10 Ways to Speed Up Your Metabolism Naturally

Looking for a great way to lose weight naturally? There’s nothing better than revving up that old metabolism. And we all know as we age our metabolism slows down so it’s our job to give it that little push it needs.

Would you like to know how I lost 15 pounds by simply adding one new ingredient to my morning smoothies?

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1. Start your day with a cup of coffee

On average, 66% of women and 62% of men say they drink coffee daily. Women average 2.9 cups while men down 2.6.¹ Older Americans are the biggest coffee drinkers, with 74% of seniors aged 55 and up having at least one cup of coffee per day.²

2. Include coconut oil in your daily diet

Try adding a bit of coconut oil to your coffee. Sounds strange? Well it did to Volia Nikaci who decided to try it for one whole week and document her results.

On day 7 Volia reports the following:

By the end of the week I was convinced that the coconut oil was responsible for my added energy throughout the day. I felt more awake and even pushed myself a bit further during my morning workout routine. I also noticed that I stopped snacking as often throughout the day and felt fuller longer.³

Some of the benefits of coconut oil in coffee include:

1. Increased Energy
2. An Increased Metabolism
3. A Decreased Appetite
4. An Immune System Boost⁴

3. Eat smaller meals throughout the day

There has been a lot of debate lately as to whether or not eating small meals can actually increase the metabolic rate. 

Over 50 years ago, research suggested that eating smaller meals more frequently was associated with lower weight, higher metabolism, and better metabolic health. More recently though, that notion has been under scrutiny.⁵

We’ve seen the rise of intermittent fasting, especially with the ketogenic diet, which encourages long periods of time with no food. While this certainly will help with weight loss, what’s happening with the metabolism?

We cannot negate thermogensis. Each time you put food in your mouth you immediately trigger the digestive process. In actuality, it is triggered even before taking a bite. Just the sheer smell of food can activate a chemical reaction in your mouth that triggers your brain letting it know that you are about to eat.

The digestive process requires a lot of energy and heat, which is ignited by blood flow. This is what we refer to as thermogensis or the thermogenic effect. And ‘yes’ it does boost the metabolism. 

On average, your metabolic rate increases by 25% after a meal. Of course, that number varies with factors like hormone levels, circadian rhythm, and weight fluctuation.⁶

While a larger meal will definitely require more energy (as in heat), smaller more frequent meals throughout the day will keep the fire burning all day long.

You decide…one large kick to the metabolism or a steady increase in your metabolic rate for a prolonged period?

4. Add a few drops of grapefruit oil to water

According to Dr. Axe, essential oils can help your metabolism. He suggests adding 2-3 drops of grapefruit oil to a glass of water daily.

Grapefruit essential oil helps to activate enzymes in the body that work to break down body fat. Grapefruit benefits weight loss because it contains compounds like D-limonene, which helps to support your metabolism and cleanse your lymphatic glands so they can carry nutrients between the tissues and the bloodstream. Studies also show that using grapefruit oil affects autonomic nerves, which regulate important body functions like heart rate and digestion, and reduce appetite and body weight.⁷

5. Get plenty of sleep

The amount of sleep you get is directly tied to your metabolic rate. So you make want to think twice before jumping out of bed too early.

According to Michael Breus, PhD, sleep specialist, clinical psychologist and author, sleep affects the metabolic process in distinct ways. As you become sleep deprived, your metabolism slows down to try and conserve the resources (food) in it.⁸

6. Drink green tea throughout the day

Organic green-tea is one of the healthiest things you can consume. It contains a high level of antioxidants, including flavonoids and catechins which can reduce the formation of free-radicals to protect cells from damage, and even help prevent disease and premature aging. Of course, experts say just adding green-tea to your diet isn’t going to help you lose-weight. But if you drink it instead of things like sugary drinks or even diet soda, you’re likely to drop those stubborn pounds.⁹

7. Increase your muscle mass

Adding a little bit more muscle does not mean that you have to turn into a power lifter. In fact, just using dumbbells at home is enough.

Why do I need more muscle?

Muscle burns more calories than fat. This means that not only can you eat a little more, but the increased muscle mass has a direct effect on your basal metabolic rate (or BMR).

Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs to survive each day – it is essentially what you would burn if you did nothing but rest for 24 hours.¹⁰

And it speeds up when you gain muscle, according to nutritionist and dietitian Helen Bond.¹¹

8. Drink ice cold water

According to the editorial staff at WebMD, drinking ice cold water helps boost your metabolism because your body has to work harder to warm the water up, therefore burning more calories and helping you to lose weight. Plus, ice cold water is just so much more refreshing than water that’s room temperature.¹²

9. Consume healthy fats with each meal

Some people think they have to avoid the fat intake to lose weight, but it’s terribly wrong. You need to eat healthy fat, such as omega-3 and unsaturated fatty acids, which can boost your metabolism while eating. You can absorb these healthy fats in nuts, fish, some olives and so on.¹³

10. Add ginger to your morning smoothie

Finally, we get to my secret weapon. I have been adding 1 teaspoon of ground ginger to my morning smoothies and have lost 15 pounds.

Here’s why?

Ginger not only has fantastic immune boosting qualities, but it also naturally speeds up your metabolism. 

According to Dr. Oz ginger not only aids in digestion but increases body temperature and metabolic rates as much as 20 percent after eating.¹⁴

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