How to Increase Your Metabolism Easily, Naturally, and Safely

Building muscle mass will speed your metabolism.

Many people lament having a slow metabolism, whether it be a result of aging, a medication side effect or a roadblock to exercise and diet goals. There is hope, however; making a few simple lifestyle and diet adjustments can help you increase your metabolism in a manner that is easy, natural and safe.

Instructions

1. Focus on low-glycemic foods. Reducing the amount of high-glycemic foods you consume and increasing the amount of low glycemic foods is an easy, safe and natural way to speed up your metabolism. Low glycemic foods keep your blood sugar and insulin levels steady, unlike high glycemic foods, which cause your blood sugar and insulin levels to spike. Too much insulin causes your cholesterol level to rise, which in turn disturbs the metabolic rate. You can find the glycemic levels of a variety of foods through the Glycemic Index Foundation link in the References section.

2. Eat enough calories. One of the most common causes of a slow metabolism is not consuming enough calories, especially if you diet and exercise a lot. Eating too few calories causes the body to go into "starvation mode." Your body is designed to protect you in times of famine, so your metabolism slows down when there is a long-term reduction in calorie intake. Most adults need at least 2,000 calories a day to maintain their weight -- more if they work out strenuously.

3. Eat every three to five hours. Your body is a furnace that needs constant fueling. Keep the fire -- your metabolism -- burning by planning your snacks and meals so that you eat frequently throughout the day before you reach the point of being very hungry.

4. Consume smaller portions. As with eating frequently, consuming smaller portions at a given time helps your metabolism going. Each time you eat your body engages your digestive system, which helps elevate your rate of metabolism throughout the day.

5. Include lean protein with every meal and snack. Protein helps the body build muscle, gives the brain the signal to stop eating, and helps increase your metabolic rate because of the amount of calories the body uses to digest it. Protein will also help by keeping your blood sugar level steady. You don't need a lot of protein at a time; for meals eat about 3 ounces of lean protein, for snacks eat about 1 ounce.

6. Engage in strength training several times each week. Muscle burns substantially more calories than fat, so building muscle is essential to increasing your metabolism. You don't have to become a body builder to increase your metabolism -- you can engage in strengthening exercises that use only your body weight and you can use moderately heavy weights to see results. For an added stress-reduction bonus, use yoga or breathing-focused Pilates for your strength training.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to give your muscles a day of rest between strength training sessions.

• If you are new to strength training, start slowly and gradually increase the amount of weight you use, the repetitions you perform, or the difficulty level of yoga or Pilates you engage in.

• If you have special dietary needs, speak with your health care provider about adjusting the glycemic load of your current diet.

References

• Glycemic Index Foundation: GI Database

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish