3 ways to boost your metabolism

1. Keep it cool
We all know the benefits of staying hydrated but did you know the temperature of the water you drink can make a difference to your metabolism? Sipping cold water throughout the day helps to speed up your metabolic rate, because your body burns extra calories as it brings the water up to body temperature. “Making it a habit can add up to pounds lost with essentially zero additional effort,” says Madelyn Fernstrom, founder of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Weight Management Center.

2. Have a giggle
As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. It’s also good for your waistline. Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee asked people to watch funny videos and recorded the effects of laughter on their metabolism. Results prove that laughing increases the metabolic rate. Let’s skip the gym today, we feel a How I Met Your Mother marathon coming on.

3. Stress less
Boss from hell freaking you out? She could also be responsible for those extra inches. When you’re in a taxing situation, your body sends out the stress hormone coritsol. When cortisol levels are high, your metabolism slows down, meaning you burn fewer calories, whether exercising or sitting still. So instead of agonising over how to meet that impossible deadline, take a deep breath and book in for a yoga class. Altogether now, ‘ohm’.