HOW TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

Do you think it's easier to lose 8-11 pounds rather than 45? Nope! It is much easier for the same person to go from 220 pounds to 175 than from 143 to 133 pounds. Why? The answer lies within the magic word called metabolism. Endless hours to the gym, food deprivation, miracle slimming pills are usually identified with the proper functioning of our metabolism. But this is not always the case.

First things first.

What is the metabolism?

Metabolism is the energy we spend daily and includes:

a) basic metabolism, which is, the energy that we consume in a 24-hour state for our basic physical functions, such as breathing, cardiac function, maintaining body temperature and other processes.

b) the energy we spend on every activity during the day, from simple walking home to physical activity.

How does it work?

Weight and height are proportional to the basic metabolism, so the lower the weight the lower the metabolism rate we have. Gender, age, and some pathological conditions can also affect our metabolism.

Also, body composition plays an important role as the higher the levels of muscle mass are, the higher the metabolism is. Therefore, between two people of the same weight, height, sex and age, the person with the higher muscle mass will have the higher metabolism rate.

So,how can we raise our metabolic rate?

The key is to exercise and increase daily burns. It seems that 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week is extremely beneficial to weight loss.

It sounds quite simple, right? Well, it is.

Walking, swimming, biking or dancing will help us achieve more fat burning. What matters most is the duration of each exercise and not the intensity. For example, take 30-minute walk on the treadmill, or simply go for walking outdoors at a moderate speed.

Also, boosting muscle mass will speed up our metabolic rate, therefore it is good to do some exercises with weights or resistance, always following the instructions of a trainer.

Additionally, there are certain good habits we can introduce in our daily routine that will help us activate our metabolism.  

-       Try to eat every 3-5 hours foods that regulate blood sugar (whole foods, brown rice, fruits, nuts).

-       Try to include protein in most of your meals. We burn more calories to digest protein, rather than digest carbohydrates and fats. Also, protein builds muscle tissue and causes satiety.

-       Do not skip meals.

-       Choose healthy fats.

-       Each meal should contain a salad.

-       Avoid processed foods.

-       Don’t drink too much alcohol. Alcohol weakens the liver which is the main organ for fat metabolism.

-       Drink 8 glasses of water per day.

Water will suppress your appetite

       -     Avoid sugar as it slows down your metabolism.