We’re all looking for ways to rid ourselves of excess weight and build a little muscle. It’s good for your health and it looks and feels great. It also leads to a more peaceful life because you feel better not only physically, but you also feel better about yourself mind, body, and spirit.
One of the most important things you can do to release excess weight and encourage your body to build a healthy amount of muscle is to boost your metabolism – especially in the morning.
Far too many of us go straight for coffee in the morning, perhaps eat a carb laden, processed breakfast or skip it entirely, and go on with our day. There’s nothing wrong with a routine, but if your routine is limiting your metabolism or not contributing to your overall health, then you’re not moving closer towards your goals to be more fit.
So what’s a body to do?
Give your metabolism a boost in the morning. For some reason, many people view increasing metabolism and reducing weight as a challenge. It doesn’t have to be that way when you add a few basic tools to your morning routine.
Get that morning metabolism revved up with these simple strategies:
Balance your pH. One of the most overlooked aspects to health and fitness programs is the pH balance. You may remember this from chemistry class in high-school. pH is the acid/base balance, and when it comes to your body, alkalinity is good, but chronic high acidity leads to obesity, fatigue, and other serious health implications.
The benefits of an alkalizing diet are starting to add up. Research has shown that eating more alkalizing foods can benefit bone health, reduce muscle loss, improve cardiovascular health, and enhance memory. Unlike most superfoods we hear about, alkalizing foods are often cheap and easy to find.
Balancing your pH levels in the morning can be a great way to start your day off on the right foot, empowering your metabolism to function as it should. The best way to balance your pH in the morning is to eat organic whenever possible. Include vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Avoid sugar and processed foods. Keep it simple. Not only will these alkalizing foods help you balance your pH, but they’ll also increase your intake of fiber, which has been shown to decrease appetite and lead to weight reduction.
Get moving in the morning! Exercise or move any way you like. Running, walking, biking, lifting weights, dancing – it doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you’re making your muscles, heart, and lungs work.
One of the biggest benefits of moving in the morning is that I get it done and don’t have to be concerned about anything getting in the way as the day goes on. You may have noticed I’m not a big fan of exercise, so doing it first thing also prevents me from making excuses not to do it later.
Although some research has shown that you won’t be able to train as hard as in the evening, a morning workout is one of the most effective methods to increase metabolism leading to healthier muscle to fat ratios.
Make sure to get some good hydration when you first wake up. Note – Coffee does not count as hydration. In fact, it has a negative hydration effect due to its diuretic value. Although drinking coffee in the morning can make you feel more energized, it doesn’t promote a faster metabolism in the long run. But true hydration will.
Drinking fifty to sixty percent of your body weight in ounces of water daily in order to stay as hydrated as possible. For example, if a person weighs one hundred pounds, they should drink a minimum of fifty to sixty ounces of pure, filtered water every day. I prefer to drink at least a quart during my first hour of the morning.
So, you say you don’t care for plain water? Add a drop or two of certified pure tested grade lemon essential oil for flavor. Make sure the essential oil you choose is safe for consumption. Note that the lemon essential oil is also very alkaline (see above on how alkaline and metabolism work together).
Get enough iron-rich food every day. This is especially important in a world where food is processed, and nutrients are being stripped from their original sources. Iron does more than we think, and emerging science is showing that it can have massive benefits to metabolism and overall vitality.
According to live strong.com, breakfast foods high in iron include fortified cereals and eggs. Add raisins to oatmeal or have a tofu scramble as other ways to add the mineral without adding lots of unhealthy fat.
Lack of iron can lead to anemia, fatigue, and overeating. Iron also plays a crucial role in hemoglobin and erythrocyte production, both of which help to transport working nutrients and oxygen to muscle and other internal systems. New science is even showing that iron may be an important mechanism to assist in protein digestion.
Habits shape who we are. Perhaps you have a habit of having a cup of coffee with a muffin each morning. Of course, this is not the end of the world, but if your goals are to get stronger, boost metabolism, and release some excess weight, then it becomes important that you change up the habit.
If you’re looking to rev up your morning metabolism, take care to balance your pH, exercise regularly, hydrate, and eat iron rich foods each morning.
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