It’s metabolism to convert all the calories we eat and drink into energy. Metabolism is determined by many factors, such as our size, gender, age and hormone levels. But there are some methods to control its speed, learn how to speed up your metabolism naturally by making small and simple changes to your lifestyle and diet.
- Turn to green tea
Green tea is a better option than your morning coffee. As green tea has lots of health benefits, from promoting weight loss, to preventing diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Studies show that catechin, the antioxidant in green tea, may speed up your metabolism and increase the fat burning.
A research from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that three to five cups of green tea a day can help you burn an extra 70 calories per day, which adds up to 7 pounds a year and 70 pounds for 10 years. Drink green tea is one of the best ways to speed up your metabolism, as it’s so easy and nutrient dense that can benefit anyone’s diet.
- Spice your meals up
Spices are one great way you can keep your metabolic rates high and add a fiery kick to your meal as well. Study showed that using spices may help people burn up to 1000 more calories daily than those who don’t use spices. Black pepper, ginger, chili pepper and cinnamon are all good options.
- Drink more water
Drink enough water throughout the day will keep you hydrated, which will keep your body balanced without causing any cravings and mistaking hunger. And drinking enough water can actually raise your metabolism.
According to a German study, drinking 500 ml of water increased the metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy, normal-weight men and women. The increases happened in 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after around 30-40 minutes.
- Herbs can help
In addition to their medicinal uses, some herbs are working well in speeding up metabolism to boost energy and aid in weight loss. Ginger is one useful herb that can speed up the calorie and fat burning process. Hawthorne, kelp, cinnamon, pansy leaves and nettle can boost your metabolism and increase fat burning as well.
- Metabolism boosting vitamins
Increase your intake of healthy foods high in vitamins, you can boost your metabolism. One of the most effective ones are B vitamins, which is essential in creating new blood cells and regulating metabolism. Foods with rich vitamin B include whole grains, potatoes, yogurt, milk, seafood and lean meat.
Vitamin C is important to strengthening your immune system, which is essential to speed up your metabolism when you’re trying to lose weight. Try to add vitamin c rich foods in your meal every day as they can’t be stored in the body. Good options are oranges, melons, green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, blueberries, red peppers and green leafy vegetables.
- Eat lean-protein foods
Lean-protein foods help you build muscle and lose extra fat. And protein is harder to break down than other nutrients in your body, so the body has to spend more energy during digestion, which will increase your metabolism. These foods provide you a fullness feeling for a longer time as well, such as lean beef, fish, seeds and nuts, eggs, beans, soy proteins and grains.
- Eat smaller and eat more
A study showed that elderly women who had 2-3 meals per day were normally obese compared to those who ate 4-5 meals per day. When you only eat 3 times per day, your metabolism slows down as your body doesn’t get food between each meal. So eat smaller meals or snacks to raise your metabolism 4-5 times throughout the whole day.
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