How do I speed up my metabolism?

You aren’t the only one asking this question. It’s a hot topic of discussion this time year. Spring and summer are right around the corner. That means tank tops, shorts and the dreaded bathing suit.
Unfortunately, there is no right answer to that popular question. How your body burns calories is dependant on a variety of factors. Age, weight, height, level of activity, medications, sleep quality and stress levels all play a role in regulating or revving up your metabolism.
Men burn more calories than women, even while resting. Both men and women over the age of 40 have a harder time losing weight because metabolism starts to naturally slow down.
Don’t be so quick to blame your winter weight-gain on your metabolism. Your food choices and exercise level or lack thereof, play a significant role in helping to speed up your metabolism.
Read on for my list of top 5 ways to boost your metabolism.

Fill Up On Fibre:
Starting your day with a high fibre choice helps to regulate your blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full throughout the morning. You are aiming to get 25 – 35 grams of fibre per day. Fill up on berries, beans, lentils, whole grains and chia seeds for added fibre.

Lift Weights:
The resting metabolic rate is much higher in people who have a good body composition. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories per day just to sustain itself. The more lean muscle mass you have the more calories you burn sitting around doing nothing.

Drink Green Tea:
Green tea is a known super food. Research has shown that those people who drink 2 – 4 cups of green tea per day may push the body to burn 17% more calories during moderate to intense exercise. Here’s a tip, brew your green tea and throw some ice cubes in and drink it while you are working out.

Have a Lean Protein With Every Meal:
Protein burns more calories during digestion then both carbohydrates and fat. Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar and helps you to feel fuller for a longer period of time. You should aim for 20 – 30 grams of protein per meal.

Stop Crash or Yo-yo Dieting:
A crash diet means eating less than 1000 calories per day. Most people don’t even realize they are engaging in a crash diet 2-3 days out of the week. Then the weekend hits and they binge to make up for the lack of calories missed throughout the week. If you do lose weight through yo-yo dieting the weight loss often comes from a loss of lean muscle mass, which further slows the metabolism.

The bottom line is that everybody is different that no two people will burn calories in the same way.

If you are looking to boost your metabolism to shed the weight you gained over the winter I suggest you give me a call at 519-270-1889 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Have you written your cravings off as normal because you’ve been experiencing them for so long? It’s possible that you’ve created quick fix solutions to satisfy those cravings just so they don’t drive you crazy.
There is no shortage of “health” products that make BIG claims to help you lose fat, get rid of cravings or balance your hormones. You’ve probably already bought or tried many of these products in an effort to slim down.
Even with all of the free information available now it’s seems harder than ever to get a straight and reliable answer from a trusted source on how to balance your hormones, stabilize blood sugar levels and lose weight without depriving yourself, feeling depressed or angry.
Here’s the harsh reality…
There is no one single food, pill, powder or tea that will give you the results you are looking for.
While that might be hard to hear it’s true.
When you have cravings it’s a result of multiple of physiological triggers that come together to signal you to eat, usually a sugary or salty food. In fact, the signal to eat something sugary or salty can sometimes be so strong that no amount of willpower can overcome it.
So how do you overcome your cravings in a realistic way that is maintainable long-term?

It’s been proven that sleeping through the night will help you lose weight. The more up and down you are throughout the night, the more likely you are to not only not lose weight- but you’re more prone to gain weight. This is related to a hormone level reaction. Waking up throughout the night disrupts how this hormone reacts and is made within the body, thus leading to weight gain. Researchers believe (and have proven over and over again in studies) that sleeping throughout the night helps to regulate all hormones, improving your metabolism and promoting weight loss.

Ok, this is easier said than done- right? Wrong. You can get a good night’s sleep. In fact, sleeping through the night is not only good for your waistline, it’s great for productivity purposes, too. Here are my seven tips for getting more sleep each and every night!

1. Don’t drink anything caffeinated after three in the afternoon. This sounds obvious, but it’s hard to do. Coffee, green tea (well, any tea), and sodas (which you shouldn’t drink anyway) are all sources of caffeine and beverages we’ve learned to drink well into our favourite primetime programs. Cutting off caffeinated drinks after three in the afternoon will improve your ability to go to sleep on time and stay asleep throughout the night.

2. Keep your bedroom at 68°F and dark. This temperature is scientifically proven to help people sleep through the night. The warmer your room, the harder it will be to sleep. And bright lights or bright paint will not help your ability to sleep. Think ‘bat cave’ at a cool and crisp sixty-eight degrees.

3. Have a ten minute prior to bedtime routine. This will help you psychology prepare for sleep. Don’t just fall asleep whenever. Set a time and then set up a routine that allows your brain and body to cool down before you attempt to sleep. Some people write down what they’re thankful for ten minutes before bedtime, others pray, some people sit quietly and meditate. Do whatever works for you that doesn’t involve checking your phone or email.

4. Take the clock out of your room. You don’t need this. You think you do, you don’t. Trust me and try it for a week. Your body will naturally know when to wake up once on schedule. So, put the alarm clock down the hall or outside the door until you can get your body trained to wake up on time and without the clock. Having a clock in your room adds a subconscious pressure that awaits tomorrow’s stress. Don’t think about time or tomorrow, remove the clock and focus on being present in your bed.

5. Don’t eat heavy meals after seven at night. This will help you avoid digestive issues that will have you back and forth to the bathroom during the night. It also helps avoid foods that are prone to disrupt sleep. The same goes for drinking. Try not to drink anything (including water) an hour before your bedtime to avoid unwanted interruptions.

6. Shut off the phone. Many smartphones have sleep modes. Set your emergency numbers and ringtones to how you desire. Shut off the email and other non-essential alerts. Make sure the phone is across the room where you can’t see, hear or sense it.

7. Don’t go to the gym at night. Working out releases hormones and dopamine in the brain, which can make you feel great and even ambitious. So ambitious that you can’t seem to ‘settle down’ and you just have to send an email, plan out an idea or concept, etc. Plan your fitness routine for the mornings. Even if you have to wake up early, getting to the gym or walking early in the morning or late in the afternoon is far better than working out past dinner time.
Sleeping consistently is a crucial step in any fitness or weight loss routine. Getting a good night’s sleep can also help prevent strokes and heart disease and improve productivity. It also reduces stress levels. Don’t be one of these people who claim they don’t have time to sleep a full six to eight hours a night. That’s nonsense and it will eventually catch up to them medically. Our bodies sleep for a reason and we shouldn’t ignore our body’s natural urge to rest for more than four hours.
Sleep can also reduce how old you look. Proper sleep helps to improve skin elasticity and decreases bags under the eyes. By sleeping a minimum of six hours per night, for three months straight, you can take three to five years off of your appearance without any cosmetic procedure.
So look great, become healthier, and improve productivity simply by implementing these easy-to-follow seven tips into your daily routine!

If you think you might need more help, book an appointment with me to talk about hormone and blood sugar balancing, or perhaps helpful supplements.

We all do it, I am guilty of it too: not allowing enough time (or any for that matter) for ourselves. We are busy people, always rushing from here to there, running errands, trying to drop the kids off on time, preparing food, cleaning the house, walking the dog - making sure that everyone else is happy. But where does that leave us? Usually overtired and somewhat unhappy.

This Mother’s Day I challenge you to take some time for yourself and increase your happiness factor. I don’t mean taking an hour to sleep in on exactly Sunday the 14th of May – I mean scheduling time for yourself on an ongoing basis. How can this be done? Well, by starting out slow, creating time and then rekindling something that you have put on the backburner.