How to Boost Your Metabolism with a Healthy Breakfast

breakfast
Photo credit: rob_rob2001 / Flickr

If you’re trying to lose weight, you know how important it is to boost your metabolism so you can burn off those calories at the fastest rate possible. One of the best ways to boost your metabolism is to start off the day with a healthy breakfast. Why is a healthy breakfast so effective in boosting your metabolism?

A healthy breakfast reduces cravings.

When you start the morning with a nutritious and filling breakfast you reduce your hunger level and prevent cravings for carbohydrates and other unhealthy foods.

A healthy breakfast gives you energy.

When you have a higher energy level, you burn more calories If you try to carry out your routine tasks on an empty stomach each morning, you’re bound to work slower and burn fewer calories.

A healthy breakfast primes your metabolism to work at peak capacity.

If you approach the day without eating, your body may sense starvation and slow down to conserve energy. This means you’ll burn fewer calories.

Several studies have shown that eating healthy foods first thing in the morning reduces the risk of both insulin resistance and obesity. This means that you not only have less of a chance of becoming overweight, but also a lower risk of diabetes.

In order to boost metabolism without adding excess calories, your breakfast foods should be chosen wisely. It’s important to consume some protein each morning which helps to prime your metabolism and conserve your energy levels. You should also add whole grains to your breakfast selection. A Harvard study showed that people who eat whole grain cereal each morning have a lower risk of heart disease as well as overall mortality. It’s best to avoid high glycemic carbohydrates such as white bread toast, croissants, muffins, pancakes, and waffles. Limit your consumption of high fat, calorie dense foods such as sausage and ham.

Some healthy breakfast choices to increase your metabolism might be:

An egg white omelet with vegetables
Scrambled egg whites seasoned with salt and pepper
Oatmeal with fruit and skim milk
Whole grain cereal with skim milk
Sugar free yogurt sweetened with fresh fruit

Be careful to avoid breakfast foods that are advertised as healthy, but contain high amounts of sugar. An example of these would be many of the granola bars and cereal bars being advertised as breakfast foods. If possible, avoid buying presweetened oatmeal and whole grain cereals. Buy your whole grains and oatmeal raw and prepare them in your microwave. Add a little fruit or artificial sweetener to suit.


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