Metabolism is the sum of all chemical processes in the body and is often interchanged with the term “metabolic rate”. Metabolic rate is the amount of calories you burn.
The higher your metabolic rate is, the more calories you burn. Although people have different rates of metabolism, there are ways that anyone can do to speed it up.
Here are some ways to speed up your metabolism:
1. Eat more protein.
When we eat, we actually speed up our metabolism for a few hours. This is called the thermic effect of food. Eating protein increases the TEF compared to just eating carbohydrate and fats.
Moreover, studies have revealed that eating more protein can help us feel fuller longer, and it helps us consume fewer calories.
2. Consume more cold water.
Studies have revealed that people who drink more cold water instead of drinks packed with sugar are more successful in losing weight and maintaining it. This is not only because water has no calories, but because drinking water may speed up metabolism.
In addition, drinking cold water increases metabolism further because it needs energy to heat up water to our body temperature.
If you want to lose weight, drink half a liter of water before meals. A study has revealed that people who drank half a liter of water before their meals lost 44% more weight than those who did not consume water.
Cold water increases metabolism further because it needs energy to heat up water to our body temperature.
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3. Go for high intensity training.
If you really are serious in losing weight, try high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is a form of workout which involves quick, extremely intense activities.
HIIT burns more calories faster and even helps increase your metabolism even after you have finished working out. Cross-fit, a popular exercise program, is based on HIIT.
4. Lift heavy weights!
It is a fact that muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which also means that building more muscle can increase metabolism.
5. Stand up more often.
Most of our time is spent on sitting and this burns fewer calories and can even lead to weight gain. Try standing up for short periods to at least cut off the time sitting down. This would burn more calories and would even help you become more alert for your work activities.
6. Consume green tea or oolong tea.
Studies have revealed that drinking green tea nd oolong tea can speed up metabolism by 4 to 5 %.
Taken as they are, these teas have lower calories than other beverages and may also be helpful in weight loss and maintaining weight.
However, there are also some studies that these teas do not affect metabolism which means that their effect may not be that significant.
7. Include spicy food in your meals.
Capsaicin, which is present in peppers can boost metabolism. In fact, they can help burn about 10 additional calories per meal. Although their effect may not be as significant, a little help in boosting your metabolism could help you maintain weight if you consume spices regularly.
8. Make sure you get adequate sleep.
Studies have linked insufficient sleep to obesity and increased blood sugar levels.
Moreover, there are studies that have also revealed that lack of sleep boosts the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases the fullness hormone leptin.
9. Drink coffee.
Coffee can help in successful weight loss and maintenance. Moreover, studies have revealed that the caffeine in coffee speeds up metabolism by 3 to 11%. Although this effect is more significant for lean people, a little boost in metabolism doesn’t hurt in the long run.
10. Use coconut oil for cooking.
Most cooking oil are made of saturated fats, however, coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids which can increase metabolism. Moreover, a study also revealed that medium-chain fats increased metabolism by 12 % compared to long-chain fats.
It may not be easy to may drastic changes in order t lose weight but considering these can help one speed up metabolism.
Source: Authority Nutrition