3 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism

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I am often asked by those looking to lose weight, “how do I boost my metabolism?”

To better understand what boosting metabolism means, that are 2 concepts to consider.
Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that occur in the cells of the body.

The term metabolism has become synonymous with weight loss. Your metabolic rate is the amount of energy and calories used for normal daily function.

The more efficient your metabolism, the greater the metabolic rate, which enables you to burn more calories and improve your body composition.

That said, it’s a common belief that we can “raise” or “speed up” metabolism.
While this may be hard to do, there are several ways that science confirms, thus making them legit.

High-Intensity Interval Training

HIIT instead of steady aerobic exercising can increase your metabolic rate. Yes, we all have heard that exercising can improve the ability to burn fat for fuel, but what type of exercise is best?

The reality is that having more lean muscle on your frame improves your fat-burning, as muscle uses a lot more energy than fat tissue.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)—short intense periods of exercise followed by short low-intensity exercise—has been proven to burn calories more quickly and effectively than aerobic exercising.

Research out of The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that HIIT burns 30% more calories than other forms of aerobic exercising, and you burn them quickly. HIIT, which can also include weight training, can increase your lean muscle weight while aerobic exercising doesn’t really build muscle.

Here’s the key to using HIIT and weight training to improve your metabolic rate. To complement your lean muscle to burn calories, you also need to eat nutrient-dense foods—plant-based foods, lean protein, and healthful fats.

Incorporating HIIT into your routine doesn’t give you a “get out of jail free pass” to eat whatever you want.

After all, eating processed high-calorie nutrient-naked foods may be the reason you are looking to improve your metabolism!

Green Tea and Coffee

While the world looks for the next magic bullet to lose weight, there are foods and nutrients known to improve metabolism and metabolic rate.

While naysayers say foods and nutrients have a marginal impact on metabolism and fat-burning, the science shows green tea and coffee can improve your fat-burning capabilities and your metabolic rate.

Green tea is the most consumed beverage on the planet.

With its vast array of health benefits, green tea improves metabolism and calorie burning by stimulating the production of norepinephrine, a hormone from the adrenal glands which has been shown to increase fat oxidation (burning).

Data out of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications shows the compounds in green tea increase fat-burning in the liver and skeletal muscles. Green tea was also shown to reduce body fat.

Coffee is also an efficient fat-burner. Coffee contains caffeine, which has been proven to block the production of the neurotransmitter adenosine.

Data out of Life Sciences shows caffeine prevents the release of adenosine. Blocking adenosine causes the release of norepinephrine, which in turn causes the release from fat cells of fatty acids that we can use for energy.

Basically, caffeine can improve metabolism.

Water. Yes, water can improve your metabolic rate, thus increasing your ability to use up calories.

Who would think something as benign as water can improve your metabolism?
Well, the science says it’s so. A study out of the International Journal of Obesity showed drinking just 17 ounces of water was enough to increase a resting metabolism up to 30%.

Drinking cold water also uses energy to heat it up in the body, causing a thermogenic response and improving metabolic function.

Drinking water also replaces high-calorie drinks that can cause blood sugar crashes and fatigue.

So, here’s the gist . . . if you increase your metabolic rate, you increase metabolism
HIIT, coffee, green tea and water can help you rev up you fat burning engines.

Now go get lean!