Metabolism is a chemical process in the body that naturally occurs to support livelihood, including physical and mental functions. Food is the fuel for our body to produce energy by burning those calories that we eat. Depending on a lot of factors, some people might have fast or slow metabolism. The latter can most likely cause you to gain weight more easily, and that is the reason why people try to find ways to boost their metabolism. On this week's journal, we will be giving you a number of simple tips you can do to rev up your metabolism. Read on!

Don't skip breakfast

While office work and house errands may occupy most of your time, it's best to always start your day with a healthy breakfast. Busy lifestyles should no longer be your reasoning to not be able to eat in the morning, as there are plenty of practical and nutritious options you can take during a ride to office. Breakfast is an important meal of the day, especially when you're trying to improve your metabolism. Some studies have shown that consuming breakfast may help the body burn fat more effectively, as well as reducing the risk of insulin resistance, which may prevent you from developing diabetes type 2 and other chronic illnesses in the long run.

Consume more protein

Protein intake is also crucial when you are concerned about boosting metabolism. Protein, especially lean ones, are known to have an array of benefits, such as building muscle mass and keeps you full for longer. The reason for this is that protein takes more calories to digest compared to carbohydrates or fat, resulting in better metabolism. While food consumption produces thermic effect in the body, this effect is elevated by 15-30% when you consume proteins, making them the perfect choice to help improve your metabolism rate.

Get proper sleep

One of the simplest habit yet very often overlooked is your sleeping routine. It is known that skimping on sleep can make you not only feel groggy the next day, but also worsens mood and disrupting certain hormones in the body. Increased appetite may also occur when you had a lack of sleep, as ghrelin, a hormone responsible for hunger is increased. The body also releases less leptin, a hormone that helps a person feel full, when you don't get enough sleep. Therefore, ensure 7-8 hours of sleep every night to maintain healthy weight and help boost metabolism.

Integrate exercise to your daily routine

When it comes to accelerating your metabolism, another important habit to implement is to stick to an exercise routine. Both cardio and strength training may help you to have faster metabolism, although some people may focus on the latter. This is not without a good reason, of course. Strength training helps you to develop muscles and maintain existing muscle mass, which serves to accelerate fat burning by increasing your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Muscle mass itself also requires more energy to preserve, hence why they burn fat more effectively. Exercise also has an increased importance with age. Naturally, the body loses muscle as they get older. This is where strength training may come in handy, as it can help counteract this effect. Examples of strength or resistance training includes lifting weights, as well as doing other exercises that utilize bodyweight to build and maintain muscles.

Hydrate frequently while reducing alcohol consumption

Lastly, hydration is always important when it comes to maintaining overall health. Aside from conveniently replacing liquid calories in a form of sugary drinks, water can prevent dehydration while containing no calories. Some studies have also shown that water consumption is related to positive metabolic effects. Water is said to produce thermogenic response in the body, increasing metabolic rate up to 30%. It's also equally beneficial to limit your alcohol intake. While recreational drinking may be acceptable, calories found in alcohol may sometimes exceed those found in carbs. Not only that it may cause you a harder time to lose weight, alcohol may also slow down your metabolism. Research have shown that while the body is metabolizing the alcohol, other sugars and fat aren't being metabolized effectively, leading to frequent weight gain and slower metabolic rate.