Naturally increase our metabolism – Group Talk - Week Commencing 10th November 2025.
- friendsonajourney2
- 17 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Over the previous weeks we have been discussing how we expend our calories and how many calories we need, which has highlighted how important our BMR (basal metabolic rate) is to our health and well-being.
Our bodies employ the process of metabolism to convert the food and drinks we consume into energy for vital physiological functions. Our bodies need calories to maintain essential processes like breathing, thinking, blood circulation, and hormone balance, even when you're at rest. We refer to this as our BMR, and the higher our metabolic rate, the more calories we burn at rest.
Our metabolism is unique to each individual and many influences can make a difference to it; for example,
Age (slows down as we age)
Body composition (muscles burn more calories than fat)
Body size (the bigger we are, the more calories we burn, as we need more energy to maintain basic function.)
Genetics
Health Status (hypothyroidism/restrictive eating)
Level of physical activity
Medication
Sex
We can boost our metabolism naturally in simple, fun, easy ways.
Eat more protein.
Drink more water.
Activity – HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)/Strength Training
Eating Spicy Foods
Prioritizing sleep
Reduce Stress
Caffeine
Eat enough calories
Eat more protein
Protein-rich diets, which include foods like meat, eggs, fish and nuts, raise your metabolism and burn more calories. According to some recent research, protein may increase your metabolism of fat specifically.
Drink more water
It is vital to consume water since the metabolic process needs fluids. Research has shown that increasing your water intake raises your metabolic rate because hydration causes your cells to expand in volume. Water consumption throughout the day hence increases calorie expenditure.
Activity
Our metabolism is influenced by our level of physical activity, and HIIT has a unique impact. One study found that, even when compared to aerobic activity, the amount of energy expended at rest (REE – Resting Energy Expenditure) was higher up to an hour after HIIT. Additionally, strength training, such as using resistance bands or lifting weights, can improve our metabolism. Strength training increases a person's daily calorie expenditure by 265 while at rest.
Eating spicy foods
Spices and chilli peppers contain capsaicin, which has an impact on our metabolism. Researchers found evidence in a comprehensive analysis that diets focusing on this chemical help control obesity and alleviate the symptoms of metabolic disease, which are disorders affecting the metabolism. Consuming spicy foods may help increase our RMR, but further research is required.
Prioritize sleep
Making sure you get adequate sleep has numerous health benefits. Among these is the connection between increased metabolism and greater sleep, although there is increasing evidence that this relationship is indirect. Although sleep deprivation may not directly alter metabolism, it increases the risk of weight gain, obesity and diabetes, all of which have an impact on metabolism. According to some recent studies, the risk of obesity increases by 9% for every hour less sleep per night.
Reduce stress
The stress hormone, cortisol, is released by your body when you are under stress. By triggering our body's fight-or-flight reaction, cortisol physically primes our body to deal with an imagined threat. From digestion and metabolism, blood flow and energy expenditure are diverted to the brain and muscles. Our metabolic rate is slowed, and if the stress continues, it may have long-term consequences.
Caffeine
There may be more to caffeine than just a morning boost in coffee, tea, or other drinks. Researchers found that people who drank four cups of coffee a day for six months experienced a 4% decrease in body fat in a study evaluating the impact of caffeine on diabetes. This study's participants made no other dietary or lifestyle adjustments, which lends more credence to the idea that coffee raises metabolic rates.
Eat enough calories
You typically need to be in a calorie deficit – that is, burn more calories than you take in – in order to lose weight. Reducing calories too much can be harmful. Your body may slow down its metabolism to save energy if it doesn't acquire enough from eating. This raises the likelihood that you may gain back the weight you lost and makes weight reduction more challenging. If you don't eat for a long time, your body may also tear down muscle for energy; losing muscle might lower your RMR since it supports a healthy metabolism. Eat enough calories to cover our fundamental needs and fuel our level of exercise to assist our metabolism. To fuel your body, choose whole foods, i.e., fruit, vegetables, lean meats, wholegrains and healthy fats.
Bottom line
Every bodily function is powered by the process of metabolism, which is how your body turns food and drink into energy. Maintaining an active lifestyle, gaining muscle, getting adequate sleep, and controlling stress can all assist in speeding up our metabolism. Our metabolic rate can also be raised by eating a diet high in protein, drinking plenty of water, and selecting foods high in nutrients. A minor boost could come from even tiny routines, like adding spicy foods to your meals or sipping caffeine every morning. Adopting these routines on a regular basis can support improved energy balance, weight control, and general health in addition to maintaining a stable metabolism.
Resources
Comments