When a person appears to be naturally slim, regardless of what they eat, most of us attach far too often the phrase ‘they must have a really good metabolism’. The term Metabolism refers to the rate at which the body produces and consumes energy and calories in order to keep us going. Having a good or ‘fast’ metabolism means the body burns off the utmost amount of fat into energy with the least amount of physical activity.

Fair enough, there are certainly some people who have a higher metabolic rate from a very young age, factors such as the amount of muscle tissue, genetics, stress levels, diet, activity levels, and the frequency of meals consumed, all contribute to this. However, a persons metabolic rate can be slowed down at any point in their lives if these factors are altered. For example, if physical activity decreases to an absolute minimal point at which the muscle tissue begins to break down because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, then the metabolic rate would slow because there is less muscle (this often occurs naturally with old age).

The same is true of people with a naturally slower metabolism; there are several quick and easy ways for anyone to speed up their metabolism, and if you combine these with regular exercise and healthy eating, you will find a sure fire way to get in shape and raise the rate long term.

Boost Your Metabolism With Exercise

First of all, building up muscle tissue to get a leaner body mass will subsequently mean your body burns off more calories. Counter the effects of ageing and build muscle to burn more fat. For this, exercise is essential.

Try to work out at least twice a week, ideally using weights. Do some easier workouts between sessions to keep on developing the muscles. Easy tasks such as walking and using the stairs (See The Miraculous Benefits of Walking). The key point is to make sure you match your amount of physical exercise with the amount of calories you are consuming.

Strength training is great for building muscles. Gradually increase the amount of repetitions when lifting weights or working on a particular area of the body. Increase the level of resistance where possible, and perhaps research and utilize some more advanced techniques if you feel ready.

Cardiovascular workouts are important for keeping your metabolism at an all time high. Keep variation in these workouts, perform cross-training and combos for example, and again try to gradually build up resistance and speed when you feel you can.

Your Food and Your Metabolism

The following is a list of the absolute quickest and simplest ways to instantly boost your metabolism. Combine with a generally healthy and active lifestyle and you be onto a winner.

First of all – Eat Breakfast! It’s been proven time and time again to kick start our metabolism so that we are burning calories from the very moment we start the day. Metabolism can and will slow down if breakfast is eaten later on in the morning, or worse if completely missed. Numerous studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are thinner than those who don’t. It’s a no-brainer!

Avoid sugar. Sugar allows your body to store fat. Food us necessary to sustain a healthy level of blood sugar, and exercise is also recommended as part of this, but sugar added to food is bad for you in more ways than one and will ultimately slow down your metabolism and prevent you from reaching your goals. Stay away from sugar to get that boost you need.

Eat Spicy Food.

Drink plenty of water. Water will flush out toxins that get produced when your body burns fat. Most of your body’s functions rely on water to be at their best, a lack of water means a slower speed of the body s crucial systems.

Eat smaller meals, more regularly. Four to six small meals a day that are two or three hours apart will help you achieve the optimum metabolic rate.

NEVER SKIP MEALS! People often think skipping meals is the key to fast weight loss, when in fact the opposite is true. Missing out on meals will slow down your metabolism. Do not skip meals!

Plan your meals ahead of time. Take time out to eat, and only ever prepare the exact amount of food required for a particular meal.

Drink Green Tea. It can be something of an acquired taste, but gradually replacing one or two regular tea or coffee breaks will make it easier. The green tea leaves will stimulate your metabolism, and there are no undesirable side effects associated with over consumption. Green tea is a must have!

Include naturally high energy foods in your every day diet. Chow down on fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, wherever possible.

Other Factors

Get rid of stress. Stress, whether physical or emotional, is a trigger for a steroid call Cortisol. Cortisol decreases metabolism. Furthermore, most people tend to comfort eat when they are stress. Try to be more relaxed in your day to day life.

Sleep More. More often than not people who consistently do not get enough sleep end up gaining weight. Sleep is also a crucial time for muscles to regenerate, and the most important stages are during the last few hours of the sleep cycle.

Achieving a desired body weight and metabolism can seem like an overwhelming challenge, but with these simple tips, and a little patience and determination, you will realize that eating well and working out are a crucial part of a happy and healthy life. The rewards will speak for themselves!