12 Metabolism Boosters Recommend by Experts

hat does it mean to have a sluggish metabolism? Does it slow down as we become older? Is it feasible to accelerate it in order to burn more calories and lose weight? In this piece, I'll address these questions and walk you through the techniques to boost your metabolism.

WHAT IS METABOLISM?

The biological process that converts food into useful energy is known as metabolism. Our bodies require energy all day, not simply to chase after our children or crush it at spin class. Breathing, thinking, circulating blood, digesting food, changing hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells all require energy. The quantity of calories used by your body to perform these essential tasks is referred to as your basal metabolic rate–your metabolism.

WHAT DOES HAVING A SLOW METABOLISM MEAN?

The food you ingest is either burned right away or saved for later use. If your metabolism is slow, you will have a more difficult time converting food into fuel, and the calories you consume will be more easily stored in your fat cells. This, as you might expect, sets you up for easy weight gain and difficult weight reduction. The purpose of increasing your metabolism is to do activities that make it simpler for your body to burn energy rather than retain it, allowing you to lose weight rather than gain it.

Your metabolism's pace is determined by a number of factors, including your age, gender, genes, body size and composition, physical activity, and, of course, your dietary habits. Let's take a moment to discuss the first one: age.

You've probably heard that your metabolism begins to slow around the age of 30. While it is true that our metabolism slows with age, it is a little more complicated than just having a birthday. As we get older, our hormones alter, which affects how we burn and retain fat. The pituitary gland reduces the amount of growth hormone produced, which encourages cell development and is necessary for creating and maintaining muscle mass as well as burning fat for fuel. As women approach menopause, estrogen production decreases, which might have an impact on metabolism. Furthermore, most people become less physically active as they age as a result of working longer hours, having children, and so on, compared to when they were in their twenties, so lifestyle variables may also be at work.

Don't be concerned; it is very feasible to accelerate a slow or aging metabolism. The following is a step-by-step strategy to boost your metabolism at any age.

1. DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Many of us are dehydrated all of the time. You'd definitely pay more attention to completing your Nalgene if you knew that drinking enough water would reduce your hunger and increase your metabolism by up to 30%. It's so easy, yet it's so effective!

Half your body weight in ounces is the recommended quantity of water to drink every day (e.g. a 150 lb. woman should get 75 ounces). If you live in a hot environment or become sweaty during an exercise, you may need to raise this. Drink water between breakfast and lunch, then again between lunch and dinner. Avoid guzzling during meals since it dilutes the digestive secretions required to break down your food and absorb the nutrients.

2. FAST INTERMITTENTLY

During fasting times, the body uses stored energy to break down fat into fatty acids for fuel. If you're just starting out, try fasting for 12 hours between supper and breakfast (i.e. 7 pm to 7 am). Experiment with extending this fasting window to 13 hours and up to 16 hours as you improve your fat burning and metabolic flexibility. Women, in my experience, are more sensitive to fasting than males, so don't force it!

3. EAT BREAKFAST WITHIN 1-2 HOURS OF WAKING

A healthy breakfast helps to keep your blood sugar stable, preventing insulin spikes, snack attacks, and energy drops throughout the day. To keep full and invigorated, your morning meal should include protein, healthy fat, and fiber.

4. HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE OR GREEN TEA

Both coffee and green tea boost thermogenesis, the process through which your body generates heat, which can speed up your metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn.

5. RAMP UP ANTIOXIDANTS

Because altered metabolism is connected to oxidative stress and inflammation, increasing your antioxidant levels can assist. Consume the rainbow! At each meal, try to incorporate at least two distinct hues on your plate–red from bell peppers, green from kale, blue from blueberries, and so on. Spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, and others can help to improve the flavor and antioxidant content of your meals.

6. EAT FAT TO BURN FAT

Eating good fats (while restricting carbohydrates and sweets) helps your body learn to use fat for fuel. It takes more energy to burn fat than it does to burn sugar. MCT oil is my preferred fat for improving metabolism. MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) are a form of fatty acid that is swiftly absorbed by the body and efficiently converted to fuel for immediate use rather than being stored as fat. MCTs have been demonstrated to boost thermogenesis (heat generation) in the body, increasing fat loss.

7. TURN UP THE HEAT

...in your dish by including chilis and cayenne pepper. The capsaicin in these spices has been demonstrated to increase thermogenesis and so accelerate metabolism. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to your morning smoothie or chili flakes to your egg scramble.

8. STOP SNACKING

Many of my clients are surprised by this one since we've been encouraged to consume lots of snacks or little meals throughout the day to keep our metabolism humming. This misconception might potentially be causing you to gain weight! Here's why: eating causes an increase in blood sugar, which causes an increase in insulin.

Constantly raising insulin levels will close the entrances to your fat cells, preventing you from using stored fat for fuel. By spreading out your meals, you may return your insulin levels to normal and your body to fat-burning mode. If you've been munching for a while, you're probably a sugar-burning machine. Try to go 4-6 hours between meals to start changing your metabolism to burn fat. To do this, you must incorporate PFF (protein, fat, and fiber) at each meal to prolong satiety.

9. DO HIIT AND RESISTANCE TRAINING

HIIT is an abbreviation for high-intensity interval training (30-60 seconds of all-out work, followed by a couple of minutes rest, and repeat). The after burn effect means that the more intense the activity, the more calories are burned both during and afterward. No more hours of trudging on the treadmill! Also, use weight-bearing activities in your training plan to help you gain lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more energy than fat, therefore having more muscle means having a higher basal metabolic rate.

10. CUT BACK ON ALCOHOL

I know it's a bummer, but alcohol has a significant impact on your metabolism. When you drink, your body is forced to pause what it is doing in order to deal with the alcohol. It puts calorie burning on hold, causing your capacity to burn fat to drop by 73 percent after just one drink! If you're serious about healing your metabolism, keep track of how much alcohol you consume each week and possibly try an alcohol-free month. It will astound you how much of a difference it can make!

11. MANAGE STRESS

Cortisol, the body's principal stress hormone, is released by the adrenal glands in reaction to stress. Cortisol is produced into the circulation when you are stressed, which increases appetite (trigger desires for fat, sugar, and salt), slows your metabolism, and causes you to gain weight. Manage stress by including at least one stress-reduction exercise into your daily routine, such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, strolling in nature, and using adaptogens!

12. GET GOOD SLEEP

Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on your metabolism, hunger hormones, insulin sensitivity, and, eventually, your waistline. Most individuals require 7-9 hours of sleep every night. At the very least, make sure you receive six. If you're having trouble meeting these standards, try these sleep hacks and start by going to bed 15 minutes earlier each week.

ONE MORE THING... TRY THIS 10-SECOND "DAILY FIX" THAT BURNS UP TO 2 POUNDS OF BELLY FAT PER DAY...

Click here to see the 10-second "daily fix" that assisted me in losing 24 pounds in just 19 days.