There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.
There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels. Metabolism slows down due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.
Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:
1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:
For strength training:
-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible
For cardiovascular training
-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed
2. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a week should be done in order to stabilize blood sugar.
3. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism. Capsaicin is the source from which hot peppers get their heat. It is found in jalapenos, habaneros, cayenne, and most other chili peppers as a colorless compound. Along with its slimming effects, capsaicin is shown to work as a blood thinner, helping to prevent blood clots. Studies targeted on nations where chilis are consumed heavily, such as Thailand, have shown that people that regularly eat hot peppers have a greatly reduced incidence of many blood clotting diseases. Capsaicin is also thought to work as an anti-inflammatory and help to control pain.
Studies have shown that a spicy meal, such as a bowl of chili, can provide a temporary rise in metabolism of about 8% greater than a person's typical metabolic rate. This amount is considered rather small and similar studies have reported the same results with people eating black pepper and ginger as well. Though you would have to eat a lot of capsaicin to have an overall effect on your weight, this temporary boost in metabolic rate may also help to suppress your desire to eat.
4. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.
There is growing interest and evidence that sleep loss and sleep disorders have a significant impact on metabolism.
Laboratory studies have clearly shown that sleep deprivation can alter the glucose metabolism and hormones involved in regulating metabolism, that is, decreased leptin levels and increased ghrelin levels (the hunger hormones)
While some of us think that sleep is a total waste of time and is only necessary so we do not collapse, this is a mistake. Some of the latest researches inform us that sleeping less than six hours a day can cause diabetes. The researchers seem to think that lack of sleep affects a certain hormone that is responsible for depressing the appetite. What happens as a result of a diminished sleep is that the organism produces less of this hormone, hence ñ there is no stopping of our desire for food.
Bad sleeping habits would thus make you eat more, gain overweight and would increase the sugar level in your blood. Once you begin eating in weird hours, your nutrition is in danger. No diet would be able to restrain you. Professionals suggest that one should sleep between six to eight hours a day. Good healthy sleep would not only make you feel better, but will in fact do you better. It is important to try and go to sleep at the same time, so your body would learn to function in a certain regime.
Also, prevent yourself from having large meals before rest time and know the health effects of caffeine. Caffeine puts me to sleep actually better than anything, yet I try to consume it as less as possible. You all know the heavy feeling in the stomach when eating just before bedtime. Our body often times knows whatís good and whatís bad for us, all we have to do is listen to it.
What one can do before going to bed is a little exercise: I do not mean jogging for an hour, although it would of course be profitable, I mean spending about 20 minutes on stretching out and the like. Try and make a habit of it and also of getting a good night rest; our body is also a kind of a machine ñ treat it well and it will serve you good. Have a goodnight everybody!
5. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.
6. Practice Intermittent Fasting:
Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the meals in sporadic patterns.
7. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.
8. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.
Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.
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