When it comes to metabolism (the rate at which we use our food), there are factors that we can control and factors that we cannot control. We cannot control our gender and age, but we can control our eating habits and body composition.
Simply eating a light, healthy breakfast will turn your metabolism switch on for the day. A healthy breakfast may consist of: 1) one serving of a whole grain cereal or slice of toast, 2) low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt, 3) one serving of a fresh fruit such as cup blueberries or 1 small apple.
A fun fact: Depending on its function, 1 pound of muscle burns 30-50 calories per day, 1 pound of fat burns only 2 calories per day! To increase your metabolism, simply increase your amount of muscle mass. Many women avoid weight-bearing exercises because they don’t want to become “bulky” or “too muscular”. Most women don’t produce the hormones to become bulky, so pick up those weights! If you don’t want to join a gym, you can purchase all amounts of weights. However, as with any change in your activity, check with your doctor before you begin. It’s very easy to injure yourself if you don’t do exercises correctly. I suggest you make an appointment with an exercise specialist if weight-bearing exercises are new to you.