Boosting metabolism is something all weight watchers are trying to achieve. However, your body burns calories due to many different factors. While certain people inherit a speedy metabolism, few others have low metabolism, leading them to gain faster than others. Also, men burn more calories than women, even while resting. Metabolism slows down steadily after age 40. You can’t control your age, gender, or genetics; but there are several other ways to improve your metabolism.
Low metabolism is a major cause of weight gain. If one is trying to lose weight, increasing the metabolic rate can help without cutting more calories.
Metabolism is the rate at which the body burns calories. Higher the metabolic rate, more efficiently the calories are burned. However, it should not be confused with hyper metabolism.
Reasons for increased metabolism
Hypermetabolism typically occurs after significant injury to the body. The most common causes are infections, sepsis, burns, multiple traumas, fever, long-term bone fractures, hyperthyroidism, prolonged steroid therapy, surgery and bone marrow transplants.
How to increase your metabolism rate?
Add organic food on menu
Some fruits, vegetables and grains are grown without pesticides which ensure our fat-burning system running at full-tilt since they don’t expose our thyroid to toxins which is our body’s thermostat and determines how fast metabolism takes place.
Cut down the Trans Fat
Trans fats slow down body’s ability to burn fat. Trans fat binds to fat and liver cells and slows down metabolism. Eating trans fat can also lead to insulin resistance and inflammation, both of which cripple metabolism and can cause weight gain.
Spice up Meals
Foods cooked in chopped red or green chillies contain natural chemicals that can gear up the metabolism, although the effects are temporary. So, continue eating all those zesty Mexican dishes for added benefits later on.
Adopt a protein-rich diet
Our body burns calories from digested proteins more than fat or carbohydrates. A recent study from the Purdue University found that diets higher in protein may help preserve lean body mass, which is the best fat-burner of all. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at meals.
Sip some liquid
Water
Isn’t it good to know that drinking water also help in shedding pounds. Water keeps your body hydrated. According to a study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day more calories than those who drank four. One can also go for unsweetened beverages or water containing fruits & vegetables to stay hydrated.
Black Coffee
Taken in moderation, coffee causes a short-term rise in our metabolic rate. The presence of caffeine in coffee helps one feel less tired and even increase our endurance while you exercise.
Green Tea/Oolong Tea
Evidence shows catechin may crank up metabolism as it may improvse fat oxidation. Research suggests that drinking 2 to 4 cups of tea may push the body to burn 17% more calories (90 calories a day) during moderately intense exercise for a short time. Don’t mistake to understand Crash Diet as an appropriate diet
Starting your day with a grapefruit diet or cabbage soup diet or Hollywood diet does help in slashing down the daily calories to fewer than 1,000, and you will surely drop the extra pounds. But when you eat less calories, the metabolism rate is lowered down. Once the diet is over, the body burns calories more slowly than before and you usually regain the weight.
Exercises
Power-packed Aerobic exercises.
Different activities burn different quantities of calories, but the important thing is to raise our heart rate and sustain the activity for approximately thirty minutes. The next time you run, swim, or even walk, increase the intensity for 30-second intervals, returning to the normal speed afterwards. Using this strategy will help you consume more oxygen.
Build up muscles with weight training
Not only does muscle weigh more than fat, but it burns more calories than fat does (73 more calories per kilogram per day) too. Every muscle cell constantly burns calories, even while we sleep or are in a sedentary position. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. That small difference can add up over time. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over the body, raising the average daily metabolic rate.
Metabolism and Weight – Best way to lose weight fast
Metabolic rate and weight are inversely proportional to each other, and hence if the rate increases, weight is lost.
Eat meals frequently but in small quantity
Many of us have misconception that skipping meals will do wonders to our body weight. However, this is a myth. When we don’t eat for a long time, our body goes into starvation mode, leading to decreased metabolism so as to conserve energy and prevent starvation. Therefore, it is important to have 4-6 small meals per day.
Have a nutrient-rich breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and should never be skipped. Have a healthy breakfast mix of protein, fruits and whole grains.
Exercise daily
Do small bouts of exercise whenever possible, like jumping jacks or crunches during television commercials or adopt a dance routine like zumba. Yoga is another way to beat extra calories.
Stay away from carbs
Lower the over indulgence of salty snacks, chocolates and ice cream, instead snack on roasted sunflower seeds, roasted nuts or oats, etc.
Get our omega-3’s
Take omega-3 fatty acid supplements; Omega-3 reduces resistance to the hormone Leptin, which improves protein metabolism. So, add seafood goodies to your meal like sardines, salmon, tuna, etc!
Exercise is the most simple way to lose weight, and build your metabolism. Go for morning jogs or have regular meals and healthy snacks instead of starving yourself. Foods rich in iron and omega-3 fatty acids like lentils, tofu, chickpea should form a major part of your diet! Follow these steps, and you’ll soon have that lean figure you’ve always been pining for!
Know anyone who’s looking to increase their immunity? Then, share this blog with them. Also, post comments in case you have any health queries.
Also Read: Diet for Weight Loss: You Were Missing Something So Simple!
