If you’re looking for some natural secret weapons to boost your metabolism, look no further. Just like protein, some compounds naturally stimulate your body to produce more heat and burn more calories and fat, a process we call “Thermogenesis”; thermo means “heat”, genesis means “production”. Implementing a couple of simple changes in your daily routine can result in huge gains (or losses) where you want them.
Epigollecatechin gallate (EGCG), found in green tea, has been shown in hundreds of studies to cause your body to burn more calories. Taking roughly 400 mg. of EGCG can help you burn up to an additional 200 extra calories per day! That might not sound like much, but it adds up if you do it daily. You need to drink 5-6 cups of green tea to get that amount, but simply substituting cups of green tea for water can get you there no problem. If you are worried about the caffeine levels from drinking that much tea, it’s good to know that green tea contains about 1/6th the level of caffeine as a cup of soda or coffee, so it’s comparable to drinking your daily cup of coffee, but with these added benefits.
Fish Oil - Good fish oil supplements that contain the omega-3 fatty acids EPA, DHA and CLA provide a ton of benefits for your body when taken in the proper amounts, one of which is thermogenesis. Taking at least 4,000 mg. (usually about 4 one-per-day capsules) usually provides the boost in burning body fat through 3 different mechanisms. Omega-3 fats stimulate the mitchondria in your cells (the PG&E of your body) to burn more energy and run “hotter.” Omega-3 fats increase your insulin sensitivity, which means you will produce less insulin after a meal, and resulting in less fat storage. These fatty acids also cause your body to preferentially target fat stores for energy instead of glycogen (stored glucose/sugar stores). As an added bonus, recent studies have shown that this might also increase your Leptin production, which helps with satiety and metabolic rate.
These changes are simple to put into practice, and they are devastatingly effective. Substitute some of your water for green tea and make sure you take your fish oil along with your daily multivitamins. This way, you’ll be sure to feel your increased body heat help melt off that unwanted baby fat.