6 Ways to Boost Metabolism

Your body relies on metabolism for fuel as it uses stored fats to give you energy through the day. For weight watchers, their metabolism is their ticket to losing weight but the problem is that once you hit your 40s, your metabolism will slow down at a steady pace. This can affect your body’s ability to burn those excess fats from your arms, belly, buttocks, and thighs. Is there any way to give your metabolism the boost it needs so you can burn through all those excess fats?

The good news is that even when your metabolism is already slowing down, there are ways to give it a boost. Here are some examples on how you can jump start your metabolism today.

1. Start building muscles. Keep in mind that your body is constantly burning calories even when you are not moving. The resting metabolic rate is considerably higher in those with more muscles as opposed to those who don’t have any. Your muscles can burn up to 6 calories per pound of muscle while a pound of fat only burns 2 calories per day. This is one of the reasons why developing muscles is highly recommended because you get to burn more calories in the process.
2. Use extra virgin olive oil. Your body needs healthy dietary fats for it to function properly. The good news is that a simple tweak in the kitchen where, instead of using palm oil, you use extra virgin olive oil when cooking, can actually help boost your metabolism while at the same time push nutrient absorption in the body as well as stop your cravings from occurring. What’s more, olive oil has polyphenols which is a type of antioxidant that can help prevent various diseases from occurring such as osteoporosis, cancer, and the like.
3. Increase workout intensity. Increasing the intensity of your workout is another way for you to give your metabolism a boost. High intensity training is actually helping your body burn through the calories in your body even when you’re at rest which is one of the reasons why many fitness experts recommend HIIT or high intensity interval training if you want to lose weight by boosting your metabolism.
4. Drink plenty of water. For your body to process the calories, it needs to be hydrated properly. This is one of the reasons why drinking eight glasses of water is recommended because drinking less will only slow down your metabolism. Snack on vegetables and fruits too because they contain water too which helps hydrate your body.
5. Get enough protein. Building muscles does help with boosting your metabolism but this means that you need to have sufficient amount of protein in your system so your muscles won’t break down and cause your metabolism to slow down even more. The amount of protein that your body needs is different from other people but most of the time the recommended amount of protein should be 1 gram per kilogram.
6. Snack wisely. Another trick for you to boost your metabolism is to eat frequently. Aside from eating three full meals, eating healthy snacks in between meals can help keep your metabolism running for more calories burned.