The word “metabolism” can be used to describe your basal metabolism. That is, the number of calories you burn at rest to carry out vital functions such as heart rate, breathing, and circulatory systems.
It is also used to refer to the set of biochemical reactions in your body. This refers to the conversion of nutrients from consumed food into energy, also known as thermogenesis.
Various factors influence your metabolic rate: age, gender, height, body composition. As we age, it tends to slow down.
Good to know, a slow metabolism can be caused by too little muscle mass. Since it is the one that spends the most energy at rest, unlike fat mass.
I share with you the best strategies to boost your metabolism. Thanks to certain foods and lifestyle choices, you can manage your weight, stabilize it, or lose weight according to your goals. And of course, improve your overall health.
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1. Stay hydrated: water, teas, and coffee
Besides being essential for the body, water helps in activating the metabolism. Drinking enough water acts briefly but significantly. About 2 liters of water per day is recommended, varying according to your weight (and your metabolism, precisely!).
Other beverages can specifically boost metabolism, such as coffee. The caffeine it contains slightly improves, according to individual tolerances, physical performance and helps better utilize fats to produce energy, as suggested by this study.
I particularly recommend green tea, rich in catechins and theine, matcha, or oolong.
According to this study, these three teas would aid in better burning of stored fat. With 1 to 3 cups per day, combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
2. Eat protein at every meal
Eating can temporarily increase your metabolism, and this lasts for a few hours. This is called the thermic effect of food (or TEF).
The body spends extra calories needed to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients in your meal.
Among all nutrients, proteins are the most demanding. The body uses 15 to 30% of their usable calories, compared to 5 to 10% for carbohydrates and less than 3% for fats.
Eating more protein can also prevent the slowdown of metabolism by maintaining muscle mass that they promote. During a weight loss diet, they improve fat loss.
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3. Eat spicy foods
Ginger and chili pepper have beneficial properties for stimulating metabolism. They are considered thermogenic foods.
For example, if you add 2 grams of ginger powder to a glass of hot water and drink it during a meal, you can burn up to 43 additional calories.
As for capsaicin found in chili pepper, this study concluded that it could reduce appetite and food intake by decreasing carbohydrate absorption during meals.
A weight loss tip I give to my patients whose goal is to lose weight: add 1 to 2 pinches of Cayenne pepper or green jalapeño peppers for the more sensitive ones, and fresh or powdered ginger to your dishes.
4. Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep can promote obesity and disrupt the body by affecting ghrelin levels, the hunger hormone, and leptin, which regulates satiety.
The night allows the body to regenerate, produce hormones, and even detoxify with the liver’s nocturnal work. Disrupting your biological clock tends to slow down metabolic functions, and this after just four bad nights according to these observations.
Sleeping well helps reduce the number of calories consumed during the day and stimulates the day’s metabolism. My advice: prioritize good restorative nights as much as possible! Some foods can also help you sleep better.
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5. Adopt HiiT to burn more calories
HiiT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, involves short and very intense periods of activity.
It’s a perfect compromise between the two main types of exercise: aerobic, with oxygen, and anaerobic, without oxygen. As a result, it leads to a significant calorie expenditure.
This study suggests that it could boost metabolism for several hours even after the exercise. HiiT would also be more effective for losing fat than a typical cardio session. My ideal is to vary your workouts to avoid monotony.
6. Lift heavy weights
Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so strength training is part of health recommendations. Indeed, it stimulates the basal metabolism.
The WHO recommends performing strength exercises at least twice a week with moderate to high intensity, for muscle strength, volume, and bone density.
If you want to lose weight, you can perform cardio and strength exercises several times a week.
7. Stand more often
Sitting for too long can have negative health effects, partly due to the lack of energy expenditure which can lead to weight gain.
This study conducted in 2018 revealed that standing or moving at work was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular issues. It also showed reductions in weight, body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, and insulin.
It also demonstrated that moving rather than just standing resulted in even better outcomes.
If you work sitting down, stand up once per hour for about 5 minutes. You can also use breaks to walk during the day. Or invest in a Swiss ball to alternate postures with a conventional chair.
8. Consume MCTs to store less
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), mainly found in coconut oil and palm oil, are special fats.
Unlike long-chain triglycerides, MCTs are quickly absorbed by the body and directed to the liver. There, they are used as an immediate energy source or converted into ketones.
Their slight fat-burning effect can be interesting for encouraging metabolic activity. However, they should not replace daily olive oil or omega-3 sources.
Like any fat, I advise using them in reasonable amounts. One tip: add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to cook your vegetable stir-fries. Or to flavor your homemade pastries.
My ultimate advice for taking care of your metabolism: opt for a comprehensive and gradual approach. Every small change contributes to your well-being, and not just one miracle solution.
Sources and scientific studies
Daniel Collado-Mateo, Ana Myriam Lavín-Pérez, Eugenio Merellano-Navarro, Juan Del Coso – Effect of Acute Caffeine Intake on the Fat Oxidation Rate during Exercise – Nutrients, 2020
R Hursel, M S Westerterp-Plantenga – Thermogenic ingredients and body weight regulation – Int J obes, 2010
Pardis Irandoost, Neda L.Yagin, Nazli Namazi, Abbasali Keshtkar, Farnaz Farsi, Naimeh M.Alamdari, M.V – The effect of Capsaicinoids or Capsinoids in red pepper on thermogenesis in healthy adults, 2021
Kelly M.Ness, Stephen M.Strayer, Nicole G.Nahmod, Margeaux M.S, A-M Chang, Gregory C.Shearer, Orfeu M.Buxton – Four nights of sleep restriction suppress the postprandial lipemic response and decrease satiety – 2019
M Wewege, R V.D.B, R E Ward, A Keech – The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults – Obes. Rev, 2017
Elisabeth A. H. Winkler, Sebastien Chastin, Elizabeth G.Eakin, Neville Owen, Anthony D.Lamontagne, Marj Moodie, Paddy C.Dempsey, Bronwyn A.Kingwell, David W.Dunstan and Genevieve N.Healy – Cardiometabolic impact of changing sitting, standing, and stepping in the workplace, 2018
Karen Mumme, Welma Stonehouse – Effects of medium-chain triglycerides on weight loss and body composition – J. Ac. Notre Diet, 2015
