Metabolism refers to the set of chemical processes in your body that help you grow and live. It consumes energy to conduct various bodily functions needed to maintain life. Your metabolism enables you to digest food and absorb nutrients. A good metabolism expends energy to help you live an active and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, pumping up your energy levels hikes up your metabolism. An increased metabolic rate also helps you maintain healthy weight. Factors like heredity, age and gender contribute to your metabolism. There are many ways to boost your metabolism ranging from physical activity to nutrition.
Regular Small Meals
Portion control is the key to spiking metabolism. Eating smaller meals (grazing) or healthy snacks through the day keeps your energy levels high and fuels your metabolic rate. "Grazing helps normalize blood sugar levels rather than producing three large spikes, which is what happens eating three meals a day," says Nick Flynn, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. Moreover snack-size portions will prevent you from overeating and making you overweight.
Exercise
Regular exercise increases your metabolism. By increasing your heart rate through physical activity your body will digest food faster, thereby not allowing it to be stored as fat. Strength or resistance training is especially useful. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strength training provides up to a 15 percent increase in metabolic rate. Such training builds muscle, which burns more calories and uses more energy than fat.
Avoid Restrictive Diets
Depriving your body of energy by dieting is a definitive way of slowing down your metabolism. Food provides the energy your body needs for metabolic and digestive processes. Cutting back on calories slows down this process. Low caloric intake signals your body that no food is available. It holds on to every calorie you eat and stores it as fat by slowing down its metabolism.
B Vitamins
These vitamins play a key role in DNA synthesis, metabolism of food and energy production. Insufficient quantities of vitamins B12, B6, folate, thiamin and niacin can slow your body's metabolism. Vitamin B12 is particularly promoted as an energy enhancer and endurance booster due to its role in energy metabolism.
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