Monday, March 11, 2013

Tips for Starting Your Morning Off Right




Tips for Starting Your Morning Off Right

Get Your Heart Rate Up

According to a recent study I found on http sciencedaily.com, “researchers show that exercisers can burn as many as 200 extra calories in as little as 2.5 minutes of concentrated effort a day”. 2.5 minutes of working out will not burn 200 calories immediately, but it will help you burn up to an extra 200 calories throughout the day, following the workout. You can start off with some jumping jacks to warm the body up and get your heart rate going and then follow with any set of exercises of your choice such as push ups, crunches, mountain climbers, jumping rope, etc. Remember that this is not a workout substitute; it is just a simple boost to give your metabolism a kick-start for the day.

Hydrate and Nourish

Before you eat or drink anything, have a glass of lukewarm water with lemon juice, squeezed from half of a lemon. I recommend organic meyer lemons because they contain a lot of juice and they have a sweeter flavor. You’ll want to use lukewarm water so your body does not have to use extra energy to metabolize this.  Drinking lemon water will help alkalize the body, meaning that it will help shift the pH of your body to a neutral, non-acidic state. I was confused at first of how an acidic fruit can neutralize the body’s acidic state, so I did some research and found that it is not the lemon that is alkaline, but it is the fact that once the body metabolizes the lemon, it puts the body in an alkaline state. (For more information on alkalizing the body visit). Lemon water also wakes the body in the morning, making you feel energized and refreshed. 

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Here are some other benefits of lemon water from http://www.energiseforlife.com/:

  1. Lemons are antiseptic
  2. Lemon water has excellent digestive properties and can ease heartburn, bloating and other digestion problems
  3. Lemon water cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys
  4. Lemon juice contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
  5. Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma
  6. Lemon water (hot) offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C
  7. Lemon juice is a great skin cleanser

Eat Breakfast!

Eating breakfast is extremely important. According to livestrong.com, “If you want to boost your morning metabolism, try eating breakfast. A breakfast of complex carbohydrates such as fruit or whole grains will rev things up as your digestive system works to break food down. Eating at regular intervals throughout the day will maintain the elevated levels. Skipping meals, on the other hand, will cause the metabolism to drop to conserve blood sugar.” So eat a healthy breakfast to boost your metabolism, energize and nourish the body and avoid weight gain.

5 easy, healthy & delicious breakfast ideas:
1.  Smoothie
2.  Egg white omelet
3.  Oatmeal
4.  Greek yogurt with honey or jam
5.  Home made energy bars (here are some fun energy bar recipes to try)







Start your morning off right for a better and healthier day :) 

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