Metabolism is a term that describes all the chemical reactions that take place in the cells of our body, to convert food into energy and support different functions. Although it is also often defined as the speed at which our body burns calories for obtain energy. However, this speed will depend on several factors, such as age, sex, muscle mass, genetics and even food.

El metabolismo Ejercicio Perdida de peso The metabolism
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It is worth mentioning that having a fast metabolism is extremely important to be slim. Therefore, those who eat a lot and do not get fat owe it to their accelerated metabolism. Although, having a fast metabolism will largely depend on our genetics, gender, and age, there are ways we can speed it up. So we invite you to discover some of them below.

9 ways we can speed up the metabolism

1. Eating at regular times

To speed up the metabolism and make our body work better, it is important that we try to eat at regular times. Since our body will depend on having a balance between the amount and regularity of meals to maintain metabolic balance. Otherwise, if we eat a lot and then spend many hours without eating, our body will begin to burn calories more slowly and accumulate fat cells.

Therefore, by eating at regular times we are reducing this trend. So, the ideal will always be that we eat small meals a day with intervals of 3 to 4 hours between them.

2. Consuming enough calories

A common practice of some people looking to lose weight is to skip meals. However, instead of helping them, this practice can negatively affect metabolism, slowing it down. Since, this is a way in which the body conserves energy to guarantee its survival.

Therefore, we must consume enough calories, to avoid that instead of burning them our body stores them in the form of fat. In the case of adult women we are talking about 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day, depending on their level of physical activity. While in men the amount of daily calories is between 2,000 and 3,000. So consuming foods with a lower load means putting your metabolism in check.

3. Drinking green tea

Even though there are no conclusive studies to show this, some research suggests that green tea extract may play an important role in fat metabolism. This is based on the fact that drinking green tea or oolong tea provides us with the combined benefits of caffeine and catechins. Two substances that have been shown to speed up metabolism.

In fact, research suggests that drinking 2-4 cups of any tea can help our bodies increase fat burning by 10-17%. However, other studies suggest that its effect may be small or only applied to some people.

4. Doing resistance training

Strength training helps build muscle, something that can speed up the metabolism. Since having more muscle we will have a higher metabolic rate, which means that to conserve muscle mass the body requires more energy. So, you will be burning calories even when we are not doing anything.

However, naturally and as we gradually age a person loses muscle. So to counteract this effect we must do resistance training regularly. Resistance training involves lifting weights and doing exercises in which we have to use body weight or resistance bands to build muscle.

5. Drinking enough water

Our body needs to stay hydrated for multiple reasons, among them processing calories. Therefore, water is necessary if we want to have an optimal metabolism and lose weight. Since, being slightly dehydrated, the metabolism slows down.

According to studies, drinking water can speed up the metabolism between 24 and 30%, although its effects on the metabolism last between 60 and 90 minutes. So we must constantly drink water during the day to maintain this effect. To stay hydrated, you can drink a glass of water or other sugar-free drink before each meal and snack. As well as eating fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water.

6. Reducing stress

Stress affects hormone levels by hindering our body’s ability to efficiently process and metabolize food, which can cause us to generate more cortisol than usual.

This is a hormone that is released in response to stress, which can be good for a short time. But if it is prolonged over time it can cause a continuous state of alarm and our body to accumulate fat when it assumes it is in danger. Resulting in eating disorders and unhealthy eating patterns, which can alter and especially slow down the metabolism. Likewise, several studies have related stress to the quality of sleep, something that can also influence metabolism.

However, we must consider that there are different types of stress. Therefore, we must observe in our life to know the daily situations that cause us the most stress.

7. Trying high intensity training

Similar to strength training, high intensity interval training (HIIT) can increase metabolism. Since, this is a type of training that involves fast routines of very intense exercises. Therefore, HIIT produces a greater and more prolonged increase in the resting metabolic rate than low or moderate intensity training. Helping us burn more fat even after finishing training.

So we can perfectly get the most out of it if we add elements of both trainings to our exercise routine.

8. Getting enough sleep

It is important to know that lack of sleep has been related with an increased risk of obesity. This is mainly because when a person gets very little sleep, their body begins to increase the levels of a hormone called ghrelin, which controls the appetite and can make the person feel hungry. At the same time, your body also releases less leptin, which is the hormone that helps a person feel full.

Therefore, getting enough sleep could ensure that both hormones remain in balance and prevent a person from overeating.

Although it is well known that the proper number of hours of sleep varies from person to person. Research suggests that at a minimum, adults should sleep between 7 and 8 hours a night.

9. Getting enough B vitamins

B-complex vitamins play an essential role in the metabolic rate, as they help metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Within this group of vitamins those that play a main role in metabolism are: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B6 (pyridoxine). The best thing is that we can find it in many foods, such as bananas, eggs, peanut butter, spinach or whole foods.

ALFA