People often blame their extra weight on a slow metabolism. And we all know, metabolism matters. However, the slow metabolism is not a verdict, because it can be reved up.
Metabolism is the process of converting what you eat and drink into energy. And even when you rest, your body needs energy for all its “hidden” functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells.
The number of calories your body uses to carry out these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate, which is determined by several factors, like your age, sex, body size and composition, food processing and physical activity. And since you can control the two last, you can influence your metabolic rate!
Here are 10 amazing ways to speed up your metabolism:
1. Drink water.
Coffee, tea and other soft drinks dehydrate your body. Your metabolism slows down to reduce the loss of the valuable liquid from your body. So, accustom yourself to drink treated water instead of all the other beverages, and the result won’t keep you waiting! But make sure to drink water often and always by small sips.
2. Eat 5-6 times a day.
The smaller interval between meals you make, the less your body desires to postpone calories for the “hard times”. Those, who eat frequently and in small portions, help their body to maintain blood sugar level and burn more calories throughout the day. You should eat more often and do not hesitate snacking! Eat an apple, nuts, any dried fruit to not let yourself feel hungry.
3. Pay attention to the amount of protein you consume.
Your body is quite slow at digesting protein, which helps to speed up your metabolism. The combustion of protein takes much more energy than combustion of fat or carbohydrates. A protein diet helps to maintain your lean body mass that consumes calories even when you’re just having rest.
Here are products that contain high amount of protein: lean meat, turkey, fish, white meat of chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, buckwheat, quinoa salads and low-fat dairy products.
4. Build muscles.
People with bigger muscle mass have significantly higher metabolic rate. Each kilogram of muscle burns about 13 calories per day staying in rest, while every kilogram of fat burns only 5 calories per day. It’s never too late to start going for sports. After a session of strength training in gym your muscles get activated and burn more calories. Thus the metabolic process accelerates.
5. Do not miss your breakfast.
The most important meal is the one you get in the morning. If you want to speed up your metabolism, do not give up on breakfast! Your perfect morning meal should be rich in nutrients, especially protein. For breakfast you may have an oatmeal with berries and almonds, an omelet with spinach, some low-fat cheese and a slice of whole-wheat bread, or a cottage cheese with berries.
6. Include omega-3 into your everyday diet.
Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids regularly to activate your metabolism and increase the ability of your body to burn fat faster. If you do not want to take fish oil in pills every day, eat fatty fish (salmon, trout, tuna, sardines and mackerel) few times a week, as well as flaxseed oil, canola oil and walnuts.
7. Eat citrus.
These fruit contain high amount of citric acid, which is necessary for respiration of the cells, and helps to accelerate metabolism. Diversify your menu with oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and lime. But drink citrus juice or eat the fruits on an empty stomach, if you have digestive problems.
8. Change the intensity of your physical activities.
Carrying out exercises, build up speed to perform actions for 30-60 seconds and then return to the normal rate for 90 seconds. Repeat this 2 times a week for 5 sets. Aerobic exercise will help maintain a high metabolic rate for several hours after your workout. Using this strategy, you’ll force your body to consume more oxygen and burn calories more efficiently throughout the day.
9. Avoid strict diets.
Never reduce the number of calories consumed per day as some diets advice – 1 200 for women and 1800 for men. If you want to speed up your metabolism, forget about that type of diets. They may help you to lose a couple of kilos, but you risk that your muscle mass will drop. As a result of such a diet your body begins to burn fewer calories than before! So right after you finish your diet, the extra weight returns quite quickly.
10. Do not miss the night sleep.
The lack of sleep provokes the body to produce less leptin (the hormone of satiety), but more ghrelin (the hormone of hunger). Correspondingly, the longer you sleep at night, the faster your metabolism will be throughout the day. And spare your nerves before going to bed! If you get nervous before sleep, your body will produce the stress hormone cortisol, which slows down metabolism.
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