Tips for boosting your metabolism

Some of us can eat whatever we want and burn off the calories with ease, thanks to a fast metabolism. But for many of us, merely looking at food seems to pile on the calories, simply because we have a slow metabolism. Annoyingly, we deprive ourselves of food and train ourselves to eat like sparrows, and yet every crumb we consume seems to instantly turn into fat.

Metabolism is an important word for any woman who wants to lose weight. But what exactly is metabolism? Metabolism is the way our bodies process the foods that we eat. Every time we eat, the food that we consume is turned into energy. Energy is used to burn fat when doing physical activity, digesting food, and also when the body is resting. By boosting our metabolism, we can actually burn fat even when we’re not physically active.

But why do some of us have a slow metabolic rate? There are various factors that can cause a slow metabolism, for example, aging (especially in women), thyroid problems, a bad diet, or a genetic predisposition.

The good news is that whatever the reason for your slow metabolism, there are ways in which you can speed up your metabolic rate. Here are some of them:

1. Exercise

Any type of exercise or physical activity will speed up your metabolism. 30 minutes a day spent walking, swimming, cycling or running, playing sport or doing formal exercise, will do wonders to boost your metabolism.

Make a habit of walking around the office rather than phoning or emailing colleagues. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Park further away from the office; play with the kids or your dog. Continual small bursts of energy will ensure that your metabolism stays revved up and burning calories.

2. Eat to boost your metabolism

That may sound like a gross contradiction in terms, but it is a fact that eating five or six small meals a day can make a huge difference to boosting your metabolic rate. If you consume 2000 calories a day, for example, you can burn 200 calories just by eating.

Don’t skip breakfast. Eat often to keep your metabolic rate pumped up all day. By eating many small meals throughout the day you will actually be eating less than one or 2 huge meals.  Eat spicy foods to make you break out into a sweat and push your metabolism into top gear. If you’re a compulsive snacker, snack on lean protein such as nuts and seeds. To break down protein, your body needs to work harder which means it has to burn more calories to digest it.

3. Eat certain foods to speed up your metabolic rate

There are many types of foods that will help you speed up your metabolism. Here are some of them:

• Grapefruit 

Grapefruit lowers insulin levels in the body and triggers the system to store fat. Because grapefruit is rich in fiber, your body needs to burn more calories to break it down.

• Yogurt 

Natural yoghurt contains a high level of protein, which means that the body uses lots of energy to process it. The pro-biotic cultures in yoghurt also help to regulate the digestive system.

• Green Tea 

Green tea speeds up the nervous system, causing the body to use up and burn more calories.

• Coffee 

Caffeine is great for giving the metabolism a boost, but don’t drink more than 2-3 cups each day or you may become irritable or jittery.

There are many other foods that can help you speed up your metabolism and burn those pesky calories. Read up on them and make it a habit to include at least some of them in your daily diet.