Your energy levels and the amount of fat and calories that you burn throughout the day depend on your metabolism. If your metabolism is working slower than it should, then you will feel sluggish and also put on some extra weight. Metabolic speed is usually determined by your genetic, but there are ways in which you can change it and have control over it.
Drink Green Tea
Green tea has numerous health benefits mainly because of the antioxidants that it contains. Green tea is also believed to have positive effects on your metabolism. A study showed that people who drank about 3 to 5 glasses of green tea daily for 3 months lost 5% of their body weight. ECGC, the compound present in green tea, is excellent for making weight loss easier and boosting metabolism.
Increase Caffeine Intake
Many people believe that caffeine is bad for their health. However, the fact is that caffeine actually helps your metabolism. A study proved that the metabolic rate of people who drink coffee is 16% higher than people who don’t. The reason behind this is that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and increases the heart rate.
Exercise at Night
Exercise is well known for playing a vital role in metabolism. When you sleep, your metabolic rate drops by about 15%. Participating in a 20 minute moderate cardio exercise before going to bed drops your metabolic rate by just about 5%.
Get Adequate Sleep
The amount of time you sleep and give your body much needed rest also influences your metabolism. Getting enough rest after a long day helps to maintain a good metabolic rate. You should also try to keep stress at bay as too much of it can affect the quality of sleep.
Never Skip Breakfast
Skipping breakfast can slow down your metabolism by causing your body to go into starvation mode. Eating a healthy breakfast consisting of lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats will keep your metabolism going and keep you energetic throughout the day.
Eat More Often
Eating five or six small meals spread throughout the day rather than three big meals is a good way of boosting metabolism. It also helps to improve the digestion, curb the appetite and prevent over-eating.
Increase your Water Consumption
Water keeps you hydrated and flushes the harmful toxins out of your body. By doing so, it allows optimal functioning of your kidneys. When your kidneys carry out their functions efficiently, it gives your liver more time to metabolize fat stores.
Add Some Ice to Your Drinks
Although this is not the most effective tip to boost the metabolism, it still helps. Drinking an ice cold beverage automatically drops your body temperature. To warm back up, your body will have to work harder and this process will boost your metabolism.
Eat More Dairy
Dairy, especially milk and cheese are calcium rich foods. Calcium helps to boost metabolism by stimulating fat cells in order to break down the fat. It is recommended to be cautious about the serving size and consume only low or non-fat diary.
Add Spice to Your Food
Spices not only add flavor to your food, but they are also a great way of boosting metabolism. Spices can increase your metabolism by about 50% for a period of three hours. Cayenne pepper has a thermogenic effect and helps to burn calories by heating your body. Just about ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon can lead to a 20 time increase in your metabolism. Turmeric not only helps to boost your metabolism, but it also lowers your cholesterol level and reduces inflammation.