15 Ways to Rev up your Metabolism

‘The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine’. ~ Hippocrates

So do you have a sedentary lifestyle. Sit at a desk all day. The only exercise you do is walking from your house to your car. You miss breakfast simply because you have no time. You grab a ready made sandwich and packet of crisps for your lunch. Dinner normally comprises a microwave meal. You pour more units of alcohol down your mouth on a weekend than you care to remember. So you find yourself overweight. You can also be pretty certain that you have a sluggish metabolism.

A simple definition of metabolism is that it is a life-sustaining chemical activity, a series of processes by which food is converted into the energy and products needed to sustain life. It refers to all of the chemical reactions by which complex molecules taken into an organism are broken down to produce energy and by which energy is used to build up complex molecules.

All metabolic reactions fall into one of two general categories: catabolic and anabolic reactions, or the processes of breaking down and building up, respectively. Catabolism is the process by which large molecules are broken down into smaller ones with the release of energy, whereas anabolism is the process by which energy is used to build up complex molecules needed by the body to maintain itself and develop new tissue. The best example of metabolism from daily life occurs in the process of taking in and digesting nutrients

Typically, metabolism slows by about 5% every ten years in adulthood. So even though they may be eating and exercising exactly the same, a 35 year old is likely to burn about 100 calories less each day than a 25 year old. By 45, the calorie difference is about 200.

Just boosting your metabolism can make you lose weight. We all know someone who seems to be able to eat anything yet never put weight on, they can usually do so because they have a high metabolism. Some people are simply born with it, but anyone can actually force their own metabolism into higher gear, and start burning fat from their bodies at a much faster rate.

People with high metabolisms can burn more calories no matter what they’re doing. Sleeping, eating, watching tv, or otherwise: they’re burning more fat and calories just because their metabolism is high. Someone with a lower metabolism will have to put more effort into burning the same amount of fat and calories, simply because their body is using its fuel less efficiently.

Fortunately, by making a few simple lifestyle changes, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is possible. Let me make some suggestions for you to speed up your metrabolism, and let it work for you, not against you.

To boost your metabolism, try the following diet tips:

1. Don’t starve your body. Cutting your food intake can be as detrimental to weight loss as eating too much food. When you don’t eat enough food, your body will begin to take whatever it needs in the way of nutrients from other parts of your body in order to survive. Your metabolism will shut down in order to reserve energy and your body will only use enough energy to stay alive. So while you may think that by starving yourself you’ll drop weight quicker. What you’re actually doing is sabotaging your metabolism.

2. Eat Healthy Foods. You need foods that will give your body energy while allowing it to function with a minimal amount of effort.

3. Break your overnight fast by Eating breakfast. This is the key to jumpstart your metabolism. Skipping breakfast will only cause your body to store more fat throughout the day.

4. Eat small meals. Consuming 6 small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals has been shown to boost your metabolism.

5. Drink Ice Cold Beverages. Research shows that being cold can increase your metabolism and drinking cold beverages burns more calories.

6. Stay hydrated. If you are dehydrated, you will be burning less calories than optimal.

7. Drink Green Tea. One study found that individuals who consume green tea several times daily burn more calories.

8. Eat Spicy Foods–  Hot and spicy foods will spike up your metabolism temporarily.

9. Eat more protein. Your body uses more energy to process proteins than when you eat carbohydrates or fat.

10. Incorporate more activity into your day. Move more. The average person burns around 30% of calories through daily activity. If your are sedentary, that number is only 15%. A 10 minute walk in the afternoon or evening works as a great metabolism booster

11. Do cardio and strength training exercise. Ideally, cardio workouts of no less than 30 minutes in duration should be scheduled at least every other day, with 20-30 minute weight training sessions on alternate days.Muscle burns more calories than fat, so you will benefit greatly from weight training.

12. Don’t each before going to Bed. Eat dinner as early in the evening as possible, my suggestion is to eat nothing up to 3 hours before going to bed..

13. Drink Milk. Incorporate 3 cups of skimmed milk per day into your diet.　Milk works as a great metabolism booster. Drinking two cups of skim milk shortly after working out can help to build muscle and lose fat!

14. Eat high fiber food. It takes more effort to chew high fiber foods, and it takes your body more effort and energy to break it down and put it to use.

15. Get 8 hours of sleep nightly. Eight or more hours of sleep is considered optimal, and getting less than that can really take its toll of the waistline. Those who get an average of six hours are 12% more likely to gain weight, while those who get only five hours are 32% more likely.

In essence one must keep healthy by taking care of themselves.

What’s your biggest mistake when it comes to eating? Come on confess to it in a comment, I dare you!

‘To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art’. ~ La Rochefoucauld

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