If metabolic wellness is so elusive, what are we all doing wrong? And how can we take action to reset our metabolism and upgrade our whole-body health? Here, we’ve outlined seven healthy habits you can incorporate into your everyday routine to give your metabolism the reboot it needs to support you—today and well down the road. An individual’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories an individual needs to carry out basic physiological functions (again: breathing, digestion, blood circulation, etc.). Their resting metabolic rate (RMR), aka resting energy expenditure (REE), is the actual number of calories they burn at rest. A person with a “fast” metabolism has a higher REE than someone with a “slow” metabolism. Now, before you get discouraged, it’s important to point out that your metabolic rate is influenced by a number of factors—some of which are fixed (e.g., genetics, biological sex, age) and many of which can be optimized (e.g., mitochondrial health, muscle mass, adiposity, insulin sensitivity, thyroid hormone health, nutrition, timing of meals, stress levels, sleep health, physical activity, and more). Try implementing these changes into your daily and/or weekly routine—you’ll be surprised by how big a difference small, consistent healthy habits can make in your overall metabolic well-being! According to a 2016 Frontiers in Nutrition review, drinking water has also been shown to trigger water-induced thermogenesis—a process that can increase your metabolic rate by up to 30%1 for an hour. So, grab your favorite reusable water bottle and fill up! Prioritizing complex carbs (e.g., whole grains, legumes, fruit, fibrous or starchy veggies), lean protein (e.g., fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, seeds), healthy fats (e.g., olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish), and lots and lots of plant foods (which are packed with fiber and phytonutrients), herbs, and spices in your daily snacks and meals will help promote satiety, blood sugar balance, healthy lipid levels, and fat metabolism. Note: Nutritional strategies (like supplementation) are designed to be most effective when part of an overall healthy lifestyle that optimizes daily energy balance via mindful nutrition, physical activity, and other holistic well-being tips mentioned in this article. When it comes to working out, be sure that some of your physical activity includes strength exercises that help build and preserve muscle—if you recall, your percentage of muscle mass directly impacts your metabolic rate (i.e., the higher your muscle mass, the more calories you expend while resting). Integrative registered dietitian Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT recommends lifting heavy weights two to three times a week. “Start with weights that feel like you’re putting in effort (we’re not talking circa 1980 Jazzercise!) and that you can still maintain good form while lifting,” she previously shared with mindbodygreen. “Then, work your way up over time with both the weight and frequency per week of your sessions, and work with a trainer if you’re new to the lifting world and your budget allows." Incorporating cardio into your weekly workout schedule is also key for metabolism support and overall longevity. You can help increase your heart rate and burn calories with both aerobic (running, walking, swimming, biking, hiking) and anaerobic (weightlifting, HIIT) activities. “As long as the person is not underweight or malnourished, the single most powerful intervention to improve metabolism is to go without food for a period of time—or, at least make your body think that it is," Harvard psychiatrist and author of Brain Energy, Chris Palmer, M.D., previously explained to mindbodygreen. “You can think of these processes as a ‘clean cycle’ and a ‘reboot’ for your cells,” he says. “[Fasting] forces your body to burn fat, increase autophagy, and increase the health and number of mitochondria in your cells. All of these can have a powerful and beneficial effect on metabolism.” It’s worth noting that fasting in any form can impact hormone levels, so be sure to do your own research (our comprehensive guide on intermittent fasting is a good place to start) and listen to your body—especially if you’re a woman! This is because your stress (cortisol) levels can impact your metabolism. As such, researchers have found that introducing a mindfulness practice (such as meditation) can help decrease your baseline stress levels and support your overall metabolic well-being. If you aren’t sure how, exactly, to start a meditation practice, you can check out our beginner’s guide here. Getting adequate shuteye every night helps your body combat oxidative stress, maintain hormone balance, and regulate a number of other metabolic processes. If you’re trying to completely reset and recharge your metabolism, upgrading your sleep routine is a great place to start. Of course, this is variable based on an individual’s metabolic health factors (e.g., genes, biological sex, physical activity, nutrition, sleep health, etc.) and how many of the actions listed above are integrated into your regular routine. Like any aspect of health, the more small, consistent changes you make in your everyday life, the quicker you will see improvement in your metabolic well-being. To truly reset and sustain your metabolism gains, try incorporating as many of these metabolic support habits as you’d like into your everyday routine.
