Our metabolism is thee term used to refer to our body's ability to perform tasks. In particular it is used to refer to tasks of a metabolic nature which involves burning fat and fuel to give us energy throughout the day. Thus those with a fast metabolism find that they have slim physiques and that they have lots of energy. Such people tend to be the ectomorphs or the mesomorphs among us. This is the opposite to anabolic processes, which are those that involve the body using proteins (amino acids) in order to build and repair parts of the body.
The ability to increase your metabolism then would mean you could reduce your bodyweight while eating as much or more, and that you could be more energetic as a result. While genetically we are born with a faster or slower metabolism naturally, the speed at which our metabolism operates can still vary within that area. When our metabolism is running more quickly then all our body's processes will be sped up and we will find that our heart rate is increased and the blood pumps around our body faster. This then means in turn that you can purposefully increase your metabolism and so burn fat. Here we'll look at some ways to do that.
Get hot: When we are hot our metabolism increases and our body works faster – presumably partly in order to cool us down. Going in a sauna then is a great way to increase you metabolism. Alternatively using a 'sauna suit' which is a sweat inducing foil suit during exercise can also help you to increase your metabolism and burn off fat.
Get cold: When you are cold this causes your metabolism to speed up as well as your heart rate to increase and your body to shake and chatter. All of this is in order to return your heart rate to normal and will burn fat and speed up your metabolism.
Get high: Not 'high' as a kite, but as in high up. Here the air is thin and you will find that you are forced to breath more quickly to get more oxygen which in turn speeds up the rate at which the blood goes round your body and you burn fat. Altitude training is working out or running while at high altitudes which benefits from both the thin air and the cold temperature to increase fitness.
Use stimulants: The other sort of getting high could potentially increase your metabolism too though, if achieved using a stimulant. Some steroid drugs for instance increase your metabolism, as do crack or ecstasy. Of course though it is not a good idea to consume these drugs which also have a range of highly unpleasant and often very dangerous side effects and can prove fatal. However other stimulants do not carry such dangers such as caffeine which can greatly increase your metabolism, and guarana which is found in a lot of energy supplements and has similar effects to caffeine (without some of the less pleasant ones such as shaking and headaches). Green tea has also been shown to be a great stimulant and can also help you to burn fat.
Eat energy foods: Energy foods will give your body the fuel it needs to go faster, thus sugars and carbs can result in your metabolism speeding up. If you are trying to increase your metabolism in order to lose weight however then of course this is fairly ineffective as the increased energy will only last until the extra food you have eaten has been burned off or stored as fat.
Eat often: Eating little and often is something that models are encouraged to do and it also has many other health benefits helping us to maintain a constant supply of energy, giving us less indigestion, and yes, speeding up our metabolism.
Stay active: Being active is the best way to increase you metabolism both in the long term and in the short term. Doing an intense workout then will mean that you increase your metabolism and burn off fat, but that you then have a generally faster 'resting' rate for both which will ensure you keep burning it off quickly. There are other ways you can stay active too, such as using the stairs instead of the lift and even just tapping your foot under the desk, all of which will keep your metabolism high.
Use your head: Thinking hard requires the same energy as exercise and if you keep challenging yourself mentally you will find it increases the rate of your entire body.
Stay awake: Wakefulness is considered a 'metabolic state' in that it causes us to burn fat and use up energy. By the same ticket being asleep is an anabolic state where we repair the damage done throughout the day – building muscle, causing us to grow (when we are younger at least) and helping to reinforce memories. While staying awake will not make your metabolism faster than normal then, but will keep it going faster for longer meaning you burn more fat. Obviously sleep has lots of other very crucial benefits so its important to ensure you get at least a minimal amount as long as you do not sleep excessively. At the same time you should be careful not sleep immediately after a large meal when you will want your metabolism to be high.
Source: Health Guidance
