Article # 481. Boosting Your Metabolism Step By Step

There are a wide range of benefits to boosting our metabolisms, but not everyone’s quite sure how to do it! In reality, it really is quite simple if you follow a simple step-by-step guide, which we shall look at today.

First Step to Boosting Metabolism – Exercise

Exercising is one of the best ways that you can boost your metabolism, and should always be part of anyone’s metabolism boosting regime.

The more muscle you have on your body the faster your metabolism will be, as muscle burns calories much faster than fat. You can help increase the muscle mass on your body with weight training and resistance exercises.

Aerobic exercise is also very important in boosting your metabolism. By exercising and increasing your heart rate your body will be burning off any food that you eat a lot more quickly than it would if you hadn’t exercised.

Second Step to Boosting Metabolism – Hydrate 

An essential part of boosting your metabolism – and to general overall health – is to stay hydrated. Our bodies are made up of 90 percent water – so it is very important that we keep our fluid levels up.

Even just slight dehydration will slow down our metabolisms as our body needs water to be able to effectively metabolize our food. You should be drinking 8 – 8 ounce glasses of water each day – or more if you are regularly exercising.

Third Step to Boosting Metabolism – Nutrition

There is no point staying hydrated and getting plenty of exercise if you have a poor diet. There are a huge range of foods that have metabolism boosting properties within them, and can make a huge difference in your question of having a fast metabolism.

Look for foods that are high in fiber and protein- as these take a long time for the body to digest them – meaning they burn more calories during the metabolism process.

Some of the best foods for boosting your metabolism include: broccoli, spinach, nuts, seeds, green tea, grapefruit, eggs and turkey.

Fourth Step to Boosting Metabolism – Eat at the Right Time

While nutrition is important in boosting metabolism, when and how often you eat your food plays an equally important role.

Your parents weren’t lying when they said it’s important that you don’t skip breakfast. By skipping breakfast you are putting your body into starvation mode, which essentially slows your metabolism down because your body wants to preserve its food supplies. Eating breakfast provides your body with a metabolism kick-start at the beginning of the day.

You should also try and eat as much of your daily food at the start of the day, as this is when you are the most active, and burning the most calories. If you eat food just before your bedtime, your body won’t be burning much of it during the night – your metabolism is much faster during the day.

While many people choose to drop the amount of calories they eat in order to boost their metabolism, in actual fact they could be doing more harm than good. You should never drop your calorie intake below 1,000 per day (or the recommended amount for your particular gender and size) – as this will also send your body into starvation mode and cause your metabolism to actually slow down.

It is also best to eat lots of small meals throughout the day rather than 3 large meals. This keeps the metabolism alert and constantly needing to work. It also keeps your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day to provide a steady source of fuel for your metabolism.

Fifth Step to Boosting Metabolism – Supplements

If after increasing your exercise, hydration and nutrition you are still not getting the results you want – then you may want to try taking metabolism boosting supplements.

There are hundreds of different supplements on the market – both natural and scientifically formulated.

Arguably the most effective and commonly used metabolism boosting supplement are those containing B-Vitamins. A lack of B-Vitamins can result in fatigue, which is also a symptom of slow metabolism. B-Vitamin supplements are readily available and easy to take.

Other supplements that can help you fight fatigue and increase the energy you need to boost your metabolism include green tea extract, Co-enzyme Q-10, L-Carnitine and NADH (which helps your body convert food into energy).