Many individuals who want to lose weight and become physically fit talk about increasing their metabolism, which is the process the body uses to create and burn energy from food intake.
It runs everything in the body, including digestion, heartbeat, thinking, breathing, and blood circulation. Metabolism also helps individuals stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It is measured in calories burned.
There are many ways to boost your metabolism from exercise, the most popular, and even eating the right foods, which may be the most surprising.
5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism
When attempting to boost your metabolism, it is important to ensure lots of energy is being used or generated. Discover the best ways to boost your metabolism now.
1. Consume Peppers and Other Spicy Foods
Hot peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin, which is touted as a metabolism booster. A lot of these peppers must be eaten to raise the metabolic rate.
One study showed peppers added to meals would help individuals burn an average of ten additional calories while eating the meal, leading to a weight loss of one pound after six and a half years.
This may be a tiny advantage, but combined with other strategies may help a little. If individuals want to eat peppers frequently, they can try adding them to stews, on top of pasta, and into chili.
Black pepper and ginger also have been shown to cause a slight increase in metabolism.
2. Try High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training increases the metabolism so more calories are burned. It works by alternating less intense exercise, such as walking, with extremely intense exercise, such as running as fast as possible for a certain amount of time.
In the intense phase, the individual’s metabolism rises very fast. It stays high through this phase and drops slowly during the less intense phase. The raised metabolic rate can continue after the workout ends and can persist for up to twenty-four hours.
Another benefit of high-intensity interval training is that it is a good way of strengthening cardiovascular fitness in a shorter time than moderately paced exercise.
Of course, it is important to note high-intensity interval training, when practiced to its fullest potential, requires a fair amount of flexibility, core strength, and mobility.
Preparation includes conditioning, such as doing aerobics such as walking and biking, then adding flexibility and other exercises.
Starting out, individuals should try only a couple of high-intensity interval training sessions per week and should always space out each session at least twenty-four hours apart.
3. Drink Some Green Tea
Some studies have indicated green tea can raise an individual’s metabolism about four to five percent. The boost may combine with caffeine and catechins already in the tea, both of which have been shown to raise an individual’s metabolism slightly for a few hours.
Some research shows drinking two to four cups a day may help individuals burn off seventeen percent more calories during exercise for a short time.
Green tea also comes with numerous other health benefits and no negative consequences provided individuals don’t drink excessive amounts, so why not drink a mug of it every day?
4. Replace Cooking Oils and Fats with Coconut Oil
There has been a lot of attention paid to coconut oil as a fat burner. Coconut oil is saturated fat, which should be eaten in moderation, though has a slightly different type of saturated fat.
It raises an individual’s metabolism more than well-known types of saturated fat in foods like butter. Some studies have shown increased weight loss in those consuming it, but other studies have not.
More studies are needed, not only on how well it works but also in its safety as a saturated fat. Either way, reports still show it has more benefits when it comes to increasing metabolism when it replaces other cooking oils, particularly ones like canola oil.
Coconut oil is also often useful as an ingredient in healthier baking recipes, typically for muffins or cookies.
5. Get Quality Sleep at Night
A lack of sleep has long been known to increase weight gain. It raises the level of the hunger hormone (ghrelin) and lowers the amount of the hormone leptin, which makes individuals feel full. Sleeplessness lowers the number of calories burned and changes the sugar process in digestion.
When individuals are tired and hungry, the body is trying to get more calories to help them get energy and function better. A good night of sleep is the foundation for dealing with just about anything when it comes to good health.
After all, with no energy, how are individuals supposed to get through basic tasks in a day, let alone engage in metabolism-boosting activities like high-intensity interval training?
Via: VeryWellFit | ReadersDigest
