Bad habits that effect your metabolism
1. Sitting too much 🪑 Sitting for long periods of time can put your body into an energy conservation mode, which means your metabolism can suffer. According to the UK’s National Health Service, “Sitting for long periods is thought to slow metabolism, which affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.”
2. Not weight training 🏋️♂️ Strength training is a key component of metabolism because it is directly linked to muscle mass. The more active muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolic rate is.
3. Not eating enough protein 🥩🥚 Protein feeds your muscles, promotes satiety, and is an important component to sustain a healthy weight. Eat too little, and you may have trouble building or maintaining lean muscle mass. Like we mentioned above, we know muscle’s importance to metabolism. Also, protein requires more energy to break down than carbs or fat, so you’ll burn more calories during the digestion process due to the increased thermic effect.
4. Not drinking enough water 💧 a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, found drinking 500 ml of water (about 2 cups) increases metabolic rate by 30% and that spike can last for more than an hour. Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated, and you’ll get the added benefit of a boosted metabolism. Aim for 2 or more litres a day as a minimum intake.
5. Stress 😅 When stress levels increase, your body produces a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol leads to an increased appetite, cravings for comfort foods, decreased motivation to exercise and reduced sleep quality. All things that negatively impact metabolism.
6. Not getting enough sleep 😴 One bad night’s sleep is enough to leave you feeling pretty rough. Put together several nights in a row or a lifetime of not enough sleep and science shows a decrease in metabolism and hormonal imbalances may follow.
