February 28th, 2017 | Updated on April 21st, 2023
Boosting metabolism is the holy grail of weight watchers everywhere, but how fast your body burns calories depends on several things. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Although you can’t control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to improve your metabolism.
It’s never too late to start making changes that can have a huge, positive impact on your metabolism. Some 70-year-old have faster metabolisms than my 30-year-old, proof that if you take care of your body, it will respond. To start taking the right steps to give your metabolism a boost and keep it humming as you get older, follow this advice.
1. Drink plenty of water
Downing water is good for you on so many levels, so it’s no surprise that staying well hydrated helps boost your metabolism, too. All of your cells need water to operate.
2. Eat enough food
When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be tempting to skip a meal here and there or restrict your calories drastically. However, when your body is hungry, it actually stops burning calories, because it’s trying to conserve everything you have. When you’re not eating enough, you’d think your body would just burn through your excess, but in fact it does the opposite.
3. Eat breakfast
This will replenish your body from the night’s sleep and set all of your systems up to function properly throughout the day.
4. Lift weights—preferably in the morning
You know that exercise plays a key role boosting your metabolism. Yet if you tend to be a cardio junkie and shy away from your gym’s weight room, it’s time to cozy up to those dumbbells and machines. “Weight training helps you build muscle, which we know for a fact helps to improve metabolic rate and increases your fat-burning potential.
5. Eat protein at every meal
Research shows that protein, in particular, has an important impact on metabolism. It is smart to have some protein every time you eat. “That may mean having eggs in the morning, a protein shake for a snack, some grilled chicken or nuts over your salad for lunch, and a lean protein along with loads of veggies for dinner.
6. Meditate
This one might sound like a stretch, yet an increasing body of research is proving meditation’s undeniable role in optimizing our overall health—which includes our metabolism. Meditation is a great way to combat so much of this stress and has been shown to have a hugely positive impact on everything from our metabolism and eating habits to optimizing cognitive function and heart health.
source:womenshealthmag.com
