5 Ways to Kickstart Your Metabolism: Make a Few Changes to Give You a Big Boost of Energy

Closer shares five ways to kickstart your metabolism — as told by experts!

Eat Right: Per Canada’s Shulman Health & Weight Loss center, an easy way to get a boost is eating foods like leafy greens, whole grains and cold-water fish. “Salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and protein. A recent study showed that consuming omega-3-rich fish increased resting metabolic rate and increased calories burned during exercise by 10 percent.”

Get Moving: “There are plenty of problems with sitting too much, a slower metabolism being one,” say experts at Houston Methodist Hospital. According to resident endocrinologist Dr. Laila Tabatabai: “So much of improving metabolism is understanding what it is you do with most of your time. If you’re sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day only to go home and sit in front of your TV for another two or three, that’s going to reduce your metabolic rate.”

Drink Water: According to the folks at health care giant Abbott: “Maintaining proper hydration helps support a healthy metabolism, and one of the best ways to stay hydrated is to drink enough water. [In general,] adults should consume about 91 ounces (2.7 liters) of water for women and about 125 ounces (3.7 liters) of water for men daily as a general guideline.”

Rest Up: “Sleep really lowers stress hormones and lets the body have time to build hair, skin, bones and muscle,” says Haylie Pomroy, author of The Fast Metabolism Diet. “Because muscle is constantly contracting, relaxing, beating, pushing and pulling, it takes a lot of fuel to create and maintain it. This is why muscle consumes more calories, or energy, than fat and why you need [to be] well rested.”

Don’t Stress: Per the experts at South Carolina’s Piedmont Medical Center: “Stress affects hormone levels and it can cause the body to produce too much cortisol, the hormone that regulates your appetite, and can lead to unhealthy eating patterns, which in turn disrupt your metabolism.”