It may come as a surprise, especially to most dieters, but frequent eating may be the key to speeding metabolism. Your eating schedule should involve breakfast, lunch, dinner and at least two snacks. Start your day right by eating breakfast in a timely manner after waking. Then, eat frequently throughout the day without letting yourself become starved to enhance your body's metabolism.
Eating and Your Metabolism
How and when you eat can affect your metabolism. Regular eating without skipping meals can keep your metabolism going -- and may even increase it. When you skip meals or go long periods between meals, your body begins to think it's starving; therefore, it conserves energy by slowing your metabolism.
Breakfast
One of the key meals in your day is breakfast. According to a report by Dr. Joey Shulman, your metabolism is the highest when you first awake. Therefore, it's important to try and eat within 90 minutes of waking. Breakfast not only increases your metabolism, but it also helps to prevent obesity, diabetes and heart disease, reports the American Heart Association.
Eating Frequency
Although there is no magic time to eat, you should eat frequently. After breakfast, try to include a snack that will hold you over until lunch. Include another snack -- either in between lunch and dinner or after dinner -- before you go to bed. The key to keeping your metabolism going is to maintain a normal blood glucose level, which is achieved most effectively with frequent eating.
Other Considerations
Regular eating to increase your metabolism can also work to reduce your total caloric intake. Keeping a steady blood glucose can make you feel satisfied longer, reducing overeating that can occur when you become extremely hungry. To further increase your metabolism, consider exercise, which raises your metabolism during and after activity and increases lean body mass.
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