10 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism (Backed by Science)

Having a slow metabolism can make it difficult to lose weight and keep up your activity levels, but finding ways to increase your metabolism can be a challenge. Here are 11 metabolism boosters backed by science you can consider adding to your daily regime.

If you are dieting, it can be difficult to keep your metabolism running if you aren’t eating enough. A great way to increase your metabolism is to eat protein with each meal. Food has what is called a “thermic effect” (TEF) that kicks in when you eat more calories. This is because you need to process your meal which requires your metabolism to increase. When you eat protein, it raises your TEF which in turn increases your metabolic rate much more than eating carbs or fats. In fact, it more than doubles, reaching a rate of 15 to 30% more compared to fats at just 3% or carbs at 5 to 10%.¹

Adding to protein’s benefits: It can also make you feel fuller, so you can avoid overeating. If weight loss is your goal, this is a bonus. You can eat more protein, feel full and avoid overeating.²

You’ve probably heard drinking water is the healthiest choice to quench thirst. It is also the drink of choice to lose weight and help keep it off. Since other drinks such as sodas and even fruit juice contain sugar, by choosing water you automatically reduce sugar intake. Seventeen ounces of water speeds up your resting metabolism by as much as 10 to 30%.^3-5

If you find working out a trial, this one might not be for you. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) not only increases your metabolic rate during your workout but continues to keep it racing after you finish. This is ideal for those who like exercising and hate dieting! Even better, HIIT can be done in short spurts that keep you active, without needing to commit to long, arduous workouts.⁶

If you can build muscle, you can increase your metabolism. This is because fat is not as metabolically active as muscle. So even when you aren’t active, your body tends to burn more calories when you have more muscle.^7,8

If this sounds good, lifting weights helps retain muscle which can assist in weight loss. One study showed women who dieted with 800 calories per day and did resistance training were able to maintain muscle mass, strength, and metabolism.^9,10

You might have heard sitting is the new smoking because it actually contributes to weight gain and obesity. However, if you can stand for the afternoon while working, you can burn as much as 174 calories.^11,12

A cup of tea is a favored drink for people around the world. However, if you are a tea drinker, consider switching to green tea or oolong tea. These are excellent choices if you want to sip on a warm drink that increases your metabolism. You can increase your metabolism by as much as 4 to 5% by swapping out your usual black tea for one of these tasty brews. These teas can also increase fat burning by 10 to 17% and are a great choice for dieters as they are low in calories.^13,14

This might not be for everyone, but if you can handle some heat in your food, you can benefit from the capsaicin found in pepper. Although you have to acclimate your tongue to the burn, it might be worth it as capsaicin can boost your metabolism. Just keep in mind, you need to really turn up the heat to see the benefits of the peppers. For optimal results, combine your pepper intake with other metabolism boosters.^15,16

Getting more sleep is important, as lack of sleep has all kinds of negative effects on your health, including your metabolism. It might be hard to imagine that poor sleep actually adds to the potential for weight gain. However, lack of sleep actually boosts ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, while decreasing leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full. The combination is a recipe for potential weight gain disaster.^17,18

Chances are you’ve worked with someone or have a friend who can’t face their day without their cup of coffee. That jolt from coffee comes from the caffeine, which can boost metabolism by 3 to 11%. Although this boost tends to be more effective in lean people, studies show it can still help other body types with an increase in metabolism by as much as 10%.^19,20

If you find the whole fat for health argument confusing, there is one fat in particular that has been shown to offer metabolic health benefits: Coconut oil. As a medium-chain fat, it can increase your metabolism when compared to something like butter, which is a long-chain fat. In fact, one study showed the medium-chain fats increase metabolism three times more by 12% compared to just 4% in long-chain fats.^21,22

For healthy metabolic function, glucose and insulin balance, and sugar craving control, ecoNugenics recommends ecoMetabolic. This comprehensive formula blends powerful botanical extracts together with nutrients and antioxidants to support key aspects of a healthy metabolism.*

While having a higher metabolism gives you more energy and can make it easier to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, there are other factors at play. Your age, gender, and body size all contribute to how your metabolism functions. As mentioned above, the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism tends to be since muscle cells require more energy than fat cells. Age, of course, is always a factor, because the older we get the more muscle we tend to lose which contributes to a slowing metabolism. Last but not least, although it has not yet been shown exactly how genes play a role in metabolism, however, genes do contribute to muscle growth, which once again, does play a factor in your metabolism.²³

Regardless of your age, health status, or other factors, these simple tips can go a long way to supporting balanced and efficient metabolism— powering your cells with the energy they need to live life to the fullest.

Sources:

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