10 Best ways to boost your metabolism

Body Hacks: 10 Best ways to boost your metabolism

Angela Goh

31 May 2016

updated the Tuesday, May 31, 2016

1/10
Grab a coffee
There’s a reason why all those slimming teas and weight loss pills contain caffeine. Caffeine is known to boost your metabolism in the short term, increasing your fat burning rate while it remains in your blood stream.
2/10
Sleep well
Nothing good ever comes out of late nights and lack of sleep. Research has shown that there is a link between the amount of sleep you get and your metabolism. Not getting enough shuteye can seriously impact on your body’s natural functions and could seriously slow down metabolic rate.
3/10
Never skip breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Why? Well, your body is still in ‘hibernation’ mode in the early mornings, after not refueling with food for over 8 hours. So, eating a good breakfast will help jumpstart that slowing metabolism. Skipping breakfast will only make it harder for your body to pick up the calorie-burning pace later.
4/10
Feel free to eat (but choose wisely)
Yes, feeding your belly will definitely help to speed up that metabolism. There are some foods that do a better job at this than others, such as grapefruit and tuna. High protein foods have been shown to boost metabolism, so bacon and eggs for breakfast might actually be a better for you than carbo-loaded pancakes and toast.
5/10
Increase the intensity of your workout
Working out on your own time might not be the way to go. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is where it’s at! Quick bouts of intense exercise is yet another proven way to kick-start that sluggish metabolism – you’ll be burning calories long after your session.
6/10
Spicy food helps
Adding spices to your meals could effectively increase the amount of calories you burn. Spicy food also has the tendency to decrease your appetite, reducing your chances of overeating, thus helping you to shed a few more pounds.
7/10
Drink green tea
Yup, this miracle drink is not just packed with age-fighting antioxidants, it can also rev up that metabolic rate. A study has proven that green tea is able to increase your metabolism by up to 4% over a period of 24 hours. By drinking five cups of green tea a day, you could burn an extra 70 calories in a single day.
8/10
Lift weights
Lifting those dumbbells may do more than help you gain muscle. Like HIIT, lifting weight will keep your body burning calories long after you’re finished. Some experts have estimated that your metabolic rate stays elevated for up to 39 hours post-workout!
9/10
Drink plenty of water
We all know that staying hydrated is a good way to flush out toxins and fat from your system, but did you know drinking enough water is also crucial to keeping your body balanced and functioning properly? By increasing your intake of water, you are aiding in keeping your body’s metabolism in check, reducing the chances of it slowing down. Filling up on water will also reduce food cravings.
10/10
Engage in some cardio
Research has indicated that riding a bike for just under an hour can speed up your metabolic rate for over 12 hours. Imagine what an intense session on the bike machine at the gym could do for your metabolism!

Despairing at your body’s slow metabolic rate? There are ways to fire it back up.

We’ve all heard it: forget dieting, the key to being slim is to speed up your metabolism. Each time we drink something or ingest solid food, it’s our metabolism that converts all the calories we put into our body into energy. Plenty of people blame their weight gain on a slow metabolism, and their excuse actually has some truth to it. Many factors affect our metabolic rate, from body mass to gender to age, but did you know there are some sneaky tricks that you can use to independently control its speed?

Head up to the gallery to find out how these 11 scientifically proven methods can help keep that metabolic rate going strong. From drinking green tea to eating more spicy food, you’ll be revving up your body’s calorie-burning abilities in no time.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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