10 Natural Ways to Lose Weight for Summer

There are plenty of articles on how to lose weight fast for the summer. To lose weight in a healthy way, which includes keeping it off for good, is much more difficult to find.

This is surprising when you understand that to lose weight the healthy way also includes the side effects of glowing skin, increased energy and improved mood.

When you commit to your health you commit to not only looking better, but feeling better too.

In preparation for bare summer skin this summer, here are ten natural, healthy ways to increase your metabolism, boost your energy and improve your mood.

1. Ginger – Include in a stir-fry or your next smoothie.  It speeds up your digestion by as much as twenty percent! For those with a tired digestive system it helps stimulate the digestive fires before a meal. When the stomach doesn’t digest food properly, it leaves them in the digestive track to lead to weight gain.  The ginger also acts as a fat burner, not just water weight loss. It also helps you feel full and for a longer period of time, and keeps glucose levels in check. For weight loss, it’s important to make sure the body is absorbing all possible nutrients. Ginger aids in this absorption process.

 

2. Vitamin B Supplements – It turns carbs, fats and protein into energy, so when you don’t have an adequate amount your metabolism slows down.   Increase foods that contain vitamin B, but including a supplement in your diet will help as well. Include a small amount of nuts, seeds, and green veggies (spinach and broccoli) into your diet to improve your Vitamin B intake. It also reduces stress and improves sleep, which is another factor in losing weight (see below).

 

3. Drink Green Tea – This drink contains the plant compound EGCG, a fat-buring tool research shows.  Don’t believe it?  Take a look at any fat burning supplement, the ingredients almost always list green tea in the ingredients. Increase your intake by enjoying in the morning at work or as an afternoon pick-me-up.

 

4. Enjoy Oolong Tea – The polyphenol compound found in oolong tea is very effective in controlling the metabolism of fat in the body.  Daily consumption has been said to reduce obesity.  It also has skin enhancing benefits, easing skin conditions with regular intake. Add a warm cup before bed as a way to wind down from the day.

 

5. Include Lentils In Your Diet – Iron deficiency is high in women.  Your body can’t burn calories as efficiently when this happens.  One cup provides 35% of your daily needs!  Add them to your next soup, or as a side dish with dinner.  They’re easier to cook than you think! Another great source of iron is in raw chocolate and in seaweed. Sign up for my  newsletter to learn more about how to use these foods in your diet.

 

6. Take in your Vitamin C + Calcium – Calcium speeds up metabolism and Vitamin C helps you absorb calcium. The perfect combination! When the body dips in calcium levels, the body holds on to fat more.  It plays a vital role in blood sugar levels,  Vitamin C is one of the most widely used supplements today, but many of us don’t realize that it also plays a key role in our blood sugar levels.

 

7. Try Kombucha – This drink has many benefits including liver detoxification, optimal body functioning and easing arthritis. Kombucha is a fermented drink of black tea and sugar. After fermentation it contains Vitamin B, probiotics and high acid concentration.  
    
   All of these lead to weight loss through increased metabolism and limiting fat accumulation. Kombucha also is alkalizing. Not sure what that means? Sign up for the JH newsletter and we will be talking more about acid/alkaline balance for optimal health.

 

8. Water! – No surprise here. Many times when you’re hungry, it’s because you’re dehydrated.  The mind gets confused about whether it’s hungry or really just thirsty.  Always drink a glass of water first any time you’re hungry throughout the day.  Dehydration slows bodily functions and metabolism.  Organs don’t function properly, calories are not burned properly, and fat-burning doesn’t occur as efficiently after exercise.

 
Drink a glass of water in the morning to speed up your metabolism, before a social event, before a meal, and before exercise. Any time there will be ample foods available in excess, or the body will exert extra effort, drink water. Be sure the source of your water and make sure it is optimal. I choose spring water directly from the spring or ionized or distilled water. The source of your water is a large determinate in the fate of your health.

9. Relax – Stress invites in cortisol, which in turn tells the body to hold onto fat to prepare for stressful situations.  Find the tools that work for you to ease stress, from a night out with friends to meditation.  Oolong tea also helps with stress, as well as yoga which links breath and movement to put the mind at ease.
    
   This is HUGE! Do not underestimate the role of cortisol in your weight-loss sabotage, are you one of ones who cannot seem to get rid of the belly fat? Most likely you are in need of more endocrine balance.

 

10. Fresh air + Sleep – Staying in dark and dull environments for too long of time makes the brain tell the body to gain weight.  Get up, take a walk, and get in some outside time.  Your heart rate will increase, your body will increase its oxygen intake, and allow you to sleep better at night.  When your body gets the optimal amount of rest, it not only functions better, but also allows your body to relax and lose weight easier as well.

 
Get more sleep any time you are actively trying to loose weight; University of Chicago study found dieters that rested more had more weight loss – 56% of their weight loss in fact.  Those that were sleep deprived just lost more muscle mass. Those in the study also felt more hungry when they got less sleep. Did you know? Metabolism and sleep are controlled by the same sectors of the brain!