A high metabolism can be created through careful dieting and proper meal planning. According to the American Council on Exercise, a high metabolism is a sign of good health and makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Metabolisms vary among individuals, so you should always adjust your diet plan based on your unique caloric needs and observe how your body reacts to certain foods. Sticking to a few simple guidelines can help you create the best metabolism-boosting diet plan possible.
Eat More Often
If you currently eat two or three meals a day without anything in between, you may be slowing down your metabolic potential. According to the Mayo Clinic, around 10 percent of the calories you burn per day are from digestion. When you eat more often, your digestive tract speeds up and stays active for longer. This contributes to your overall daily caloric burn and speeds up the rate at which your metabolism works. Try eating four to six small meals per day to keep your metabolism running higher.
Drink Your Water Cold
The next time you have a glass of water, try drinking it cold. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, when you drink water cold, it lowers your body's core temperature slightly. Your body reacts by burning more calories to get the temperature back to normal, thereby speeding up your metabolism. Alone, one cold glass of water may not sound like enough to speed things up significantly, but, over time, this effect can add up to a large number of calories being burned. Because you should be drinking roughly eight 8-oz. glasses of water daily, this is a great way to stay hydrated and contribute to a faster metabolism.
Eat More Protein
Your diet plan should include foods that are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Protein indirectly contributes to a higher metabolism in a couple of way. Protein is essential for building and maintaining lean muscle mass. Muscle requires more calories to be burned by your body, which leads to a faster moving metabolism. Protein is also tougher to break down in your digestive tract than carbohydrates and fats. Your body expends more calories to break down protein, which raises your metabolism. You should eat about 30 percent of your daily calories as protein. Protein-rich foods include fish, poultry, lean beef, eggs and legumes.
Carbohydrates and Fats
Your diet should also be rich in complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Complex carbohydrates provide your body with instant fuel and include a variety of vitamins and minerals. Without carbohydrates, you increase your risk of fatigue, dizziness and malnutrition -- all of which are signs of a slow metabolism. Try including fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet. Have at least one source of complex carbohydrates per meal. Healthy fats are important for hormone development and vitamin absorption. Because fats contain more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, limit your intake to no more than three meals a day or 20 percent of your daily total calories. Sources of fat to include in your diet include avocados, nuts, olive oil and oil from fish.
References
- "Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 2008
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- Mayoclinic.com; Metbabolism and Weight Loss; October 2009
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