Metabolism is important for overall good health and the proper functioning of all systems in your body. It refers to the chemical reactions that occur in the body to sustain life. When you eat, metabolism ensures all nutrients from your meals are processed into the energy your body requires for key functions like breathing, blood circulation, and tissue repair.
Here are eight dietary and lifestyle adjustments you can adopt to increase your metabolic rate.
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Increase your protein intake per meal
Every time you have a meal, your metabolism increases for a few hours due to the thermic effect of food (TEF). Studies show that dietary protein has the highest TEF since the body utilizes up to 30% of the nutrient’s expendable energy in metabolism.
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Always stay hydrated
Drinking plenty of water has many potential health benefits, one of which is briefly accelerating your metabolic rate. This notion is backed by research showing a 30% uptick in metabolism for about an hour in individuals that drank 500 milliliters or 17 ounces of water.
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Embrace high-intensity exercise
You should pay attention to your exercise regime if you need a change in the rate at which your body converts nutrients into a resource for optimal health and function. A great workout option to boost your metabolism and burn more fat would be high-intensity interval training (HIIT). With HIIT, you’ll be performing brief but highly intense bursts of activity, thus burning more fat.
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Build muscle with weights
For metabolism’s sake, consider incorporating weight-lifting in your regular workouts, with a focus on heavy objects. Lifting weights allows your muscles to play a bigger role in metabolism, which can speed up the combustion of calories in your body, even when you are resting.
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Spend more time standing (and sit less)
People don’t usually burn a lot of calories while sitting compared to standing. If you make it a habit to stand for longer periods than normal, you’ll improve your metabolism and accelerate the combustion of calories. You can implement the “standing” workout in different ways, such as using a standing desk in your office, walking, or standing up.
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Embrace green tea
Green tea may be the beverage swap you need to create a difference in your metabolism rate and burn more fat. The strategy is more effective when executed along with regular workouts.
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Add pepper to your daily diet
One study estimated that the body could burn more calories after eating a meal with pepper. When it comes to spices like pepper and high metabolism rates, capsaicin is the “magical” ingredient. This effect isn’t that significant over time, however.
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Drink coffee
Coffee contains caffeine, which can briefly increase metabolism. It also has weight-loss benefits as it can accelerate the combustion of fat in the body.
With these lifestyle changes, you can achieve a metabolic rate that’s good for your wellness goals. The experts at Genesis Performance have more tips to help you optimize your physical, mental, and emotional health and live a happier, more complete life. Get in touch with us right away to get started!
