Your metabolism converts the food you eat into energy your body can use, and it's also responsible for a wide variety of vital bodily processes such as digestion, blood circulation and healthy tissue maintenance. Speeding up your metabolism involves committing to key lifestyle changes involving diet and physical activity -- and keeping a few interesting tips in mind along the way.
Start with Breakfast
When you sleep at night, your metabolism slows almost to a standstill, lowering your body temperature and slowing your breathing. To jump-start your metabolism and get it busy for the day ahead of you, always eat a hearty, healthy breakfast before you go about your daily business. Eat plenty of foods rich in nutrients and complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain toast, high-fiber cereals with low-fat milk, raw fruits and vegetables, and fruit juice. You don't have to leave out the morning cup of coffee as long as you have a healthy breakfast, and the caffeine in coffee actually will give your metabolism a brief boost as you head out the door.
More Frequent, Smaller Meals
Reduce your meal portion sizes and eat more frequent meals throughout the day to avoid periods of hunger, during which your metabolism slows down. Penn State University recommends five to six small meals instead of the traditional three large meals daily, and that you don't wait more than three hours to eat because your metabolic rate will slow down after this period of time. As with breakfast, make sure your smaller, more frequent meals include healthy, nutritious foods such as vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources and fruit juices or water.
Exercise and Protein
Physical activity is not only fueled by the energy your metabolism gives you -- it also can speed up your metabolism as well in a cyclical fashion. Cardiovascular exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or bicycling done regularly will raise your body temperature, increase your heart rate and speed up your metabolism. However, resistance training exercises such as pushups, weightlifting or using resistance bands to work your muscles can speed your metabolism even more. Eating plenty of protein after resistance training is a superior way to raise your metabolic rate, because not only does protein help the process of muscle protein synthesis -- which rebuilds muscle using fat-burning energy at the same time -- but it also can speed up metabolism on its own because protein takes roughly 25 percent longer than carbohydrates or fats to digest.
Hydration
Drinking plenty of water is key to keeping your metabolism functioning at an optimal rate. Drinking at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water daily not only allows you to sweat while exercising without danger of dehydration, but also aids in a key metabolic process -- digestion.
Potential of Spicy Foods and Green Tea
Penn State reports that consuming very spicy foods that make you sweat and pant can raise your metabolism by up to 20 percent, but this temporary boost only lasts up to 30 minutes. Drinking green tea might also speed up your metabolism to burn fat, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, although more scientific research is needed to confirm this claim.
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