When most people think of the word metabolism, the first thing that comes to mind is weight loss. While this is not wrong, metabolism actually refers to any of the processes involved in food processing where the use of calories is required.

Thus, digestion is a metabolic process, as is the production of hormones or neurotransmitters in your body. You can think of metabolism as the process of using energy, according to which calories are the source of electricity in our body.

For the purposes of this discussion, we will look at ways to boost your metabolism in terms of weight loss, as this is why most people want to actively increase their metabolic rate.

1. Eat more protein-rich foods

Protein is the source of the raw materials the body needs to rebuild, otherwise known as the building block for all cell types in the body. But how is it that eating protein helps boost your metabolism?

The answer lies in what is known as the thermal effect of protein. The thermal effect of a food refers to the number of calories needed for the body to break down and absorb it into the circulation. Of the three main groups of macronutrients. proteins, fats and carbohydrates, foods rich in protein require the greatest amount of energy for processing.

This number varies depending on the exact amino acid profile of the protein food, but generally ranges from 15 to 30% of the gross caloric content of the food. In fact, consuming 100 calories of protein food translates into a net caloric intake of 70 to 85 calories, as the body uses the rest for processing.

As you can guess, this helps in weight loss, as if you calculated that you need 1500 calories a day and you are consuming a decent amount of protein, your net intake may end up being significantly lower than that.

2. Perform weight lifting exercises

The number one way to boost your metabolism in the long run is to engage in a weight lifting routine and actively strive to build muscle mass.

Muscles can be considered energy factories, where the energy coin ATP of our body is produced within mitochondrial units in muscle cells. By training the muscles to grow (or increase in number), these mitochondrial subunits either increase in size or number respectively.

What does this mean for you? It means that more calories (in the form of glucose, triglycerides or amino acids) enter the mitochondria to burn and become fuel. Thus, even at rest, a person with more muscle mass will burn a higher amount of calories than someone who has significantly less muscle but is active.

This is why you may have heard that gaining muscle mass is the best way to burn fat.

3. Drink green tea

Green tea has been consumed for centuries, and possibly even more, by the people of the East for its anti-aging and overall health benefits. Today, while still consumed for these reasons, the consumption of green tea is encouraged as it can boost metabolism by increasing thermogenesis.

Thermogenesis is the process of producing heat from the body through the use of calories. Similar to the way our body temperature rises in response to the cold, regular consumption of green tea can support an increased amount of calories burned through the heat production process.

Green tea also boosts the use of triglycerides (fat) for fuel, which means you will lose more weight. While the increase in metabolism is not huge, a few cups consumed daily can add to your substance for a few months.

4. Swap cooking vegetables for coconut oil

Vegetable oils are not the best in the class, many are pro-inflammatory in nature and artificial. Coconut oil, on the other hand, is very beneficial for overall health and when combined with medium chain triglyceride content, can help improve metabolic rate and support weight loss.

Medium chain triglycerides are offered for the production of ketone bodies in the liver, these are alternative energy sources used by the body when glucose is low. Coconut oil has also been shown to increase the resting metabolic rate, so more calories are burned by the body at all times.

5. Eat enough

If you are seriously considering boosting your metabolism, one of the first things you should do is calculate how many calories your body needs just to eat each day. Of course, many assume this number and then believe that you can safely make a mistake on the downside when it comes to consuming calories.

This does not work, however, as when a very large caloric deficit is created, the body responds by reducing your metabolic rate. If your body’s basal metabolic rate is 1500 calories per day and you consume only 800, the body notices a significant deficit and responds by reducing this number to 1500, while reducing your chances of losing weight.

This is never good, as it puts your body in a state of “energy saving” or reduced performance. This is like living during the ban, having only the absolute minimum necessary for survival. You need to make sure that the calorie deficit you create is not more than 500 calories less than your basal metabolic rate, otherwise you will experience a metabolic breakdown.

6. Stay active for most of the day

While exercising for about an hour every day is a great place to start, for many people it may not be enough to boost your metabolism and see you lose weight.

If your work is largely sedentary; that is, you sit for many hours every day, you need to find ways to increase your level of activity. Simple things can be done, such as standing longer (an upright desk is ideal for this), planning regular breaks in the office, or even doing sedentary activities. Leg extensions can help you achieve this while sitting, as well as flexing your calf muscles.

While these may seem trivial and cause only minimal calorie burning, we do not care. Physical activity of any kind results in short-term increase or metabolic rate, even activities such as washing dishes, vacuuming at home or writing with a pen that is sufficient to cause these moderate increases in metabolism. You do not believe me; Try it. For a month, do everything you can to become more active and you will notice a moderate weight loss at least (since you do not eat too much to compensate!)

7. Eat more pepper

Hot peppers, especially chili peppers, contain a compound called capsaicin, which is responsible for the hot sensation you feel after eating a lot of pepper food.

Do you know what that is? Similar to green tea, this compound raises body temperature and metabolic rate, causing you to burn more calories as heat is produced (thermogenesis). This compound also has many other health benefits being studied, including the relief of arthritic symptoms and even the treatment of male pattern baldness!

And by the way – peppers do not necessarily worsen the acidity of the stomach, if you do not overdo it, so do not be afraid to have a little more.

8. Water

Water is literally the fluid that gives life, as reducing its consumption is detrimental to all aspects of health. Water maintains a healthy metabolic rate through numerous mechanisms, such as supporting an efficient rate of chemical processes (AKA, metabolic processes), helping to maintain a level of performance (as dehydration causes a significant reduction in physical performance), helping you eat less, and of course promotes the removal of by-products of metabolism.

conclusion

The best way to boost your metabolism is to not focus on the short goal. Make changes that are sustainable and offer a higher metabolic rate over long distances. This way, too, you will not feel like a chore, but a natural part of your lifestyle.