How to Rev up your metabolism!

Boost your metabolism with these tips!

 
First things first, lets give an overview of what your metabolism is, what affects it and lastly how you can increase it!
 

What is your metabolism/metabolic rate?

Your metabolism involves all the processes that go on continuously inside the body to keep you alive and your organs functioning normally, (breathing, digesting food, repairing cells).

Simply put your metabolic rate is how slow/fast your body expends energy (burns calories).

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The minimum amount of energy your body needs to carry out these processes is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR).
• Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR):  is the rate your body expends energy while at rest (functioning of your major organs). The RMR is important as it you can measure the minimum amount of calories you will burn in a day.

 

What affects your metabolic rate?

Age, body size, and gender all impact our metabolic rate.

Body Weight/ Muscle Mass: For each pound of body weight we carry we need energy to sustain it. Muscle cells require more energy to maintain than fat cells, hence people with higher muscle to fat ratios tend to have a higher BMR. 

 

Age: As we get older we tend to lose muscle tone and gain more fat (BMR decreases with age)

 

Gender: In general men tend to have a higher BMR as they have more muscle mass, their bones are more dense/heavy, and naturally have less fat than women.

 
This is quite a bit depressing especially if you are a women getting on in age!  However there are ways in which you can boost you BMR!


Caffeine Consumption
There have been numerous studies that have found a positive relationship between caffeine consumption and an increase in metabolic rate (read, weight loss).

In 2011, a review published in "Obesity Reviews" looked at six different research studies and found that caffeine consumption significantly increases your body's energy expenditure over a period of 24 hours. Caffeine is known to boost energy levels and decreases perceived physical exertion, which is one possible reason your body burns extra calories when you consume caffeine.


Strength Training
As muscle cells require more energy to maintain than fat cells, the higher muscle to fat ratio you have, the higher your BMR.


Get Active
This one is pretty obvious, the more physical activity you perform the more calories you will burn in a day. You can make small changes that will have a big impact, for example:

• Try to use a standing desk in work for a call rather than always sitting
• Go for a walk after your lunch, this also aids digestion!
• Find other ways of getting to work, perhaps cycle, or if taking public transport standing is better than sitting!

Drink More Water!
Your body needs water to burn calories, even being mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. The processes your body completes through metabolism depends on the amount of water you drink, your metabolism will be more effective if you increase the water intake. Aim for 2.5 - 3 litres a day.

Research has confirmed that consuming only half a liter of water per day significantly increases the intensity of burning calories up to 30 %.


More Exercise
Include some HIIT in your workouts to compliment your strength training. High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts.

Check out my beginners guide to HIIT!

 
Adjust Your Diet

Some spicy foods contain natural ingredients that ramp up your metabolism, add fresh Chilli to your meals.

Your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does eating fat or carbohydrates. Try replacing some simple carbohydrates (avoid potatoes, rice, pasta but keep in sweet potatoes and vegetable sources of carbs)  with lean protein foods such as chicken, eggs, beef (don't eat the fat), turkey, fish and nuts.

http://www.thehealthsuccesssite.com/metabolic-rate.html
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/how-can-I-speed-up-my-metabolism.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/460409-does-caffeine-increase-your-metabolism/
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/trying-to-lose-weight-drink-more-water-before-meals/