Methods to Speed Up Metabolism

Your body's metabolism is the rate at which it uses food as energy. For those of you who wish to lose weight or keep it off after you have lost it, controlling your metabolism is obviously an important measure to factor into the equation. Methods to speed up your metabolism that you learn can be used to help you achieve your health and weight aspirations.

Source of Life

• Water is critical to speeding your body's metabolism as it is the "universal lubricant" in your body. Drinking a hefty amount of water daily is recommended when you want to speed your metabolism. Your body will need the water to perform critical functions, such as disposing of waste, hydrating cells and other important functions. Try to drink at least 8 measured cups of water a day. Another method is to drink at least 1 cup of water for every 10 pounds of bodyweight you have.

Pack in Protein and Fiber

• Your body is composed of simple proteins, not only are they necessary for life, they are also difficult for your digestive system to break down. Adding more protein to your diet will make your body work harder during digestion. This means that you will burn more energy trying to eat protein than other foods, which speeds up the metabolism. Great sources of protein are found in fish, chicken, turkey, nuts and eggs.

  Fiber isn't only a healthy nutrient that rids the body of cholesterol and heart attack causing plaque; it also can be used to speed your metabolism. Much like protein, fiber is difficult for your body to break down and use for energy during digestion. Insoluble fiber found in some foods such as celery and psyllium husk can't be broken down at all. When this fiber passes through your digestive track, your body will try, without success, to break down the fiber which speeds your metabolism. Soy beans and other legumes are a good source of protein and fiber. Fiber can also be found in most vegetables and some fruits namely strawberries, raspberries and other berries.

Intensify Your Exercise

• Increasing the overall intensity of your exercise routines, no matter if you're weightlifting, performing strength exercises, or doing aerobics, means you'll burn more calories after you stop. A method of exercise intensifying that is catching on is called interval training. One way you can perform interval training is by doing an aerobic exercise with a high amount of effort every 30 seconds out of 3 minutes. After the 30 second burst, you will return to a sustainable pace.

  When you intensify your exercise routines by putting out more effort, your body will need more calories for repair afterwards. Many times this kicks your metabolism into high gear because your body will need more energy even when you are resting. If simple carbohydrates aren't replaced, your body will also burn fat as energy.

Dietary Habit Changes

• You may believe that eating less is a surefire way to lose weight, but this is not always true. While you will have to reduce the amount of calories you eat to lose weight healthily, you should not reduce them below 1200 calories a day for most adults. You should also ensure that you are eating and having snacks a combined five to six times daily. An example would be having two snacks in between each major meal.

  Another dietary habit that you must perform to speed your metabolism is by avoiding sweet items. Simple carbohydrates are loaded with sugars that are easy for your body to use. Sugary items that you consume are stored as fat almost immediately if they aren't used for energy right away. Unless you plan on performing rigorous exercise directly after having sweet items, it is best to avoid them at all costs to maintain a speedy metabolism.