You’ve tried it all; everything you could muster to boost your metabolism in an effort to burn calories and lose weight. But woefully, you’ve hit a wall and try as you might, the pounds just won't budge. If that speaks to you, then my top five metabolism boosters are just what you’ve been waiting for! And get this—they’re easy as, dare I say, pie!
1. Fat burning drink, anyone? Did you know that sipping 1 cup of apple cider with meals can help you to lose 1-2 percent of your body fat in as little as one month? Yes, researchers believe that the powerful antioxidants in apple cider (polyphenol) help your body burn fat at the same time that they help your body to block new fat cells.
2. Trim your lunch. That’s right, you can actually lose weight without even having to think about it (and you’ve gotta love that!). Here’s how it works: A Cornell University study found that people who ate what they wanted to for breakfast and dinner, but scaled back their lunch to 250 calories a day, lost nearly a pound a week.
3. Leave some food on your plate. Along the same lines as the Cornell study, here’s another way to consume fewer calories and lose weight effortlessly: Join the Lean Plate Club and ditch the Clean Plate Club. Why? Because when you leave food on your plate you could save up to 100-200 calories at each meal. That could add up to a daily savings of 500 calories a day!
4. Burn more calories with safflower oil. Women who consume 1 1/3 teaspoons of safflower oil a day can lose 2-4 pounds of body fat within 16 weeks. The linoleic acid in safflower oil boosts metabolism and helps your body to lower blood sugar by as much as 19 points. Keeping your blood-sugar levels stable is crucial to getting a healthy metabolism and losing weight.
5. Zig-zag your calories. When your body doesn’t know what to expect calorie wise, it increases its own fat-burning potential. Keeping your body guessing ultimately prompts it to lose weight. Here’s how it works: Start your week with 2,000 calories on Monday and then alternate your daily caloric intake between 1,000 and 2,000 calories a day. It may be helpful to use a calorie-counting website or mobile app such as Caloriecount.com. Always read nutrition labels and journal your progress to keep yourself honest. (The same is true for your exercise routine).
I believe as did Glenda the good witch did in The Wizard of Oz, “You’ve always had the power, my dear.” Here’s wishing you a happy and healthy fat-burning experience!
Get more tips from Dr. Ro at Everythingro.com and on her blog.
Follow Dr. Ro on Facebook. And check out her new book Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets to Livin’ Healthy.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.