Your body's metabolism is responsible for keeping you alive by regulating vital bodily functions such as digestion, blood circulation, muscle contraction, and by maintaining healthy tissues. Metabolism also affects how much energy you have during your day-to-day activities, and is intimately tied to your body's ability to burn fat. Although increasing your metabolic rate is not a simple task, there are several key ways to do so.
Eating Breakfast
In terms of boosting metabolism, breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, reports Penn State University. While you sleep, your body's metabolic rate drops drastically, slowing your breathing, decreasing your heart rate and lowering your body temperature. In order to give your metabolism the initial boost it needs to reach optimal performance throughout your day, you must eat breakfast at the start of your day. Eat a balanced, healthy breakfast filled with whole grains rich in healthy calories from complex carbohydrates, including high-fiber cereal and whole wheat toast, low-fat protein sources such as skim milk and yogurt, and fruits or fruit juices for metabolism-boosting simple carb calories.
Meals and Snacks
An essential way to boost your metabolism to peak levels throughout your day involves careful meal planning. According to Penn State, reducing the portion sizes of the meals you consume while increasing your number of daily meals to five or six -- spaced roughly three hours apart -- will keep your metabolism burning at an optimal rate. Never let yourself go hungry, since hunger indicates that your metabolism is running low on fuel and slowing down. Keep healthy snacks on hand, such as granola bars, raw vegetables, fruits and dry cereal, to munch on between your smaller, more frequent meals.
Exercise and Metabolism
Metabolism allows your body to perform physical activity, and exercise boosts your metabolism, reports the University of Florida. For instance, cardiovascular exercises such as brisk walking, swimming, jogging or fitness dancing can raise your body temperature and increase your heart rate, boosting your metabolism in the process. However, concentrating on resistance training is an especially vital way to boost your metabolism. Resistance training -- exercise that builds muscle, such as lifting weights, doing abdominal crunches or pushups -- can boost not only your active metabolism while you exercise, but also your basal metabolic rate, reports UF. Your basal metabolism is your resting metabolic rate, and building lean muscle mass has the potential to boost your metabolism during periods of physical inactivity, as your muscles use protein to rebuild worked muscles and burn calories in the process.
Spice it Up
Eating spicy foods that make you sweat or pant can raise your metabolism by as much as 20 percent for up to 30 minutes after you consume them, reports Penn State. A chemical called capsaicin, found in spices such as chili, jalapenos, cayenne and crushed red peppers, is responsible for this metabolism-boosting effect of hot sauce and spicy peppers. Although their effect on metabolism is short-term, hot peppers can contribute to an overall program to boost your metabolism.
Pump the Water
An essential way to boost your metabolism is to drink eight or more 8 oz. cups of water per day. Your body's chemical metabolic processes depend on water, and staying hydrated also aids digestion, a key aspect of healthy metabolism.
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