Thriving Well
WHAT IS METABOLISM – AND HOW CAN YOU SPEED IT UP?
To a layman, metabolism is simply limited to the breakdown of food that has been consumed. However, from a scientifically accurate perspective, the term metabolism encompasses two fundamental processes namely; catabolism and anabolism. While for some, a speedy metabolism is inherited but for others, it can be different because of their gender, age or even just the way their body responds. We sure can’t control our age, gender, or genetics but there are ways with which you can boost it.
06 Jun 2019
Listed below are the top 10 fool-proof ways of improving one’s metabolism:
1.Daily Workout Sessions:Dailyexercisingboosts your energy consumption and in turn your metabolic rate. Exercising leads to burning of calories so the more you work out, the more calories you burn, and the more carbohydrates and fat are metabolised in the body. In fact, people with higher and better metabolism tend to burn more calories even after their workout.
2.Building Muscle:Muscle building through weight training and other means is also a role-player in boosting metabolism. It is a well-established fact that the more muscle you have, the more energy your body consumes. Having a higher muscle mass thus, provides you an edge in speeding up your metabolism. Another plus side to building lean muscle mass through exercise is that you are more flexible, active and less prone to cardiac disorders.
3.Increase Your Protein Consumption:Consuming food plays a big role in boosting your metabolic rate. Food items such as egg white, lean meat, fish, nuts, seeds and tofu if included in your daily diet plan would reap great results for your health.
4.Increase Your Intake of Water:Water is essential to process calories anddehydration does result in a fall in metabolism. Having unsweetened beverages also helps a lot. If you can manage to, try drinking cold water as it increases metabolism mildly because your body uses energy to warm it up.
5.Don’t Eat More,Eat More Often: Having large meals with a longer gap-time is less effective and results in unintentional slowdown of your metabolism than having smaller meals at frequent intervals. This is because a longer gap results in a fall in metabolic rate while, increasing the frequency of meal times could lead to a higher overall metabolic rate. So, ensure that you have 6-8 mini-meals in a day as opposed to heavy meals with longer gaps.
6.Including Spices in Your Diet:Spicy foods increase the metabolism by some extent too- Capsaicin-- found in chili peppers--has long been regarded for its fat-burning ability. Spicy foods also increase the satiety and hence lead to smaller meals. But another thing that needs to be noted is that spices worsen the symptoms of ulcer patients. Hence, the use of spices in people prone to ulceration must be restricted.
7.Reach out for Green Tea:Green tea contains caffeine and thus is great for the improving your metabolism and additionally also helps in weight loss.
8.Get a good night’s sleep:One big element of good health that we often forget to factor in is a soundsleep. Proper rest and recovery to the body via sleep is crucial for it function normally and this too indirectly helps in boosting metabolism.
9.Stocking up on Vitamin B:Vitamin B is instrumental in turning carbs, fats and proteins into energy. When one doesn't get enough energy through healthy meals, the metabolism slows down further, leaving you fatigued and sometimes also at risk for diseases. Try adding more spinach, melon, broccoli, and lean proteins like beans, eggs and fish to your diet to make up for all the lost vitamin B.
10.Go nuts:Almonds are considered good for health, not only do the good monounsaturated fats in almonds have an effect on insulin levels but also give dieters a feeling of fullness, meaning that they are less likely to overeat.
Small tweaks in your dietary habits and your exercise regimen will go a long way towards lifting your basal metabolic rate as well as your mood. So, without further ado, make these constructive changes to your lifestyle and enjoy a great metabolism!
1.Daily Workout Sessions:Dailyexercisingboosts your energy consumption and in turn your metabolic rate. Exercising leads to burning of calories so the more you work out, the more calories you burn, and the more carbohydrates and fat are metabolised in the body. In fact, people with higher and better metabolism tend to burn more calories even after their workout.
2.Building Muscle:Muscle building through weight training and other means is also a role-player in boosting metabolism. It is a well-established fact that the more muscle you have, the more energy your body consumes. Having a higher muscle mass thus, provides you an edge in speeding up your metabolism. Another plus side to building lean muscle mass through exercise is that you are more flexible, active and less prone to cardiac disorders.
3.Increase Your Protein Consumption:Consuming food plays a big role in boosting your metabolic rate. Food items such as egg white, lean meat, fish, nuts, seeds and tofu if included in your daily diet plan would reap great results for your health.
4.Increase Your Intake of Water:Water is essential to process calories anddehydration does result in a fall in metabolism. Having unsweetened beverages also helps a lot. If you can manage to, try drinking cold water as it increases metabolism mildly because your body uses energy to warm it up.
5.Don’t Eat More,Eat More Often: Having large meals with a longer gap-time is less effective and results in unintentional slowdown of your metabolism than having smaller meals at frequent intervals. This is because a longer gap results in a fall in metabolic rate while, increasing the frequency of meal times could lead to a higher overall metabolic rate. So, ensure that you have 6-8 mini-meals in a day as opposed to heavy meals with longer gaps.
6.Including Spices in Your Diet:Spicy foods increase the metabolism by some extent too- Capsaicin-- found in chili peppers--has long been regarded for its fat-burning ability. Spicy foods also increase the satiety and hence lead to smaller meals. But another thing that needs to be noted is that spices worsen the symptoms of ulcer patients. Hence, the use of spices in people prone to ulceration must be restricted.
7.Reach out for Green Tea:Green tea contains caffeine and thus is great for the improving your metabolism and additionally also helps in weight loss.
8.Get a good night’s sleep:One big element of good health that we often forget to factor in is a soundsleep. Proper rest and recovery to the body via sleep is crucial for it function normally and this too indirectly helps in boosting metabolism.
9.Stocking up on Vitamin B:Vitamin B is instrumental in turning carbs, fats and proteins into energy. When one doesn't get enough energy through healthy meals, the metabolism slows down further, leaving you fatigued and sometimes also at risk for diseases. Try adding more spinach, melon, broccoli, and lean proteins like beans, eggs and fish to your diet to make up for all the lost vitamin B.
10.Go nuts:Almonds are considered good for health, not only do the good monounsaturated fats in almonds have an effect on insulin levels but also give dieters a feeling of fullness, meaning that they are less likely to overeat.
Small tweaks in your dietary habits and your exercise regimen will go a long way towards lifting your basal metabolic rate as well as your mood. So, without further ado, make these constructive changes to your lifestyle and enjoy a great metabolism!
