Feeling sluggish? Six simple steps to speed up your metabolism

Are you constantly feeling fatigued and lacking in energy? The chances are you have a slow metabolic rate.

By making some simple changes to your daily routine, you can give yourself a boost and get rid of that sluggish feeling.   1. Eating breakfast is a must Skipping breakfast is one of the worst things to do for your metabolism. The sooner your body is kick-started, the sooner it gets working. A healthy breakfast should include protein and fruit bursting with plenty of antioxidants, like blueberries or strawberries.   2. Do some early morning intense exercise Short bursts of intense exercise first thing in the morning can do wonders for your metabolism. Just five minutes of intense exercise (running, hula hooping, jumping jacks, and lunges) will benefit you for the rest of the day.   3. Water, water, water Water is magical stuff. Drinking plenty of H20 helps the metabolic process, as it needs water to fuel it.   4. Enjoy some spicy foods Simply adding hot spices to food can help speed up your metabolic rate. Curry, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cumin, or turmeric are all great. Other spices that have the same reaction in the body are cinnamon, cardamon and ginger.   5. Keep your thyroid healthy Minerals that help the thyroid work efficiently are selenium, zinc, copper, and iodine, all of which are found in seafood and nuts.   6. Cut out the late night snacks Most of us eat more at dinner than we do at breakfast and sit down for tea and toast (or biscuits) before bedtime. Cut it out. Not eating for at least three hours before bedtime is fantastic for your metabolism.   This article is brought to you by Virgin Media; who after 1 million independent speed tests have been named Ireland’s fastest broadband network by Ookla, the global leader in broadband testing. Virgin Media are now offering 360Mb Broadband, Horizon TV and unlimited calls for just €40 a month for 4 months. Be quick so you don’t miss out! Click here for full details.