Building a better metabolism is a quest that many may feel is almost impossible. After all, doesn’t your metabolism have something to do with genetics? While genetics do play a role in the overall efficiency of one’s metabolism, there are various ways to build a better system.
As metabolism is the process of converting food and drink into energy, building a better one can help with weight management and increasing your overall daily energy. In the long run, you can feel healthier — and happier — with a better metabolism.
Drink Water Consistently
If you want a good metabolism, you need to drink water on a daily basis. Stay hydrated. Whenever your body is properly hydrated, you’ll just naturally feel better. However, water can also help make certain metabolic processes easier. Simply put, water can greatly boost your metabolism.
On average, men should drink 15.5 cups of water a day, whereas women should drink about 11.5 cups. Drinking the accurate amount of water daily will help you feel better, and could even help you lose weight!
Eat Lean Protein
If you’re trying to boost your metabolism healthily and naturally, you’re going to want to make sure you eat well-balanced meals. Including lean protein in your daily diet can be highly beneficial.
Lean protein can include chicken, tofu, beans, fish, and turkey. This type of protein helps give your body a little bit more energy while also allowing your body to easily process its nutrients!
Eat Foods Rich in Fiber
If you don’t have enough fiber in your diet, you’re not helping your metabolism. Fiber does a lot for our bodies. By eating these types of foods, you can help stabilize your blood sugar levels naturally while also keeping you feeling full.
Whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are great examples of foods that are rich in fiber. Adding these types of foods to every meal can greatly help your overall health.
Add More Healthy Fats to Your Diet
Healthy fats are also excellent! These types of fats can greatly help your entire metabolic system, while also aiding your hormones to do what they need to do to keep your health in check.
Healthy fats can include foods like nuts, olive oil, and avocados. Overall, eating these types of foods can benefit your entire body — not just your metabolism. By adding more of these fats to your diet, you can even help your blood pressure and lower the risk of getting heart disease.
Understand Portion Control
Often, our metabolism systems don’t work as well as they should if we’re overeating. Overeating can lead to weight gain — which then leads to your metabolism slowing down.
To avoid this and keep your metabolism as healthy and active as possible, it might be beneficial to indulge in portion control. Keep an eye on what you’re eating for each meal. Don’t overeat.
Don’t Skip Meals
While portion control is essential to any healthy diet, you don’t want to skip meals. This won’t benefit your body at all. You need to keep your body working and burning energy throughout the day — and your body gets that energy from the food you eat.
So, steer clear of skipping any meals. You also definitely don’t want to skip breakfast, as it’s always important to start your day out strong with a good meal that will give you energy — and get your metabolism going!
Work Out and Raise Your Heart Rate
Moving your body and raising your heart rate is key to giving your metabolism that needed boost. While many people may find regularly working out can easily do this, you don’t need to necessarily hit the gym.
Instead, partake in activities that naturally raise your heart rate. For example, riding around on your bike or even just brisk walking can get the job done. On average, you’ll want to get about 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.
Build Muscle or Do HIIT Workouts
If you’d like to hit the gym to better your metabolism, you should do so! Strength training is a great way to give your entire health a needed boost. As you gain muscle, you’ll raise your metabolic rate.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can also be greatly helpful for those looking to burn calories and boost their metabolism.
Manage Your Stress
If you’re always stressed, you’re likely slowing down your metabolism. Obviously, you don’t want this. Try to manage your stress in a healthy and natural way. This won’t just help your metabolic system — it will help your entire life.
Partaking in meditation or deep breathing exercises are two great ways to manage stress when done daily. Consistent yoga practices can also be just what you’re looking for.
Get Enough Sleep
We all know getting enough sleep every night is essential to great health. However, a good night’s rest can also help keep your metabolism working.
If you’re not getting enough sleep consistently, your metabolism could begin to slow down. This could also result in weight gain. Sleep helps you regulate your energy and appetite, so it’s highly essential that you sleep at least 7-9 hours a night.
Be Consistent
If you want to naturally boost your metabolism, you need to stay consistent. So, if you’re changing your diet to incorporate more lean proteins and healthy fats, eat these types of food often. Don’t just eat them once and expect to see immediate results.
The same goes for working out. To truly see a change in your metabolism, keep a daily, consistent workout schedule and watch as you begin to feel healthier and have more energy.