9 Top Tips for Maximising your Metabolism

In my last three articles I revisited the topic of boosting your metabolism discussing the effect that both food and exercise can have.  I explained that metabolism generally refers to the number of calories your body burns in a day.  It is influenced by three main things:
- Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) (the number of calories you burn performing the basic functions that keep you alive).
- Your level of Physical Activity.
- The Thermic Effect of Foods that you Eat (the number of calories it takes to digest and absorb the foods you eat).

Today I would like to bring all this information together and give you nine top tips for maximising your metabolism.

1) EAT HIGH FIBRE CARBOHYDRATES:- High fibre carbohydrates are harder to digest than simple carbohydrates and therefore have a greater thermic effect.  On top of this foods that are high in fibre are generally lower in calories (because fibre itself contains zero calories), help suppress your appetite and provide you with many more fantastic benefits.  High fibre foods include fruits, vegetables and wholemeal products so where possible make sure your dietary carbohydrates come from these sources.  Not only will they help you burn slightly more calories but they will also make it easier for you to lose weight.  However, you need to make sure that you do not go overboard on the fibre.  Excessive fibre consumption has been linked with wind, diarrhea, constipation and more.

2) EAT VITAMIN RICH FOODS:- Your body relies on vitamins and minerals to perform a number of essential functions.  If you become deficient in any of the thirteen vitamins you may not be able to perform some of these functions properly which can have a negative impact on your BMR.  There are lots of vitamin rich foods including fruits, vegetables, eggs, liver and nuts.  To maximise your metabolism you need to make sure you are getting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for all your vitamins from the foods you eat.  It will keep your BMR at its optimal level and also promote good overall health.  However, like with fibre you need to make sure you don’t overdose.  Getting too many vitamins has a number of adverse effects including cell and organ damage.

3) DRINK LOTS OF WATER:- If your body is not properly hydrated it may not be able to perform certain vital functions.  This can lead to a reduction in your BMR.  Therefore, you need to make sure you are drinking enough water to maximise your metabolism.  I find that keeping a water bottle at your desk and topping it up regularly plus making an effort to drink extra water whilst exercising helps me stay hydrated throughout the day.

4) MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN:- Most people’s diets are rich in fats and carbohydrates but contain very little protein.  However, protein is a very important macronutrient that is essential for the growth and repair of your body’s cells.  It also has a greater thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates with research suggesting that 25% of the calories in protein are burned during digestion and absorption.  Therefore, you can give your metabolism a boost by making protein a richer part of your diet.  However, you need to make sure that you are not consuming too much.  Overdosing on protein can place stress on a number of vital organs including your kidneys.

5) ADD SOME SPICE TO YOUR DIET:- Spicy foods can temporarily increase your BMR.  For starters they increase your body’s temperature for a short period after consumption meaning that you will burn more calories as your body attempts to regulate this temperature.  Secondly, spices such as cayenne are thought to have thermogenic properties meaning that they temporarily increase the rate at which your body burns fat.  Like with the other foods mentioned in this article you need to exercise moderation when it comes to spicy foods.  Getting too much can lead to unpleasant side effects such as heartburn, stomach ulcers and an irritable bowel.

6) CUT BACK ON THE ALCOHOL:- Alcohol has a dehydrating effect and can therefore reduce your BMR.  Many alcoholic beverages are also full of simple carbohydrates meaning that they have a reduced thermic effect when compared with high fibre carbohydrates and protein rich foods.  On top of this excessive alcohol consumption can cause vitamin deficiencies which further slow down your BMR.  You don’t need to eliminate alcohol from your diet completely but if you drink regularly perhaps you should consider cutting down.

7) REDUCE YOUR CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION:- Like alcohol, caffeine has a dehydrating effect and can lower your BMR.  Drinking a couple of cups of coffee each day is unlikely to have any adverse effects on your metabolism but if you are getting all your fluids from caffeinated beverages you might want to think about substituting in some water.

START A CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE ROUTINE:- Your metabolism is partially affected by your level of physical activity.  Regular cardiovascular exercise helps in two ways.  First, you burn additional calories whilst performing the cardio.  Secondly, the number of calories you burn following a cardiovascular workout remains elevated for a few hours after you finish.  By going for a walk, jog, run, bike ride, swim (or whatever other cardiovascular exercise takes your fancy) a few times a week you can burn extra calories and boost your metabolism.

9) START A RESISTANCE TRAINING ROUTINE:- A pound of muscle burns around 6 calories per day whilst a pound of fat burns around 2 calories per day.  Therefore, by increasing your lean muscle mass you can raise your BMR.  If you perform a resistance training workout a few times per week and combine it with proper nutrition you can build additional muscle and increase the amount of calories you burn whilst resting.

As you can see from this article it is possible to boost your metabolism through a combination of smart food choices and a well structured exercise routine.  However, you need to remember that metabolism is not the key to successful weight loss.  Whilst you can increase the number of calories you burn on a daily basis by following the above tips there is a limit to their effect.  Maximising your metabolism will not compensate for eating too much food BUT if you learn to control the amount you eat and follow the above advice metabolism can be a powerful tool in your weight loss arsenal.  I highly recommend that you try and implement the above tips in to your lifestyle because they will give your metabolism a boost, help you burn more calories and more importantly they will improve your overall health.

