14 Surprising ways to increase your metabolism to lose weight and boost energy

Metabolism is the process that breaks down the food we eat to produce the energy our bodies need to function. The body uses energy for everything it does; eating, sleeping and even breathing requires energy. So we are always burning calories to make energy.

If your metabolism is slow, it is not functioning at optimum levels and less of your calories will get turned into energy. Some things that may cause you to have a slow metabolism are; not getting enough exercise, age, genetics, and what and when you eat. Signs of a slow metabolism can include feeling cold, dry skin, constipation, low blood pressure, and fatigue. Also weight gain and not being able to lose weight could be symptoms of a slow metabolism.

Our metabolism slows down as we get older. Some say it begins slowing as early as age 25. Increasing your metabolism means burning more calories which equals more energy. This has many health benefits. Basically it will benefit all your body's functions that require energy, which is all of them. It can give you more energy during the day and help you sleep at night, it can also help you get to a healthy weight, and stay there.

Exercise is a great way to increase your metabolism and probably the most common. Listed below are some other ways that have been reported to increase metabolism along with more information on each one.

Eat 5-7 times a day;

As you eat and digest food your body uses more energy and therefore burns more calories. Eating often will also keep your blood sugar stable which will increase your metabolism. Both skipping meals and not getting enough calories slow down your metabolism.

Build muscle;

Muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat does. So if you increase your muscle mass, your metabolism will speed up to produce more energy which means burning more calories.

Eating breakfast;

Studies suggest that eating breakfast can increase your resting metabolism by 10%. Eating breakfast can boost your energy, reduce hunger, and promote better choices throughout the day. Skipping breakfast slows down your metabolism.

Vitamin B;

B vitamins play a major role in the metabolism of fat, proteins and carbohydrates. The body needs B12 to produce healthy red blood cells which are vital to energy production. The body uses Vitamin B12 for almost all of its metabolic processes. Vitamin B12 has been reported to be a major factor in determining your Basal Metabolic Rate. Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy you use while at rest. B12 also benefits the brain and nervous system.

Vitamin C;

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder reported that vitamin C may help to increase metabolism by decreasing oxidative stress from reactions in the body. Oxidative stress is believed to slow down your metabolism and increases with age. Vitamin C also helps support the immune system and can destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.

Cinnamon;

Test studies done by the U.S. Agriculture Service found that an active compound in cinnamon increases metabolism. Other studies suggest cinnamon can lower LDL cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

Chromium;

Chromium regulates the sugar metabolism in the body, and is required for the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Chromium Picolinate has been said to increase metabolism, and reduce hunger pangs, and sweet cravings.

Laughing;

Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, found that laughing can increase your metabolism by 10 to 40 calories. Laughing can also lower blood pressure and reduce stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

Sleep;

When we sleep our bodies produce higher levels of growth hormone which increases metabolism. Sleep has also been reported to combat heart disease, relieve stress, boost your memory, and reduce your risk for depression.

Sunlight;

UVB wavelengths have been reported to start up the metabolic and chemical processes that produce vitamin D. Reports suggest that sunlight can increase metabolism, relieve depression, and improve digestion.

Water;

A study done in Germany showed a 30% increase in the resting metabolism rate of subjects who drank 500ml of water a day. It has been reported that our bodies need at least 10 cups of water to function properly at a basic level.

Ice;

Normal body temperature is around 98.6 degrees. Our bodies are constantly working to stay at that temperature. When we eat or drink things that are cold, our metabolism increases to produce the energy to heat us back up.

Magnesium;

The molecule that provides energy for almost all metabolic processes is found in magnesium. Magnesium is required for the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. It has also been reported help regulate blood pressure and to help strengthen bones, and teeth.

Metabolism typing;

It has been proposed that each person has a distinct metabolism, usually one of three types. This type determines which foods benefit your metabolism and which ones don't. So, one kind of food could give one person energy and help them to lose weight, yet make another person tired and cause them to gain or keep them from losing any weight, depending on their metabolism type. Finding out which type you are allows you to know which foods to eat more of, which ones to eat less of and which ones to avoid if you want to optimize your metabolism to boost your energy , lose weight, and be able to keep it off.

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