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Metabolism represents all the calories (energy) that our body consumes to fully satisfy all its needs.
70-75 % of these calories are necessary for vital functions (e.g. heart activity, maintaining body temperature) and are called basal metabolism.
The remaining 25-30 % of calories are needed for you to have the energy to get out of bed, walk, climb stairs or run to the bus stop.
Follow these tips to kick-start the rate at which your body burns calories.
Start the day with breakfast
During the night the metabolic rate slows down. Breakfast therefore “triggers” its return to a normal rhythm. It has been found that a person who skips breakfast burns fewer calories by the next meal than someone who does not skip it.
Frequent meals
Small, frequent meals increase metabolic rate because they give the body the opportunity to burn more calories during the digestion process.
Plenty of protein
It appears that consuming protein helps increase the body’s burning rate. Consuming protein “earns” you about 150 calories a day. Favor low-fat sources of protein, e.g. low-fat cheese or meat, a boiled egg.
Spicy food on the plate
It has been found that spices contribute to a quicker feeling of fullness. Hot peppers also contain the substance capsaicin, which increases the release of the hormone adrenaline, leading to a temporary increase in metabolism.
Less chronic stress
Stress plays strange games with metabolism. During intense stress the secretion of certain hormones, such as adrenaline, increases significantly, which can even double the rate of calorie burning.
On the other hand, if stress is not transient but chronic, the opposite occurs. Weight gain is caused by stress hormones that circulate in our body long-term, promoting fat storage especially in the abdominal area.
More exercise
Physical activity is the main way to tone muscles and increase calorie burning.
Source: newsitamea.gr
