium heat (or BBQ).
- Cook rissoles 6-8 mins on the first side.
- Tomato Sauce: mix tomato paste, vinegar, honey, season with salt and pepper.
- Flip rissoles and cook for further 6-8mins.
- Prepare Salad: Mix greens, beetroot, diced tomato, cheese.
- Remove patties and place pineapple on grill pan then cook 1min on each side.
- Serve all together!
Need to make some more healthy eating changes?
Download our Love Your Legumes recipe e-book. We make healthy versions of your favourite meals and boost their nutritional value by adding in legumes. Start feeling healthier now!
Love Your Legumes Recipe e-book
Download your very own food diary!
Keep a track of your food, mood and exercise. Start to make healthier changes, then start to see the changes in your mood, energy and body. This is a great place to start if you are wanting to make real change.
Download Here
Need some more inspiration?
Head to our RECIPE VIDEO HUB – we have lots of healthy snack ideas you might want to try!
Download our family healthy eating plan to find a 7-day meal plan full of yummy healthy eating or login to download your personal nutrition plan to help create a healthier eating pattern. This is FREE to all members.
Not a member? Register now for FREE access to outdoor and online fitness classes, live guided meditations, wellness videos, recipes and more!
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/does-metabolism-matter-in-weight-loss