Now I want to hear from you guys.  What’s your opinion on metabolism?  Do you think it’s an essential part of weight loss or do you think it’s over hyped?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

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If you enjoyed this article then you might want to check out Maximise your Metabolism.  This fantastic 200+ page ebook covers boosting your metabolism in greater detail and tells you how nutrition, weight training, lifestyle factors and much more can help you maximise your metabolism.  On top of this it comes with an amazing 8 bonus reports which can further help you boost your metabolism and improve your fitness.

5 Food Groups that can slow down your Metabolism…@Wellness Junction

Hey Everyone. Just letting you know that my second guest blog post is now live at Wellness Junction (well actually it went live on 9th May but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to mention it). This post is entitled ‘5 Food Groups that can slow down your Metabolism’ and I have included a brief exert below (the full version is available from Wellness Junction). If you have any comments, feedback or know of any additional foods that can slow down your metabolism please let me know by leaving a comment on either this page or the full article.

5 food groups that can slow down your Meabolism

“In my last Wellness Junction article I discussed four food groups that can help you boost your metabolic rate. Diet is a very important aspect of keeping your metabolism high and eating the right food is a big step in the right direction. However, you also have to make sure that you are avoiding foods which may hinder your success. In this article I will be discussing five food groups that can seriously slow down your metabolic rate.

1) SUGAR:- Eating too much sugar overloads your body and causes your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This in turn makes your body go into conservation mode meaning that you will store extra fat and burn less calories. To make sure this does not happen you need to reduce your intake of refined sugars as much as possible. That means cutting down on the candy, chocolate, cakes and cookies as much as possible. If you still want something sweet try eating some fruit. Unlike refined sugars, most fruits contain fructose which does not cause your blood sugar levels to rise…”

Read the full version of 5 food groups that can slow down your metabolism by Clicking Here

4 food groups that can boost your metabolism…@Wellness Junction

Hey Everyone. Hope you are enjoying all the information on the blog so far. I’m just making a quick post to let you know about a guest blogging spot that I have been offered by Kavit Haria of Wellness Junction. He got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I would be interested in contributing to his blog on a regular basis. I jumped at the chance and we came to the agreement that I would write a guest post at Wellness Junction every couple of weeks. Hopefully, this will give more exposure to the Free Fitness Tips Blog, improve my writing skills and turn Wellness Junction into another fantastic free fitness resource that everyone can enjoy.

Anyway, the reason I am posting about this now is because I wanted to wait for my first guest article to go live before I told you guys. My first article is now live and it is entitled ‘4 food groups that can boost your metabolism’. I have published an exert below (the full version is available from Wellness Junction). As always any comments, suggestions or descriptions of other foods which can boost your metabolism are welcome. If you want to leave any feedback at all please leave a post either on this page or the actual article itself.

4 food groups that can boost your metabolism

“Many people claim that they struggle to lose weight because they have a slow metabolism. Others are always looking for ways to boost their metabolic rate. But what do these people mean when they refer to metabolism and their metabolic rate?

In simple terms your metabolism or metabolic rate is the number of calories required by your body to maintain itself. The general calculation for working out your metabolism is to multiply your weight in pounds by 10 or your weight in kilograms by 22. So if you weigh 250 pounds then your metabolic rate will be around 2500 calories per day. However, this figure can be affected by a number of factors including age, genetics and lifestyle.

In this article I will be discussing how you can increase your metabolic rate by incorporating four different food groups into your diet...”

Read the full version of 4 food groups that can boost your metabolism by Clicking Here

3 Tips to Compensate for a Slowing Metabolism

Since writing this article I have revisited the topic of eating and metabolism.  At the time of writing I thought that eating more frequently could boost your metabolism.  However, after further reading I have realised that my initial assumption was wrong.  For the full details you can read my up to date article on how eating affects your metabolism.

As you age it is likely that your metabolism slows down and we need less calories. You therefore need to compensate for this or you will gain weight. Below are a number of suggestions to help you do this:

1) MAKE SMARTER FOOD CHOICES:- You should consider eating a healthier diet as you age. When you are young you can get away with unhealthy binges, but as you age it starts to catch up with you. By sorting out your diet you will both improve your body’s health and reduce your waistline. To start, replace bad goods with better ones. For example, eat whole grains instead of processed foods, reduce your intake of sugars and simple carbohydrates and instead consume more fruit and vegetables.

2) PORTION CONTROL AND EATING FREQUENCY:- You do not just need to manage what you eat but how you eat. The first step is to reduce your portion sizes. You also need to eat more frequently. Eating five to six smaller meals a day is more effective than eating three large meals a day.

3) EXERCISE:- Exercise is an important aspect of boosting your metabolism, especially as you age. If you do not exercise you will gain weight and also lose the proper functioning of certain muscles. You therefore need to get active, even if this means small walks or basic stretches to begin. If you have not exercised for some time, make sure you go and see a doctor for advice so that any health problems can be accounted for in your exercise plan.

As you can see, keeping your metabolism high will require lifestyle changes as you age. However, by making these changes you can combat a slowing metabolism. The better your overall routine, the better you will look and the healthier you will be.

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If you are looking for additional ways to boost your metabolic rate I recommend 7 Eternal Laws for a Red Hot Fat Scorching Metabolism. It pretty much does as the title suggests and provides you with lots of useful information to help increase your metabolic rate.