SUMMER is coming, as is the desire of many to get rid of those pesky few kilos that seem to be stuck around the middle.
When it comes to developing and maintaining positive lifestyle habits, daily rituals and routines can go a long way in cementing lifestyle changes.
So if you are keen to start each day in a way that supports fat metabolism, here are some daily diet habits that will help blast body fat.
The simple act of starting each day with 300-500ml of water is one of the easiest daily rituals you can adopt to not only rehydrate after the night’s rest but to help get the digestive system moving.
Water is always the best choice of fluid and ice cold water in particular has been shown to increase metabolic rate slightly after consumption.
Herbal tea is another great option as it contributes a significant amount of fluid, while green tea offers antioxidants and a small amount of caffeine will also contribute to a slight metabolic boost.
Consuming 20-30g of high quality protein via foods such as eggs, Greek yoghurt, protein based smoothies and higher protein bread is the easiest way to set the platform for a day of healthy eating.
Not only will a high protein breakfast help to regulate blood glucose levels throughout the morning and keep you full for several hours but protein rich foods actually require more calories to digest than carbohydrate rich foods thus helping to boost metabolic rate.
Good options include scrambled eggs with vegetables; smoked salmon and avocado or nut spread on high protein bread, a smoothie with protein powder or Greek yoghurt with a little fruit.
One of the biggest issues with high protein diets is that they forget about the numerous benefits associated with consuming 20-30g of fibre each day. Not only will your digestive system be a lot happier when you include some high fibre foods in your diet each day, but adding them in at breakfast will help to keep you full and satisfied throughout the morning.
Good options at breakfast time include vegetables or sliced fruit served with your eggs; high protein, lower carb breads that are generally made with fibre rich wholegrains and seeds and a serve of bran, oats or fresh fruit that you can add to smoothies or Greek yoghurt.
One of the easiest ways to boost metabolism is to include a daily dose of caffeine and there is no better time to do this than first thing in the morning.
Caffeine is a stimulant and has been shown to increase fat metabolism, albeit in relatively small amounts.
The average shot of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine compared to just 40-60g for tea or instant coffee so including a piccolo or macchiato in your morning routine is an easy way to get a daily metabolic boost. Just keep in mind that an upper daily limit of 300-400mg of caffeine each day is recommended for an average adult.
The more sweet food we consume, especially early in the day, the more we are likely to want, which explains why a day that starts with banana bread and a caramel latte only seems to go downhill food wise.
This pattern occurs as processed carbohydrates including white bread and foods with loads of added sugar including fruit yoghurt, banana bread, smoothies and sweet coffee result in relatively high amounts of the hormone insulin being secreted.
Insulin drives our appetite for more sweet food, and is also involved in fat storage. As such, the less processed carbohydrate and sweet food we consume through the morning, the better it will be for weight control.
