Health professionals are always looking for methods to kickstart their metabolisms, and travel nursing specialists are no exception. There is a lot of noise out there of theories promising weight loss, but much of it remains unsubstantiated. Though you can't control your age, gender or genetics, there are real, studied ways to boost your metabolism:
Pump up your workout
While aerobic exercise may not be famous for sculpting big muscles, it can continue to fuel your metabolism in the hours following a workout. High-intensity exercise offers a longer spike in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity sessions. To make the most out of your time at the gym, here are several tips: Try short busts of jogging during your regular walk. Dedicate yourself to spending 10 more minutes working out every day or try a more intense class at the gym. If you can't seem to find time after work to exercise, consider hitting the treadmill in the morning before work.
Eat protein, especially for breakfast
Protein forces the body to burn more calories digesting than carbohydrates and fat. Start the day off with a protein-packed meal, such as poached eggs with whole wheat English muffins or a Mexican potato omelet. If you're not a big breakfast eater, consider Greek yogurt topped with blueberries, raspberries and granola (Greek yogurt contains about 6 more grams of protein per serving for a total of 14 grams).
Not only does protein rev your metabolism, it helps you stay full longer. Studies have shown the nutrient triggers your gut to release peptide YY, the hormone that makes you feel satiated. People who eat higher amounts of protein at breakfast tend to ingest fewer calories throughout the day.
Build muscle
Those on travel nursing assignments have heard that muscle burns fat. It's true; cultivating muscle is a great method to burn calories, whether you're at work, home or at the gym. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day to simply sustain itself, compared to each pound of fat, which burns only 2 calories a day, according to WebMD. After strength training exercises, muscles throughout your body activate to heighten the average daily metabolic rate.
Drink lots of water
Water plays a big role in our digestive process. Consider water in your body as though it were oil in a car. Without it, your metabolism would grind to a halt. Even if you are mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study from the University of Utah, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. The rule of thumb is to drink your body weight in ounces daily. To calculate the optimal amount of water you should drink a day, take your weight and divide by two. That's how many ounces of water you should consume daily. Then divide by eight to figure out the numbers of glasses. For example, a travel nursing specialist who weighs 160 pounds is advised to consume 10 glasses of water each day. Drink more H2O during workout days.
Sip on green tea
Besides being loaded with antioxidants, green tea is actually good for weight watchers. A study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that green tea-extract increases the metabolism by 4 percent over a 24 hour period. It may be a slim margin, but it's better than nothing. Other studies suggest that drinking 2 to 4 cups of the tea may spur the body to burn 17 percent more calories during moderately intense exercise for a short period.