Did you know that every process in the body, from digestion to brain function, involves metabolizing calories into usable energy? Our metabolism helps convert food and drink into energy, but what happens when it slows down or gets sluggish? Fewer calories are burned, leaving more to be stored as fat in the body. It can then be difficult to maintain a healthy weight and maintain a good level of energy.
Fortunately, there are foods you can add to your diet and lifestyle changes you can make to boost your metabolism. These metabolism boosters can help burn calories for energy at a fast and healthy rate. (Of course, you should always consult a healthcare professional before embarking on any new diet or lifestyle, including exercise and taking supplements).
How does our metabolism work?
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that take place to keep us alive every day, including turning the calories we eat into usable energy. Normal processes in all body systems are linked to our rate of energy production at the cellular level. Your metabolic rate determines how your body burns calories for energy. This will have a major impact on your energy level, your general state of mind and your weight.
1. Interval Strength and Cardio Training
When it comes to supporting your metabolism, physical activity is key. Some types of exercise will boost your metabolism more than others.
High Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves repeating short bursts of high-intensity exercise, or “burst,” followed by brief recovery periods. HIIT training helps increase metabolic rate and stimulate fat burning.
lifting weights
Lifting weights can help increase your resting metabolic rate by building lean muscle mass that uses more calories to maintain normal body functions. Try resistance training, using dumbbells or even CrossFit type exercises.
Less sedentary time
Avoid long periods of sitting or being sedentary. The main thing is to wake up the body and use the energy, so get up to stretch, walk and move your body at least once an hour. Consider using a standing desk at work rather than sitting, and take advantage of every opportunity to move more, such as going for a walk at lunchtime or walking up the stairs instead of using the elevator.
2. Eat These Foods
Why do certain foods boost metabolism? They help the body use energy better and can have a warming effect, causing the body to burn more calories to maintain thermal control. Here are some foods that boost metabolism: Good quality protein, including grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, free-range eggs, nuts and seeds. Protein keeps energy and levels stable, while helping to build lean muscle that burns calories. Protein also causes the body to burn more calories during the digestion process than carbohydrates.
Spicy foods, such as cayenne pepper, chili, garlic, ginger and cinnamon, have a warming effect on the body and cause a process called lipid oxidation, i.e. the burning of fats for energy. These foods act as a thermogen in the body, which has the effect of speeding up the metabolism and using more calories.
3. Avoid these foods
Along with adding metabolism-boosting foods to your diet, it’s important to eliminate foods that can cause inflammation in the body and slow the functioning of the metabolism. Certain foods can slow down digestive processes and trigger inflammation as an innate immune system response. Whenever possible, reduce or avoid these foods:
Sugary drinks, such as sodas, energy drinks, and fruit juices
artificial sweeteners
Processed foods, especially packaged snacks, baked goods, and refined carbohydrates
Refined vegetable oils
4. Prepare these types of drinks
Cold water. Replace sugary, high-calorie drinks with cold water. Not only will you reduce your daily calorie intake, research suggests that drinking cold water actually stimulates calorie burning because you use more energy to bring your body back to normal temperature.
Coffee. Moderate caffeine consumption can increase metabolism and stimulate fat burning. Coffee has been shown to boost the metabolic rate and can be helpful when consumed before a workout.
Green tea. For centuries, green tea has been considered a metabolism booster. It is used to increase energy expenditure, which causes the body to burn more calories to keep functioning normally.
5. Refuel
There is a strong link between a healthy metabolism and getting enough sleep. A lack of sleep can put your body into conservation mode, slowing down your metabolism to preserve remaining energy to keep functioning. This is why you feel like you’re “running slow” when you don’t get enough rest.
