4 Fast Fixes to Boost Your Weight Loss
1. DRINK MORE WATER We all know the benefits of drinking more water and staying hydrated in the summer. But did you know increasing your water intake induces the natural detox process that boosts healthy fat loss, and curbs sugar and carb cravings, too? Without enough water, the body will have you craving high-water content foods like fruits. That urge can easily be misread as a need for sugar and carbs, making them difficult to avoid. Lack of water can also affect the ability for food to move in and out of your system, which can affect your bowel movements and your body’s ability to detox.
The average person needs 3.5 liters just for processing food in and out and even more for detox. Bumping up your water helps to flush out fats and toxins, taking your health and wellness to the next level. But higher temperatures, exercise or outdoor activity can make staying hydrated especially difficult in the summer months.
THE FIX Lemon Adding lemon to your water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach stimulates your digestive system, wakes your body up and adds in essential digestive enzymes.
Bonus: Add lemon or any fruit or veg to your water throughout the day and it will help prevent the water from flushing through your system, helping you stay hydrated.
Mineral drops
Take it a step further by adding trace mineral drops to your water. Found in a variety of plant and animal sources, trace minerals like iron, zinc, iodine, copper and selenium are not only beneficial, but necessary for good digestive health, regulating hormones and boosting your immune system.
TIP: Adding in a pinch of sea salt along with your trace minerals can help to maintain your electrolytes.
2. EAT MORE FAT Without enough good fat coming in, your body will be reluctant to let go of any stored fat. One way of speeding up the fat loss process is to eat more good fat. Good fat helps with heart health, and gives your body more energy. It is also essential for cellular function. If you are concerned about high cholesterol levels, it has been proven that decreasing your saturated fat and increasing your good fats helps to lower your levels.
THE FIX Good fats Bump up your intake of good fats with foods like fish, avocado, nuts, seeds and hemp hearts. Or try pairing your carbohydrates with fats to decrease the amount of insulin needed to break them down
Supplements Take it a step further by adding in an Omega 3 supplement or Omega 369 combination. Supplements come in pills or liquids that can be added to shakes.
TIP: 30 per cent of your diet should come from fat, so don’t be afraid to add in the good ones.
3. BOOST YOUR COFFEE We all love our coffee in the morning. It helps us feel energized and more awake and has some mild metabolism-boosting benefits. Try these simple add-ons to boost the weight loss benefits.
THE FIX MCT oil Bulletproof coffee is coffee boosted with MCT oil, which has been all the rage for a few years. This easy add-on can give you an extra energy boost while providing the brain fuel needed to take the edge off of any busy lifestyle.
MCT stands for medium chain triglyceride, which calms the mind but revs up the body by boosting your metabolism and giving you almost instant energy.
Collagen Adding collagen to your coffee is an easy way to increase non-essential protein for tissue repair and to rebuild loose skin after weight loss. After the age of 20, our collagen decreases by about one per cent per year, affecting connective tissue along with our skin, hair and nails.
TIP: Collagen is available in bovine- or marine-sourced powders.
4. GET MORE SLEEP Sleep is essential for good health and key to weight loss. Your body is wired to a circadian rhythm and sleep is the body’s natural time to repair and rebuild any internal or external damage (including any damage done in the gym from lifting weights or resistance training) and detoxify. Lack of sleep means the body is unable to fully repair itself, which leaves you feeling at a deficit and needing extra energy just to function. This is why taking a rest day after workouts or strenuous activity is so important.
THE FIX Stop eating earlier As soon as it gets dark outside, your body is wired to wind-down in preparation for deep sleep. But eating later in the evening sends the message to your body that you are going to be active, so it gears up rather than winding down. This makes it harder to fall asleep and get the deep sleep your body needs.
Add calm magnesium citrate to your bedtime routine. Available in powder or pill form, calm magnesium citrate taken before bed can help calm the nerves and aid the body in preparing for that deep sleep.
As always, when it comes to your health and wellness, check with your doctor or health care provider before adding anything new to your routine and follow the directions advised.
TIP: “Calm mag” also helps balance out cortisol levels caused by higher stress. High cortisol levels can prevent weight loss and signal weight gain.