Ways to Boost Metabolism

Your body’s metabolism is what is responsible for converting the calories we consume via food into energy. There are a number of factors that determines how fast our body's metabolism is, which includes genes, sex, age, body size, hormonal factors, the kind of food one eats and most importantly the activity levels. If you aim to lose weight, you need to boost your metabolism. It is seen that some people inherit speedy metabolism while others get sluggish metabolism. Typically, the metabolic rate of women is lower than men. There are some factors that affect metabolism which is beyond our control like age, genetics, hormones or gender, but there are some other ways that can improve our metabolism.

Here are some of the effective ways to boost metabolism:

Drink Lots of Water:

We all know that drinking adequate water is important for our overall health. If our body is dehydrated – even if mildly, the metabolism slows down. Ideally, we should drink eight or more glasses of water. Research shows that people who drank only four glasses of water had lower metabolic rate than people who drank eight.

Focus on Building Muscles:

Did you know that our bodies burn calories even when we do nothing? It is seen that the metabolic rate in people who have more muscles is higher. For example, just a pound of muscle uses about 6 calories every day to sustain itself. On the other hand each pound of fat burns only 2 calories each day. It may seem like a small number, but over a period of time, it can be substantial. After every strength training session, muscles are activated in the whole body which increases the average metabolic rate of the body.

Smart Eating:

People often think that if they eat less, their body's metabolic rate will be high. But, that's not the case. In fact, when there is a gap of several hours between meals, the metabolism rate becomes sluggish. Studies reveal that having a small meal every 3-4 hours is best for our body's metabolism.

Indulge in Aerobics:

Aerobics can do wonders to our body and can boost up the metabolism of the body effective right after a session of aerobics. It is seen that high intensity exercise delivers a higher rise in the body's resting metabolic rates as compared to workouts that are of low or moderate intensity. That is why going for an intense session at the gym or indulging in jogging along with your regular walk makes sense.

Spice Up Your Meals:

Did you know that the spiciness of the foods you eat can have a direct effect on the metabolism of the body? Spiced up food actually have natural chemicals that can give a kick to the body's metabolism. Add some chopped red or green pepper to the food you cook to enjoy the benefits of an increased metabolic rate.

Pack in a Protein Punch

Our body consume different amount of calories for digesting different nutrients. For example it burns more calories to digest protein, than it does to digest carbohydrates and fat. To enjoy its benefits, include good sources of protein in your diet as a part of balanced diet. Such sources include lean beef, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

Get Enough Sleep:

Getting enough quality sleep is very important for the metabolism of the body. Studies show that chronic lack of sleep not only makes the rate of metabolism sluggish, but also increases appetite and increases the risk of obesity. Ideally, one should get at least eight hours of quality sleep to feel refreshed and energized when you wake up.

References

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-boost-your-metabolism

https://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/pages/how-can-i-speed-up-my-metabolism.aspx