Maintaining a healthy weight is something most of us are struggling to do. There are a number of factors that work behind the scenes when it comes to weight, and our metabolism is one of them. So, what exactly is metabolism?

Metabolism pretty much involves all the chemical reactions that happen in a body to maintain the living state of cells in an organism. This process involves breaking down food into complex molecules, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, etc., and further breaking them down in order to release energy and dispose of waste.

In other words, metabolism is the rate at which our bodies burn calories. The higher the metabolism, the more calories are burned as compared to slower metabolisms, which results in less accumulation of body fat and lower weight gain. Also, consider that none of us have the same metabolic rate; it varies from person to person and depends on a number of factors like gender, genetics, body size, hormonal factors, diet, muscle mass, age, etc. The thing is, maintaining a healthy metabolic rate is key to maintaining a healthy weight, and this leads us to another question: can you change your metabolism’s speed?

In today’s modern life, some of the most prominent reasons for a disturbed metabolic rate include:

• Unhealthy eating habits
• Lack of physical activity

Fortunately, there are some easy ways that can speed up our metabolism in a natural and effective way. For example, take a look at the following points.

1. Increase Your Protein Intake

Our metabolism gets a temporary boost whenever we eat something because our bodies need the energy to digest or break down complex food molecules, something called Thermic Effect of Food, or TEF. Because protein is more difficult to digest than fats or carbohydrates, its consumption brings the highest increase in TEF, acting as a metabolism booster. Additionally, protein also makes us feel fuller for longer, as they break down slowly.

2. Avoid Prolonged Sitting

Prolonged sitting has a direct impact on the number of calories a body burns. As you can imagine, the body burns fewer calories if it’s sitting for longer durations. Instead, take short breaks in between and walk around or stand-up to break the length of time you spend sitting. In doing so, you’ll help keep your body’s metabolism active.

3. Drink Cold Water

Drinking water temporarily energizes the metabolism, and if you’re drinking cold water, it lets your body do some extra work by first bringing the water temperature to the normal body temperature. This makes your body work harder, acting as a temporary metabolism booster. Drinking water at least half an hour before taking a meal will also make you feel fuller, thus helping significantly reduce calorie intake while eating. That is to say that those who drink a glass of water before eating tend to lose more weight than those who don’t.

4. Be More Active

While being active, the body needs to work more to produce extra energy for the activity, directly affecting a body’s slow metabolic rate. Take a look at what you can do:

Stick to a regular aerobics routine – Aerobics is one of the best ways to exercise in a way that lets the body’s metabolism work faster. Include at least 30 minutes of exercise in your daily routine, or take small breaks from your prolonged sitting hours to do light aerobic exercises in between to get greater benefits.

Bring small changes to your lifestyle – Use stairs, wash your car by yourself, do some cleaning, manage your home and gradually increase the distance you walk. These are all some simple but effective lifestyle changes that can burn more calories and contribute to weight loss by speeding up the metabolism.

5. Grab the Right Drinks

Stop! Don’t you dare grab that sugary drink? There are a number of essential nutrients that give our bodies a metabolic rate booster, such as vitamin B, iron, potassium and vitamin C, and fresh fruits and vegetables are rich suppliers of all of these essential nutrients. As it happens to be, one of the best ways to consume all these nutrients is through cold-pressed juice. For example, here are some of the best juices that can jumpstart your metabolism:

• Cold-pressed watermelon Juice: Cold-pressed watermelon Juice is comprised of water, fiber and essential minerals that make one feel fuller and keep unwanted weight gain at bay.

• Spinach, kale and cucumber mix: Leafy greens are known for their health benefits, and they are equally good in giving the metabolism a boost. They are filled with nutrition that provides a power-packed punch to the body, letting you work out harder and helping elevate the metabolism in a healthy way. Overall, this nutritious, low-calorie green juice is absolutely perfect for weight loss.

• Carrot juice: Carrot juice is low in calories, high in fiber, makes one feel fuller for longer, lets you avoid cravings for unhealthy snacks, and keeps the metabolic rate in a healthy state.

• Pomegranate juice: Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, and aids in digestion because of its rich enzymes that boost the metabolic rate.

• Brewed tea/coffee: Black coffee and black tea contain caffeine, which is known to increase the metabolic rate. As a matter of fact, a cup of brewed tea can increase the metabolism by up to 12%. Keep in mind that having too much caffeine can produce the opposite effect, so grab the right amount in the right state, i.e. without adding milk to keep a check on the number of calories you take in.

6. Eat Whole Grains

One of the best ways to improve the metabolism is by having food in an unprocessed and raw form, such as whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, and fresh, preservative-free cold-pressed juice. By consuming these food items, our bodies have to do extra work to break them down, as compared to processed or refined foods.

7. Avoid Alcohol

Occasionally consuming alcohol in moderation may not produce any bad impact on the metabolism, but consuming it regularly can affect the stomach lining and make it weak. This weakening interferes with digestion and further weakens the metabolism.

Final Thoughts

Keeping a healthy metabolism requires a balance of exercise and a healthy diet. You need to consume the right amount of calories that your body can burn in a day, completely avoid crash diets, opt for fresh fruits and vegetables, and let the transformation begin. Good luck!