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5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

The Qyral Team ·
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You’ve probably heard that in order to lose weight or maintain it, you need to have a “good” metabolism. But what does that mean?

Metabolism is the process by which the body converts food into energy. The rate at which this process occurs can have a big impact on weight loss. A fast metabolism, where the body burns calories quickly, can make it easier to lose weight and maintain weight loss, while a slow metabolism makes weight loss and maintenance more difficult.

Boosting your metabolism can be an effective way to support weight loss efforts. Thankfully you can adopt a few simple strategies to help your body convert food to energy faster. We’ve compiled a list of five things that you can do in order to speed up your metabolism.

Eat More Protein

Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in many bodily functions, including weight loss. One of the ways protein can help with weight loss is by boosting metabolism. This is because protein requires more energy to digest than carbohydrates or fats, which means that eating protein-rich foods can help increase your metabolic rate.

There are several ways that protein can help boost metabolism:

  • Protein can help build muscle mass: When you eat enough protein, your body can build and repair muscle tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be, which means you'll burn more calories at rest.

  • Protein can help reduce muscle loss: When you're on a calorie-restricted diet, it's common to lose some muscle mass so eating enough protein can help reduce this loss and preserve muscle mass to support your metabolism. 

  • Protein can help regulate hunger: Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, which means it can keep you feeling fuller for longer. This can help reduce the likelihood of overeating and keep your calorie intake in check.

Here are a few ideas for high-protein foods to incorporate into your diet:

  1. Lean meats: Chicken breast, turkey breast, lean beef, and pork tenderloin are all high-protein options. Try to include a serving of lean meat in at least two meals per day.

  1. Fish: Many types of fish are high in protein, including salmon, tuna, and cod. Aim to include a serving of fish in at least one meal per week.

  1. Eggs: Eggs are an excellent source of protein and can be easily added to many meals, such as omelets, scrambled eggs, and frittatas. Including 2-3 egg yolks per day is ideal.

  1. Dairy: Many types of dairy products are high in protein, including Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk. 

  1. Legumes: Legumes, such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas, are high in protein and can be added to many meals, such as soups, salads, and stir-fries. 

  1. Nuts and seeds: Many nuts and seeds are high in protein, including almonds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds. Aim to include a handful of nuts or seeds as a daily snack. 

Incorporate More Cardio Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is another effective way to boost your metabolism and support your weight loss efforts. Cardio increases your heart rate and helps your body burn more calories, which can help you shed pounds and maintain weight loss over time.

There are many types of cardio exercise to choose from, including running, cycling, swimming, and brisk walking. The key is to find a type of cardio that you enjoy and can stick with on a regular basis. Ideally, you want to workout for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity cardio exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio.

Cardio has many other benefits for your health, including improving your heart health, increasing your endurance, and reducing your risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. So, even if you're not trying to lose weight, incorporating more cardio into your workout routine can still have a positive impact on your overall health.

Just a friendly reminder to always consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. They can help you determine the right intensity and frequency of exercise based on your age, fitness level, and any health conditions you may have.

Strength Training

Strength training and cardio go hand in hand when it comes to your metabolism. Cardio exercise is primarily focused on increasing your heart rate and burning calories, while strength training is focused on building muscle mass. 

Muscle tissue is metabolically active tissue. This means that muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue, even at rest. We’ve already mentioned that the more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be, meaning you'll burn more calories at rest.

Strength training does more than just build muscle mass, it helps in maintaining it. As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass, which can slow down our metabolism. Engaging in regular strength training exercises throughout life can help prevent this loss of muscle mass and maintain a healthy metabolism.

Get Enough Sleep

Great news- sleep can help boost your metabolism. And who doesn’t want extra sleep? Sleep plays an important role in regulating metabolic function, and research has shown that sleep deprivation can have negative effects on metabolism.

When you sleep, your body repairs and rebuilds tissues, builds bone and muscle, and regulates hormones that control metabolism. Sleep helps to regulate the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and the fullness hormone leptin, which can affect appetite and metabolism. Sleep deprivation can lead to changes in metabolic hormones, including decreased levels of leptin and increased levels of ghrelin. This can lead to an increase in appetite and a decrease in metabolism, making it more difficult to lose weight and maintain weight loss.

Sleep deprivation can also affect insulin sensitivity, which is the body's ability to use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance, which is a decrease in insulin sensitivity, can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

So how much sleep is ideal? Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to help support a healthy metabolism.

Drink Green Tea

The final way to potentially boost your metabolism is to drink green tea. It contains catechins, which are antioxidants that can help increase your body's metabolic rate and help you burn more calories. 

Try to drink a cup or two of green tea every day. You can drink it hot or cold, sweetened or unsweetened - whichever you prefer. Some people also like to add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of honey to their green tea for extra flavor.

Another option is to incorporate green tea extract or green tea supplements into your diet. These can be found in many health food stores or online. Just be sure to follow the recommended dosage on the label to avoid any negative side effects.

You Can Start Today

The good news about most of these metabolism boosting habits is that they’re things you should be doing anyway. Working exercise into your schedule can be hard for some people, but starting slow is the key. Even just five minutes a day is a good place to start. Work up from there. Sometimes just the act of starting is all you need.

Boosting your metabolism is one way to enhance your weight loss efforts, whether trying on your own, or with the support of GLP-1 medication. If you think you may be a good candidate for this prescription medication, check out Qyral’s weight management program.

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