5 Ways to Boost Metabolism Rate

As someone who wants to lose a few inches around the muffin tops and is wanting the scales to stop being a thing of nightmares, there's nothing worse than trying the latest fad diet or cutting out all the “right” things and getting nowhere. We then seek comfort food which lands us right back to square one!

What if I told you there was a way to increase the number of calories burned whilst resting, giving you a better platform to lose any unwanted weight? Yes! You read it right! And as the title hints... this is all related to your metabolic rate.

Our metabolic rate is basically our general level of calorie burning (like the revs on a car — the higher the revs the more fuel you use). Our individual metabolic rate influences how fast we break down and use the food we eat to fuel our body functions.

Here are 5 ways which will help boost your metabolism rate.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids have many health benefits. One of the key ones is that it has the potential to balance your blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation, helping to regulate metabolism. It may also reduce resistance to the hormone leptin, which researchers have linked to how fast fat is burned.

GREAT NEWS for those who have been able to push past the fishy smells and enjoy a lovely fish-based meal! Certain cold fish have been shown to boost metabolism by as much as 400 calories per day!!!

2. Spice it up.

For all you spice lovers! Not only is it possible to add flavour to your meals without adding too many calories, but in the long run it can also help burn calories!! One Canadian researcher has discovered that adding red pepper to your meal stimulates thermogenesis (process of heat production in organisms), surging your metabolism and burning those calories.

So get pleasing those taste buds, and your body will take care of the rest!

3. Switch to green tea.

You are probably thinking the same as me right now... you can't beat a good “normal” brew! However, when it comes to health benefits... you can!

Green tea helps convert the fat stored in your body (so those wobbly bits you want rid of) into free fatty acids which are used as energy and fuel for the body. This process could potentially increase fat burning by 10–17 percent. So, what are you waiting for? Get stocking up on green tea!

4. Make more muscle.

This is my second favourite way of boosting your metabolism as this increases the number of calories you burn whilst watching Game of Thrones, The X Factor, or whichever program is your guilty pleasure.

Muscles require more energy than fat to be maintained, and as we know, the energy used is in the form of calories. (Yay for us!)

Let me show you some numbers that will get you wanting to sign up for the local gym (or, of course, a personal trainer)...

1lb of fat burns 1 to 3 calories a day.

1lb of muscle burns 7-10 calories a day.

These figures are based on your resting metabolic rate!! So just think how many calories you would burn when working out!!

My favorite tip of all...

5. Eat more food!!

This is not a drill everyone!!! This is backed up by a hell of a lot of research! However... it doesn't mean takeaway food, so please put your phone down and take your local pizza place off speed dial...

By eating more food, I mean have more healthy meals a day, as calories are in fact our friend. Sure, low-calorie fad diets could potentially provide a quick fix, but you will face plateau.

Studies have shown that when you starve your body of calories, the fuel it needs to function and produce energy, it goes into survival mode. It stops producing as much energy and the food you feed it will be stored in the form of fats. Why? Because it doesn't know when it is next going to be fed, so it prepares for the worst.

In regards to calories, some researchers have suggested that for an "average"-sized woman to dip below 1200 calories a day could actually result in a negative metabolic change as the rate in which you burn calories will decrease.

So there you have it! Cram up on calories, eat more fish with red pepper flakes used as flavouring, wash it down with green tea, and get building those muscles up!

I appreciate that you may not know where to start when it comes to building up muscle or eating healthy, calorie, and omega-3 rich foods, so please get in touch. I will be more than happy to help.

Have fun with your journey, guys :)