5 surprising ways you can burn more calories!

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Yes of course 👆 is one easy and literal way of burning calories!

When we think about burning calories (the traditional way!) we think of… what do we think of??

Yeah, treadmill (especially the ones that tells you how many calories you have burned… “<<Eye Roll>>”), salads, fat burning pills and new kid on the block, the green tea! Actually all four of these have been so popular amongst the weight loss community, they all deserve a stand alone article each. And we might just do some “Truth or Myth” articles about fat burners these coming weeks, so stay tuned with us @DawaiBox Health Reads.

But this article is not about them, here we will discuss 5 things that no one associates with calorie expenditure!

1. Thinking

Socrates, the father of critical thinking

Yup, you read it right, thinking! To be more precise critical thinking and especially thinking that involves learning new things and making mental connections!

Now we have always known that calories are burned even when we sleep! Brain activity does need energy just like any other physical activity but recent findings show that there is more to the story.

Every time you are thinking hard, making mental connections, or are learning new stuff, a new neural pathways is created, through which nerve impulses flow! Neural pathway is created when two neurons (brain cells) are connected by making a synaptic connection. And every time a synaptic connection is made, energy is released in the form of small bursts!

So every time you make a new mental association and feel like “बत्ती जल गयी!” that is because thousands of energy bulbs do actually fire up inside your brain at that time…

Which is why,

More Neural Pathways Created=More Calories Burnt!

Interesting stuff right! Read more at How To Lose Weight Without Moving.

2. Eat

Choosing functional foods over empty calories. In other words, eat foods that are rich in nutrients; nutrients that will nourish you, make your immune system stronger, increase your bone density, make your skin look healthy, aid your metabolism… eat such foods instead of the ones that are loaded with plain sugar and fats!

Laddu over Doughnut!

One fine example is choosing a nuts and dry fruit laddu over a doughnut to satisfy your sweet craving!

That laddu even though sweet and calorically dense, will provide you with essential fats, iron and dietary fiber. On the other hand, a doughnut will provide you empty calories!

So, eat… but eat smart, eat the foods that will increase your metabolism and aid with your weight loss…

“Be Smart, make your food work for you!”

Another great example of making your food work or choosing functional foods is this recipe for Delicious Chocolate Fudge Brownie Bites.

3. Cold

Cold, be it a cold weather, a colder room or a bottle of cold water, in any and all forms it forces your body to generate more heat and burn more calories.

Watch this interesting video on how cold helps you burn more calories…

Well, so you don’t live in Shimla? No worries, drinking cold water will do :)

4. Sleep

A healthy 7 hours of sleep can just be the missing link that is preventing you from shedding those extra pounds!

Research has well established the link between sleep deprivation and weight gain.

Pituitary, the master gland which is in charge of all bodily functions (sleep, eat, reproduce, excrete, maintain body temperature etc.) is heavily influenced by circadian rhythm. And any disruption in the sleep cycle inadvertently disrupts everything, including basal metabolic rate.

Not just that, sleep deprivation also lowers levels of satiety hormones and increases levels of hunger hormones! Which is why all weight watchers should strive to get at least a 7 hour of good night’s sleep!

#Noshameingoingtobedearly #CatchsomeZzzz

5. Laugh

Laughing for 10–15 minutes will increase your heart rate, up your metabolic rate and make you burn around 40 calories. And hey, though that may not seem like a significant amount of calories but that is 1 cup of tea/coffee with sugar that will be undone 🍵

Read Laughter might not be the best medicine, but it sure is “Free”

Well, that was my list of 5 unusual things that will help you burn calories…

Some honorable mentions are-

• Chewing gum (not kidding, there’s some research backing this one up!)
• Increasing protein intake
• Drinking Plenty of water
• Coffee…

Did you learn anything new by reading this article? If you did, give it some love 👍

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