Your metabolism determines the rate at which your body burns the food it consumes. A higher metabolism may help you achieve your weight loss or weight maintenance goals, and several lifestyle modifications and strategies can help to potentially improve your metabolism. Keep in mind that metabolism is just one of many factors in weight loss, and the Mayo Clinic recommends focusing on exercise and calorie reduction instead of metabolism for faster weight loss.
Maintain Your Thyroid Health
The thyroid gland oversees your body's metabolism. Poor thyroid health can cause your metabolism rate to drop. Maintain thyroid health by eating lots of foods that are high in iron and B complex vitamins, suggests the University of Maryland Medical Center, and avoid the use of caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. Your doctor can also run tests to determine your thyroid's health and prescribe medications should you suffer from hypothyroidism, which is when your thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones.
Increase Your Muscle Mass
Fat doesn't burn calories as effectively as muscle. The more muscle mass you have and the less fat, the greater the metabolic rates that you'll experience, according to Ohio State University. Use weights and other exercise equipment to build muscle mass. Columbia University's Health Services recommend exercising a minimum of 30 minutes every day.
Drink Green Tea
Green tea's active chemicals, such as its catechins and caffeine, may help to increase your metabolic rate to help you burn fat faster, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Generally, the center recommends drinking approximately three cups of brewed green tea every day, or take up to 750mg of green tea extract supplements.
Split Your Meals
Every time you eat, your metabolic system gets to work to process and metabolize the calories and food you've consumed. Instead of eating infrequent and large meals---Columbia University's Health Services says doing so "taxes the body's metabolic system" and may prompt elevated levels of cholesterol in your blood---eat smaller and more frequent meals. This may help to keep your metabolism humming at a steady pace instead of forcing it to start and stop suddenly.
Member Comments