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A human body is alive and functioning and the chemical reactions in your body that aid in doing so is termed as your metabolism. It is responsible for converting nutrients from the foods you eat into energy, which you need to breathe, move, digest food, circulate blood, and even repair the damaged tissues and cells. An increase in metabolism means that your body would be more effective in performing these activities.
However, most people are unaware how metabolism functions. They tend to think that a slow or sluggish metabolism can cause weight gain and slow down your weight loss sojourn. But that’s not it. A slow metabolism can also cause other problems like tiredness, dry skin, hair loss, headache, lack of mental clarity and focus, and frequent mood swings. It can also make you feel depressed, and may impact your sex drive too. Hence, boosting up your metabolism is the only way to go about it.
Metabolism often means the basal metabolic rate, which means the number of calories you burn at rest. The higher your basal metabolic rate, the more chances of you to burn calories at rest. Of course, there are several factors that affect it, including your age, diet, sex, body size, and health.
Eating food can have a temporary effect on your metabolism and can increase it for a few hours. It is called the thermic effect of food (TEF), which is the extra calories required to digest and process the food in your meal. Since protein is known to cause the largest rise in TEF, it can amp up your metabolism as well.
People who drink more water and avoid any sugary drinks are actually more successful at losing weight as it automatically reduces your calorie intake. But do you know that drinking water can also speed up your metabolism? It actually fills you up and you end up eating less.
Also, read: 5 types of intermittent fasting that will boost your metabolism super fast
High intensity interval training (HIIT), which involves intense bursts of activity, helps to burn more fat and increases your metabolic rate.
Several research studies have shown that green tea aids in increasing metabolism and fat burning because they help convert some of the fat stored in the body into free fatty acids. Moreover, it is very low in calories, hence, drinking it is good for both weight loss and weight maintenance.
Since peppers contain capsaicin, which is a compound that can boost your metabolism, eating spicy foods can be helpful in losing weight. However, most people can’t tolerate spices, they can combine it with metabolism-boosting strategies.
Lack of sleep is directly linked to an increase in the risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation can not only slow down your metabolism rate but can lead to an increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. If you haven’t slept well at night, you also tend to eat more and automatically consume more calories, so there are lesser chances of you to lose weight.
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PERSONALISE NOWA lifestyle journalist with a perennial hunger for all nice things in life - from fashion to food and different cultures. When she is not writing in her favourite coffee spot, she spends her time socializing with people or exploring different cities. ...Read More
