Boost Your Metabolism in 24 Hours: Morning

sweetdollcakes — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:12:00 -0000

Morning

Eat a 300- to 400-calorie breakfast In the AM, your energy stores are depleted by as much as 80% from the night before. Without food, your body shifts into starvation mode, which means it begins to conserve energy and burn fewer calories. (In other words: Your metabolic rate takes a nosedive.) That may be why, in one study, breakfast skippers were 4 1*2 times more likely to be obese than breakfast eaters. For more long-lasting energy, include whole grain complex carbohydrates like oatmeal.

Throw in a cup of halved strawberries Research suggests that getting enough vitamin C--75 mg a day--may be essential for optimal fat burning. The strawberries provide 90 mg.

Get a dose of sunlight "Exposure to bright light decreases melatonin and increases serotonin, shifting your body from sleep to awake mode and, in turn, revving your metabolic furnace," says health and psychology researcher Robert K. Cooper, PhD, author of the metabolism book Flip the Switch.

Take your multivitamin Antioxidant nutrients help protect mitochondria, tiny structures found in every cell, from damage; they're the microscopic fat-burning furnaces that convert food into fuel.

Move at the office "Moving throughout the day--even if it's just walking to a colleague's office rather than sending an e-mail--keeps your metabolism higher than doing a workout and then remaining sedentary," says James O. Hill, PhD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado at Denver.

Sip a cup of coffee or tea Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that moderately boosts metabolism, helping you burn about 20 extra calories.

Have a midmorning snack Good choices: a reduced-fat cheese stick or a cup of low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit. Every time you eat, your body burns additional calories to digest the food. Take advantage of this automatic boost by eating something--even if it's very small--every 3 to 4 hours.

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Boost Your Metabolism in 24 Hours: Morning