10 ways to boost your metabolism

Can You make your metabolism better?

Metabolism is a term that describes all the chemical reactions in your body. These chemical reactions keep your body alive and functioning.

The word metabolism is often used interchangeably with metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn.

The higher it is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off. Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and make you feel better.

Boosting metabolism is the holy grail of weight watchers everywhere, but how fast your body burns calories depends on several things. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Although you can’t control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to improve your metabolism. Here are 10 of them.

1. Build muscle

Your body constantly burns calories, even when you’re doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.

2. Step up your workout

Aerobic exercise may not build big muscles, but it can rev up your metabolism in the hours after a workout.

The key is to push yourself. High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts. To get the benefits, try a more intense class at the gym or include short bursts of jogging during your regular walk. One study in overweight young men found that 12 weeks of high-intensity exercise reduced fat mass by 4.4 pounds (2 kg) and belly fat by 17%.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves quick and very intense bursts of activity. It can help you burn more fat by increasing your metabolic rate, even after your workout has finished.

3. Stand up and move more

Sitting too much is bad for your health. This is partly because long periods of sitting burn fewer calories and can lead to weight gain.

In fact, compared to sitting, a morning/afternoon of standing up at work can burn an extra 174 calories. If you have a desk job, try standing up and move around for short periods to break up the length of time you spend sitting down.

4. Fuel up with water, especially cold water

Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down.

In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. Studies have also shown that drinking 17 ounces (0.5 liters) of water increases resting metabolism by 10–30% for about an hour.

To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. Water can also help fill you up. Studies show that drinking water a half an hour before you eat can help you eat less. One study of overweight adults found that those who drank half a liter of water before their meals lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t. Also, snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, rather than pretzels or chips.

The calorie-burning effect may be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature.

5. Should you try energy drinks?

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They’re full of caffeine, which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can speed up your metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend them for kids and teens.

6. Recharge with green tea

Drinking green tea or oolong tea offers the combined benefits of caffeine and catechins, substances shown to rev up the metabolism for a couple of hours.

Green tea and oolong tea have been shown to increase metabolism by 4–5%

Research suggests that drinking 2 to 4 cups of either tea may push the body to burn 17% more calories during moderately intense exercise for a short time.

These teas help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may increase fat burning by 10–17%

7. Sip some black coffee

If you’re a coffee drinker, you probably enjoy the energy and concentration perks. Taken in moderation, one of coffee’s benefits may be a short-term rise in your metabolic rate.

Studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism by 3–11%. It also promotes fat burning, which contributes to successful weight loss and maintenance.

Coffee’s effects on metabolism and fat burning may also

What’s more, caffeine can help you feel less tired and even increase your endurance while you exercise.

8. Power up with protein

Eating food can increase your metabolism for a few hours.

This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the extra calories required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal. Protein causes the largest rise in TEF, your body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does eating fat or carbohydrates. It increases your metabolic rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% for carbs and 0–3% for fats.

Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating.

One small study found that people were likely to eat around 441 fewer calories per day when protein made up 30% of their diet.

Eating more protein can also reduce the drop in metabolism often associated with losing fat. This is because it reduces muscle loss, which is a common side effect of dieting.

As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtime. Good sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

9. Spice up your meals

Spicy foods have natural chemicals (for example, capsaicin in chili peppers) that can kick your metabolism into a higher gear. Cooking foods with a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate. The effect is probably temporary, but if you eat spicy foods often, the benefits may add up.

One study of capsaicin, at acceptable doses, predicted that eating peppers would burn around 10 additional calories per meal. Over 6.5 years, this could account for 1 pound (0.5 kg) of weight loss for an average-weight male.

Alone, the effects of adding spices to your food may be quite small. However, it may lead to a slight advantage when combined with other metabolism-boosting strategies.

10. Get a good night’s sleep

Lack of sleep is linked to a major increase in the risk of obesity. This may partly be caused by the negative effects of sleep deprivation on metabolism.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, which are both linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

It’s also been shown to boost the hunger hormone ghrelin and decrease the fullness hormone leptin. This could explain why many people who are sleep-deprived feel hungry and struggle to lose weight.

Sources: WEB MD, Health Line

About STELLA

Stellapharm is one of leading generics pharmaceutical companies and strong producer of anti-viral drugs in Vietnam. The company established in Vietnam in 2000; and focuses on both prescription drugs and non-prescription especially in cardiovascular diseases, antiviral drugs, anti-diabetics drugs, etc. and our products are now used by millions of patients in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The company is globally recognized for its quality through our facilities have been audited and approved by stringent authority like EMA, PMDA, Taiwan GMP, local WHO and others.

Additional information for this article: Stellapharm J.V. Co., Ltd. – Branch 1
A: 40 Tu Do Avenue, Vietnam – Singapore Industrial Park, An Phu Ward, Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
T: +84 274 376 7470 | F: +84 274 376 7469 | E: info@stellapharm.com | W: www.stellapharm.com