How to Increase Your Metabolism
Often when talking about weight loss people mention their metabolism and how a slow or fast metabolism is responsible for their current size. But some people still don’t fully understand what it is. The metabolism is a measure of how many calories the body burns each day. Whilst it can have an affect on what you weigh, it is only partially responsible, and so when people claim they are overweight due to a slow metabolism this is not likely to be true. In fact, one thing people don’t realize is that the less you eat, the slower your metabolism is. People who ‘starve’ themselves to lose weight cause their metabolism to slow down, which results in water being burnt off rather than fat. Therefore in order to increase your metabolism it is important to have a healthy diet and exercise regime.
Although you may have heard this before, it is important to start your day with breakfast. It kick-starts your body and gets your metabolism working, keeping it going throughout the morning until lunch time. The best kind of breakfast to have is one rich in protein as this is harder to burn off than most foods and so works your metabolism that bit harder. You might also want to include acai berry weight loss supplements in your diet. The amount of meals you eat per day could also help increase your metabolism, as eating 6-8 small meals a day will mean your metabolism is almost constantly working, rather than just after 3 large meals. The type of foods you eat is also important as some foods require the body to work harder to process them, such as protein and healthy fats found in nuts, fish and olive oil. Green tea is also thought to contain properties that increase the body’s metabolic rate, as well as a number of other beneficial properties. There are also foods that should be avoided such as ready-made meals and alcohol as these can prevent the body burning fat, as well as containing hundreds of calories.
A person’s daily routine also has a role to play in speeding up their metabolism. It is important to ensure you get a proper night’s sleep and don’t stay up late at night as a tired body is likely to store fat as an energy source. Also, exercise is important – particularly strength training and high-intensity training. Strength training helps build muscle which is an active tissue and burns fat, so keeps the metabolism going. High-intensity exercise is also useful as it creates what is known as ‘after burn’ that means the body continues to burn fat after the workout. By aiming to complete exercise sessions of 30 minutes, 5 days a week, the metabolism will speed up and begin contributing towards weight loss. Whilst there are also growth hormones available to speed up the metabolism, these are only recommended in extreme cases and as such are only available through a doctor. Apart from this, they are also extremely expensive, especially compared to a good diet and exercise.
Whilst following the above advice to increase your metabolism may help you lose weight, it will only make a difference if accompanied by a good diet and plenty of exercise. Once you get into a routine that works for you, your metabolism and weight loss will soon change in the way you want them to.
A High Fibre Diet is Essential for Weight Loss
A lot of people think that when they hear the term healthy diet when it comes to weight loss that it means that they should cut down on the amount of foods they eat. However, by simply making a few small changes and knowing what foods to choose there is no need to make any changes to the amount of food you eat. One way to lose weight through a healthy diet is to increase the amount of fibre eaten daily. As well as preventing illnesses such as some cancers, heart disease, digestive disorders and diabetes, fibre is also a great aid to weight loss. There are two main types of fibre – insoluble fibre and soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre is found in wheat bran and the skins of some fruit and vegetables. Soluble fibre is in oats, beans, lentils, barley and most fruit and vegetables including acai berry.
One way that fibre helps with weight loss is that it can help you feel fuller after a meal. This will help stop you snacking and will also stop you eating as much at meal times. Soluble fibre does this to the body as it absorbs the water from the digestive tract and also slowing down digestion, making you feel fuller for longer. Insoluble fibre also slows digestion, but also provides bulk as it passes through the digestive system relatively unchanged. It is because fibre is processed in this way that it helps clear out the intestines of waste and helps regulate bowel movements. This aids weight loss as around 1-3 kilos of waste could be stored in the intestines. A high fibre diet is also good for weight loss as it does not add any calories to the body. Humans actually lack the enzymes needed in order to properly digest fibre and because of this it is not absorbed in to the body, and simply ‘passes through’. This makes it an ideal snack as you won’t gain any calories and it’s good for you, unlike something like a bar of chocolate!
If you do decide to embark on a high fibre diet, it may be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor first. As well as recommending foods, they will also be able to advise you on how much may be too much. If you eat too much fibre, the increased bowel movements may lead to your body not having the time to absorb the essential vitamins and minerals provided in other foods. It is also a good idea to increase your water intake to around 8 glasses a day. This will help prevent dehydration and constipation, as fibre needs to absorb water in order to pass through the body easily. The only other real side effect to a high fibre diet is the possibility of wind or bloating, however this will pass over time. Overall, fibre is an inexpensive and easy way to lose weight through the diet, and due to the wide range of foods naturally containing fibre it is easy to include in your daily diet and easy to stick to.
