What Can You Take to Increase Your Metabolism?

Getting your metabolism on the fast track is key to reaching your weight loss goals. Give your metabolism a boost by eating the right foods, strength training and adding key supplements to your diet. The more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn in a day. Focus on building lean muscle mass with the exercises and foods you choose.

Benefits

When you build more muscle tone, your metabolism will work for you. Muscle will burn more calories than fat. A combination of strength training and cardio is key to keeping your metabolic rate up. Your metabolism may slow down with age if you don't work to strengthen and tone your muscles.

Types of Foods

Certain foods, nutrients and supplements can get your metabolism revved up. Start by adding more protein into your diet to build more muscle. Increase your water intake too. Foods with calcium can help your body metabolize fat. Eat six small meals throughout the day. This will keep your body burning calories and your metabolism in motion.

Types of Vitamins

A healthy diet is key to keeping your metabolism working right for you. But you may want to add supplements to give your metabolism a boost. Key supplements that help boost your metabolism include omegas, fish oils, calcium, iron, green tea and Vitamin C.

Misconceptions

Your genes do not doom you to a life with a slow metabolism. The truth is you may have to work harder than others to build muscle. But the more active you are, the more your metabolism will work for you. Diet and exercise play a greater role in determining your metabolism than genes do.

Warning

Crash diets or yo-yo dieting may lower your metabolism. However, you often lose muscle when eating too few calories. The long-term impact of this muscle loss is a lower metabolic rate. Yo-yo dieting may also cause your body to store fat instead of burning it. Also, cut back on your alcohol intake. It can distract your body from fat burning.

Spices

Adding garlic and peppers to your diet can raise your metabolism. Garlic helps burn fat and is also a diuretic. Hot, spicy red or green peppers add heat to your body, giving your metabolism a temporary spike.

References

Last updated on: Jul 2, 2009

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments