Get Lean Quick: 5 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism and Burn Fat

by Sandra Essexin Health / Weight Loss (submitted 2012-01-27)

Increasing your metabolic rate simply means revving up the rate at which your body burns calories. In other words, if your metabolism is high, this means that your body is burning calories fast, even when you are not toiling hard at the gym. And that's good for everybody.

On the other hand, a sluggish metabolism invariably results in weight gain because calories pile up on other calories that haven't been used up. In other words, you're consuming more than your body is burning up. However, there's a way out.

But first, here are four facts about metabolism that everyone should know.

Gender: Men generally have higher metabolic rates than women. This is because men are generally larger than women, they also posses less body fat. A mans basal metabolic rate is calculated be to somewhere around 10 percent to 15 percent higher than that of women.

Age: Metabolism drops by about 5 percent every decade after a person hits 40 years of age. This is simply because as we get older, we tend to lose more muscle and gain more body fat. Meanwhile lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat tissues. So you can understand what happens to a persons metabolism as they lose muscle mass with age.

Hypothyroidism: When your thyroid is under active, this will slow down your metabolism and eventually lead to weight gain. But this condition can easy be detected through a simple blood test, and can then be controlled with proper medication.

Genetics: This is another factor that plays a part in a person's metabolic rate. Some people simply have the genetic luck that predisposes them to fast metabolism-quick conversion of calories to energy. Others are not so lucky.

For this later category of persons, just remember that increasing your body's metabolism is always a good idea, whether it is to lose weight or simply to maintain a sleek appearance. Here are 5 things you can do to rev up your metabolism.

Do Not Skip Breakfast: If it's not already there, try to add breakfast to your daily meal planner. It's amazing how many people skip breakfast these days. Paradoxically, many who skip this first meal of the day do so with the mistaken belief that it helps them lose weight. Quite the opposite!

The meal you eat in the morning is what prepares your body for the day's metabolic duties. It helps the body to process more efficiently whatever other food you eat in the course of the day. No, it doesn't have to be heavy meal. A healthy 250-calorie snack taken in the morning may just be enough to boost your metabolism for the rest of the day.

Watch What You Drink-and Their Temperature: As routine as it might seem, truth is that just adding ice to your drink is one way to boost your metabolism. This is because your body is going to have to work harder to heat the food up in your stomach before it could be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Include Spices In Your Meal: The U.S. Agricultural Research Service states that consuming a mere ¼ to 1 teaspoonful of Cinnamon per day can raise a person's metabolism by as much as twenty-fold! Then there are several varieties of peppers that can spice up both your food and your metabolism-such as chili and cayenne. These last two are better eaten hot for best results.

Eat Foods Rich In Chromium: They include all varieties of tomatoes as well as green pepper, apple, banana and spinach. Chromium can also be taken in supplement form.

Eat Several Portions Each Day: This entails dividing your food into smaller portions which are then eaten more often throughout the day. The logic is that each time you eat, your body's metabolic mechanism is turned on. So the more you eat, the more you get them working.

Yes, this may sound strange, but the reality is that eating more often can actually help you lose weight! But really, the emphasis is on the frequency of meals rather than the total quantity of foods consumed in a day.

Diet is a very important factor for the survival of a People. A good diet is based upon the organic elements that give and sustain life. Daily Nutritional Cleansing is the key to your good health and WEIGHT LOSS. Many people take the human body and its functions lightly. They do not consider what they consume as having a direct and permanent effect on the quality of their overall health. Remember you are what you eat.

One GREAT way to improve your health is to improve your diet. Learn how you can START to Improve Your Health TODAY!!

If you really want to kick-start your body's metabolism, then take note of the points discussed here.

About the Author

Sandra Essex is a 16 -year Breast and Lung cancer survivor. She enjoys sharing information that can help people improve their health. One GREAT way to improve your health is to improve your diet. Learn how you can START to Improve Your Health TODAY!! http://weightlossanddiettips.info/ also visit our Blog for more weight loss tips. http://thehealthdiva.com/weight-loss-challenge/diabetes-and-weight-loss-striking-a-balance/

Sandra Essex