How To Speed Up Your Metabolism
You can improve your metabolism by making small changes to your diet and lifestyle. There are many easy and effective ways to do this.
Your body turns the food you eat into energy through a process called metabolism. This energy is used for important functions like breathing, digesting, and repairing tissues.
Your basal metabolic rate refers to how many calories your body burns at rest. Your metabolism can be affected by things like age, diet, body composition, gender, size, physical activity, health, and medication.
There are proven ways to increase your metabolism to help with weight management and overall health.
Eating protein to boost metabolism
It’s fascinating to know that consuming food can temporarily boost your metabolism for a few hours. This phenomenon is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF), where your body expends additional calories to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients from your meal.
It’s worth noting that protein has the most significant impact on TEF, as it necessitates 20-30% of its usable energy for metabolism, compared to only 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fats.
By incorporating more protein into your diet, you can also help prevent muscle loss, which is a prevalent side effect of losing fat and can result in a decrease in metabolism.
Do a high-intensity workout
If you are up for the challenge of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), then you have found an excellent way to supercharge your metabolism. HIIT involves brief yet intense bursts of activity that keep your muscles burning energy even during periods of rest.
This type of exercise is known to be more effective compared to other types of workouts. So, if you are ready to start, choose an exercise mode that you are already comfortable with, such as running or cycling.
Lift heavy things
It’s a well-known fact that muscle is more metabolically active than fat. By building muscle, your metabolism can receive a significant boost, resulting in the burning of more calories even when you’re at rest.
Furthermore, lifting weights can help you maintain your muscle mass and prevent the reduction in metabolism that usually accompanies weight loss.
Green tea or oolong tea - drinks that speed up your metabolism
Drinking green tea and oolong tea may aid in the conversion of stored fat in your body into free fatty acids, which can potentially boost fat burning when combined with exercise.
In addition, these teas can help prevent weight loss plateaus by improving the gut microbiome. This results in a more effective breakdown of fat for energy, and the storage of excess energy as fat for future use.
Some older studies indicate that tea may not significantly impact metabolism. This means that the weight loss benefits of these teas may be relatively minor and might only affect specific individuals.
Eat spicy foods
Did you know that peppers contain capsaicin, a compound that can help increase your metabolism? It’s worth noting that some people may not be able to handle the required doses needed for a significant effect.
Capsicum in meals may burn 10 extra calories, aiding in a potential weight loss of 0.5 kg in 6.5 years for an average-weight male.
While spices alone may not have a massive impact, incorporating them into your diet alongside other metabolism-boosting strategies may provide an advantage.
Get a good night’s sleep
A strong correlation exists between inadequate sleep and a significant increase in the likelihood of becoming overweight.
Lack of sleep can cause weight gain or make losing weight difficult due to changes in hunger hormones.
Lack of sleep for four nights can affect fat metabolism, as per a 2019 study. However, this effect is small and can be easily restored with one good night’s sleep.
Drink coffee
Studies have revealed that caffeine can induce the release of neurotransmitters like epinephrine in the body. This in turn helps regulate the process of fat metabolism.
However, the impact of caffeine on fat burning can vary depending on several factors. Caffeine boosts fat-burning during exercise more in sedentary people than trained athletes.
In Conclusion
Making small lifestyle changes and incorporating these tips into your routine can help increase your metabolism.
Having a higher metabolism can help you lose weight and keep it off, if that is your goal, while also giving you more energy.
