Fidaah Edries joins the Style Africa team as a FITNESS contributor. Fidaah is a health coach at FIGHTERZ INC. MMA and Wellness Academy.
(please consult with a physician before hand)
Green tea:
Drinking green tea or oolong tea offers the combined benefits of caffeine and catechins, substances shown to rev up the metabolism for a couple of hours. Research suggest drinking 2-4 cups of either tea may rev up your metabolism to burn 17% more calories during moderately intense workouts for a short time.
- Black Coffee:
If you are a coffee drinker, you probably enjoy the energy and concentration perks. One of the benefits of drinking coffee is a rise in the metabolic rate. Coffee also acts as a diuretic as it expels excess water out of your system. Coffee can also help you with your endurance during exercise.
- Protein:
Your body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does eating fat or carbohydrates. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein rich foods can boost your metabolism at mealtime. Good sources of protein are 100% whey protein, lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, egg whites and low fat dairy products.
- Avoid crash diets:
A low calorie crash diet is bad for anyone hoping to fasten up their metabolism. Although these diets may help you lose pounds, it comes at the expense of nutrition. Further-more, it backfires, since you can lose muscle, which in turn slows down your metabolism. The final result is that your body burns fewer calories and gains weight faster that before the diet.
- Spice up your meals:
Cooking with a tablespoon of chopped red or green chilli pepper can boost your metabolic rate. The effects are temporary, but if eating often, the benefits would add up.
- Eat smart
Eating smaller healthy meals more often can help you lose weight. Having small meals every 3-4 hours keeps your metabolism active, so your burn more calories throughout the day.
- Drink Water:
Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In a study adults who drank 8 or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. It’s good practise to drink a glass of water before a meal.
- Build Muscle:
Your body constantly burns calories, even when doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.
~HEALTH TIPS~
- Hot Lemon Water: Balances pH, Boosts immune system, aids digestion, natural diuretic, aids in weight loss, helps purify and stimulate liver. Drink twice a day.
- Cinnamon: Balances blood sugar levels. Put some cinnamon in your cereal every day.
- More foods that boosts your metabolism: Raspberries contain a very strong fat-burning substance (ketone), which melts human fat 3 times more that peppers. Grapefruit, yogurt, almonds, apples, spinach, beans, jalapenos, broccoli, soymilk and oatmeal.