7 Ways to Nurture Your Metabolism
In a continuation from last week’s post about under-eating sabotaging your health (at least your metabolism, for starters), today I’m discussing 7 ways to nurture your metabolism.
Even if you’ve spent years dieting and under-eating, there are actions you can take today to get on a path of healing…
Last week we started talking about your metabolism. As I mentioned, one of the most common nutrition concerns I have when working 1-on-1 with clients is about under-eating. And as we learned last week, under-eating can sabotage your health and metabolism.
The good news is that there are things you can start doing TODAY to begin to restore, repair, and nurture your metabolism so it returns to your set point.
I’m going to jump right into it, because there’s no need to beat around the bush…
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Here are 7 things you can do to nurture your metabolism:
1. Eat Balanced Meals
Eating a balance of nutrients – protein, fat, AND carbohydrates – is the best first step towards nurturing your metabolism.
ACTION TIP: When making your food choices, opt for REAL food ingredients – those you can recognize, including good quality proteins, healthy fats, plenty of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains.
2. Exercise Smarter
It’s not always about exercising harder (that can actually spike your stress hormones – ahh!), but focusing on exercising smarter instead.
You can expend an enormous amount of energy through exercise. In those who over-exercise, I often see this coupled with under-nourishment.
If you’re constantly exhausted, your muscles are aching nonstop, and your workouts feel like a chore, you may be over-exercising.
ACTION TIP: Try reducing your sessions in frequency and/or intensity. Take some days for low-impact activity, which will help you get better in touch with your body.
It’s also important to find an activity you love. When you look forward to your workouts, they won’t be as stressful for you.
3. Break Up With Fad Diets
Science proves that most diets don’t work. Or at least, that they don’t work to promote long-term health benefits.
Sure, most of us can follow a plan for a few weeks, but then we inevitably get bored, and then gain back the weight you lost – and usually more than what you started with.
This yo-yo cycle is STRESS CENTRAL for your body. It doesn’t know what to think – am I starving? Do I have enough to eat? Will I have enough energy to cover my basic metabolic needs (like breathing, heart pumping, sleeping)?
Not to mention, restrictive diets also mess with your mind. First of all, who wants to be around a deprived dieter (not I said the fly!)? But even more, dieters are often STRESSED! Can I eat this? Will taking 1 bite of birthday cake lead to a 5 pound weight gain? Is this an “approved food?”
When stressed, your body is in over-drive (more on stress below), so we want to do everything we can to reduce your stress… including eliminating unnecessary restrictive diets.
4. Honor Your Hunger and Fullness
How many times have you gotten “too busy to eat?” If you’re like many of my clients, it’s all too common.
What happens then? You likely eat WAY past the point of fullness by the time you finally sit down for a meal.
This isn’t willpower, it’s physiology.
Balancing your hunger and fullness is essential to drop the diet mentality, develop a healthy relationship with food, and repair your metabolism.
Here’s why: If you go too long without eating, your body enters “starvation mode.” No, this isn’t a cool phase of a video game, but an alarming “CONSERVE WHERE YOU CAN” signal to your body.
As a result, your body slooooows your metabolism so you’re not burning as much energy. If this is prolonged, your hair and nails will weaken, your muscles will fade away, and any non-essential activities (i.e.: breathing and maintaining your heartbeat) will fall by the wayside.
This is exactly what we DON’T want.
ACTION TIP: To repair your metabolism, tune in to your hunger and fullness. Working with a qualified nutritionist can help you get in touch with your body. You can schedule your FREE initial consultation here!
5. Sleep Well
Sleep is one of the most underrated health hacks we have.
We know we need sleep to think clearly, perform better at work and school, but also to eat healthier and move more mindfully.
Sleep is a restorative activity, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important than eating balanced meals or moving your body mindfully.
Sleep is now being thought of as another piece in the let’s solve the obesity epidemic in America puzzle. And for good reason…
Sleep deprivation messes with your hunger and fullness hormones, which can play tricks on your body and lead to out of control food cravings.
Even more, sleep-deprived individuals have lower glucose tolerance (which could resemble the beginning stages of diabetes and impaired carbohydrate metabolism!) and disturbances in other hormone levels (including thyroid hormone and cortisol levels).
ACTION TIP: Aim for 7-9 hours of shut eye per night. Use these tips to sleep soundly!
6. Stress Less
Bursts of stress tell your body “Run from the bear, you can worry about digestion later!” This “fight or flight” stress mode sends a signal to your metabolism to conserve energy in any way it can. Therefore, you’re not going to use the fuel you consume as efficiently.
The good news is that we don’t (usually) need to run from bears anymore. However, we’re (myself included!) in this constant state of GO, GO, GO, which spikes stress hormones and tells your body to conserve energy (ie: fat) for later. When you’re chronically stressed, your stress hormones (especially cortisol) remain consistently elevated, instead of ebbing and flowing like they are supposed to with the rhythm of life.
ACTION TIP: Find stress-reducing activities to stop this cycle in its tracks. Here are some ideas:
- Wake up slowly instead of rushing to check your email
- Take time away from your desk at lunch
- Participate in less vigorous forms of exercise, like walking and yoga
- Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bed
- Set boundaries when it comes to work (especially on your time off!)
7. Seek Professional Help
If you’re confused about what to eat, how much to eat, or if you’re nurturing your metabolism, working with a qualified nutritionist can help! A qualified nutrition professional, like a registered dietitian, will work with you to help you reach your goals, without damaging your metabolism.
If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you!
XO