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The idea of rapidly burning fat while sitting calmly at our desks has our ears perked and our eyebrows raised. But that sounds too good to be true...because well, it isn’t true.
The bad news - there is no magic bullet, pill, or single supplement that will rev up your metabolism with a simple swallow.
The good news - there is A LOT of science around metabolic health! There are some straightforward actions, movements, and nutrients that can help us support this critical function. It may not be AS easy as taking a magic metabolism pill, but it isn’t HARD to make some changes either.
The good news is that there are practical and proven methods for supporting your metabolism, and we’ve gathered four of the best ones for you right here.
Protein Across the Board
At the risk of sounding like the guy at your local gym in a skimpy tank top and enough veins to scare off a velociraptor, we’re here to tell you that consuming protein is crucial, not just for your muscles but for your metabolism too.
A detailed Healthline article outlines the effects of different macronutrients on the body, like protein, fats, and carbs.
Studies have shown that protein is by far the most filling nutrient, helping you stay satiated with less food. It’s also proven to significantly boost your metabolism compared to fats and carbs.
In short, eating higher amounts of protein will make you feel fuller, boost your metabolism and the number of calories you burn and aid your body’s muscle development and repair.
But if you’re going to up your protein intake, make sure you’re eating healthy protein. We put 20g grams of clean-burning soy protein isolate into our Soylent shakes to make sure our protein is the good stuff.
Get Moving and Grooving
Put simply, the more you move, the more active your metabolism will be. Those 3-hour periods of sitting at your desk like a stale board have got to go.
Oftentimes, people who are thought to have fast metabolisms are really just more prone to moving around than others. All the little movements make a difference. This can be bouncing your knees at your desk, taking more walks, or setting a reminder to pause during the day to get some mobility and stretching in.
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When you’re at rest, your metabolism goes back to a resting state. So stay on your toes and make short spurts of movement a part of your daily routines.
The Tiny Stuff: Vitamins & Minerals
Remember, your metabolism refers to all the chemical processes happening in your body.
Some folks have a speedy metabolism which means they need more calories, while others can eat less. But no matter what your genetic makeup consists of, eating a complete diet with a variety of vitamins and minerals will support your metabolism and make you feel a heck of a lot better than if you consistently eat junk.
Vitamins and minerals are the invisible and relentless workforce inside your body. They dutifully perform hundreds of small roles on your behalf like healing wounds, repairing cell damage, and bolstering your immune system.
Most people know a thing or two about vitamins. But how many minerals can you list off the top of your head? Uh, yeah it’s trickier than you’d think, right?
Here’s the premix of vitamins and minerals we add to every bottle of Soylent: Calcium, Potassium, Choline, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Pantothenic Acid, Copper, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Iodine, Folic acid, Chromium, Vitamin K1, Selenium, Molybdenum, Biotin, Vitamin D2, and Vitamin B12.
Whew, now we’re out of breath.
You can research nutrient-dense foods online and pick up a wide selection at a local health foods store. Or, you can leave the heavy lifting to us...which is a weirdly impeccable segue into what we’re going to discuss next.
Heavy Things Help
Almost everyone out there wants more muscle and less fat. Aesthetics aside, this is a great goal to strive for, both for your metabolism and your general health.
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A Healthline article about metabolism is quick to point out exactly why lifting weights and other heavy objects directly benefit your metabolic function.
One key factor is that muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Therefore, building more muscle will help kick your metabolism into gear and keep it there.
By retaining new muscle, you can prevent your metabolism from dropping again, and show off all that new muscle you got too, of course!
There’s no silver bullet for sky-rocketing your metabolism. The best formula is a handful of small changes that work together to kick your metabolism up a notch and help you stay lean and healthy.
Implement small things and get good at doing them regularly. You got this.
