The metabolism is a process that regulates the rate at which the body burns calories. The speed of metabolism can affect weight, digestion and energy. Metabolism can be sped up naturally in many ways through healthy lifestyle habits. Simple changes to diet, exercise, and sleep can help increase metabolism.
Diet
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it awakens your metabolism and starts it moving after being latent through the night in a fasting state. What you eat is also important. Fruit, an egg-white omelet, whole wheat toast, yogurt, and oatmeal are all healthy breakfast choices that rev up the metabolism and nourish the body and brain.
Eating small frequent meals is another way to boost the metabolism because it not only ensures that your metabolism won't go into a resting state, but it also keeps the stomach feeling satisfied so that you don't overindulge later on. Small meals consisting of protein, vegetables, fruit, or carbohydrates keep up energy levels and keep your metabolism running smoothly. Make sure that you eat enough protein, which happens to burn more calories than carbohydrates and is necessary in making muscle.
Drinking water is also essential for proper bodily functioning and helps to rid the body of toxins. Metabolic activity is sped up especially if the water is cold, because the body is forced to expend energy trying to warm up.
Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to jump-start the metabolism, increase energy and burn calories. Exercising in the morning is best for boosting the metabolism because sets the frequency of calorie burning throughout the day. Regular exercise for at least 20 minutes is the best, according to the American Heart Association, but at least five minutes a morning is sufficient to increase metabolic activity.
Cardiovascular exercise is great for burning calories and losing weight, but strength training is an excellent way to increase metabolism. Strength training and resistance with weights builds muscle. A more muscular person burns more calories at a resting state. The calorie-burning effect of exercise happens many hours after exercising.
Sleep
Sleep is necessary for cerebral restoration, proper body functioning, hormone production and the overall recuperation of the body.
The metabolism is also affected by sleep. The University of Chicago Medical Center researched the effect of sleep deprivation on body functioning and discovered that when sleep is slashed from eight hours to four hours a night for a week, the tolerance of glucose and endocrine function changed.
Th endocrine system is responsible for processes in the body that occur slowly, like hormone secretions, and is responsible for controlling the thyroid gland, which regulates the body's metabolism. Glucose intolerance means that the body cannot metabolize carbohydrates because of the increase of blood sugar levels. Glucose intolerance leads to low insulin levels and an increase in fat storage.
The changes that occurred in the study to the endocrine system and glucose tolerance are similar to the changes that occur in the old or those in the beginning stages of diabetes. Eight hours of sleep ensures that the body has time to recuperate and repair essential bodily functions. Doing this every night is important to keep your metabolism running in top shape.
Tags: your metabolism, body functioning, body metabolism, changes that, endocrine system