If you’ve ever tried to lose weight (guilty), ever attended a biology class (#nerdsrule), or ever Googled “how long do I have to jog to burn off seven donuts?” (don’t ask), then you’ve probably heard the word “metabolism” before.
But how much do you really know about your metabolism? Do you know what it actually is, where it is, and how it works? And even more important: do you know how to make it work for you? While you may not be able to get your metabolism to a point where it can make your donut binge disappear overnight, there are actually a few things you can do to rev up your metabolism, which could help with problems weight maintenance.
But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, let’s take a step back and nail down some of the basics of the metabolism. Don’t worry, it won’t take as long as biology class.
Metabolism crash course: what, where, when, and why.
Before we can start to manipulate the metabolism, we need to understand it. Here’s the lowdown:
What: Your metabolism isn’t actually a “thing” inside your body; rather, it’s a process that happens inside your body. Basically, it’s the process by which your body converts food and drink into energy that your body can use.1
Extra credit: Ever heard of your glucose metabolism? This refers to the way your body converts certain sugars (specifically glucose) into energy.
Where: Metabolism is happening inside every cell in your body. Some parts of your body require more energy to run than others, but everything requires some amount of energy.2
When: Metabolism sustains life. That means that it’s running all the time, even when you’re resting. In fact, the rate at which your metabolism runs while you’re resting—aka your “basal metabolic rate—” accounts for anywhere from 60-80 percent of your daily energy burn.3
Why: Because we’re guessing you want your heart to keep pumping. Every organ in your body needs your metabolism in order to function properly. Your metabolism is responsible for everything from breathing to regulating hormones.4 It’s why your body doesn’t shut down while you sleep, or even while you’re watching reality TV.
Not all metabolisms are created equal.
Although all bodies need a working metabolism to stay alive, not everyone’s metabolism works in the same way or at the same rate. Your basal metabolic rate—the energy your body expends even while resting—is dependent on several factors, including:
- Age: Your driving speed isn’t the only thing that slows down as you get older. Your metabolism does, too. One theory suggests that because muscle mass decreases as we age, and muscles require more energy to function, the metabolism doesn’t have to work as hard to keep everything running smoothly.5
- Gender: Sorry ladies, but the average woman’s basal metabolic rate is likely to be noticeably lower than the average man’s.6
- Body size: Generally speaking, a larger body will have a slower metabolic rate than a smaller body. The underlying reason behind this is still unknown.7
While you may not have control over any of the above factors, there are some things you do have control over that might affect your metabolism. Like most things in the health world, they can basically be boiled down to two things: diet and exercise.
- Diet: Quantity and quality are important when it comes to diet and your metabolism. If you consume too many calories, your resting metabolism won’t be able to burn them off, and if you don’t work them off in another way (see: exercise) they could be stored as fat. But eating right is just as important as eating the right amounts. Some types of foods, like proteins and whole grains, require more work to convert to energy, so your metabolism has to work harder, effectively burning more calories. Junk foods, on the other hand, are digested more easily, so your metabolism doesn’t have to work as hard to process them. Ultimately, this leads to a lower amount of burned calories.8
- Exercise: Muscle cells are one of the most demanding sources of energy in your body. In other words, working your muscles will require your metabolism to work a little harder to keep up. Exercise is considered one of the best ways to give your metabolism an extra kick.9
A long-term focus on diet and exercise is going to be your best bet when it comes to keeping your metabolism active. That said, it never hurts to have a few tricks up your sleeve for giving your metabolism a little extra boost.
6 additional ways to boost your metabolism
- Green tea. It’s not easy being green, but it sure is healthy. When it comes to healthy drinks, green tea maintains a place of honor. It contains polyphenols and antioxidants, both of which have their own impressive set of health benefits. But when it comes to the metabolism, green tea’s caffeine and catechins really shine.10Caffeine, everyone’s favorite wake up call, is known for energizing the metabolism as well,11 and because of the L-theanine in green tea, green tea’s caffeine content doesn’t leave you feeling jittery like other caffeinated drinks do.12Catechins are a type of antioxidant that occur naturally in green tea (more so than in any other drink), and they’re the real metabolism-boosting powerhouse of this tea. They increase the body’s ability to burn fat and expend energy, both important functions of the metabolism. In this way, catechins are often linked not only to metabolic health, but also to weight loss.13(By the way, if green isn’t your color, we happen to know of a certain pink drink that contains ingredients that also support weight loss and a healthy glucose metabolism. Just sayin’.)*
- Stay hydrated. Keeping yourself hydrated is a good idea for many (many) reasons, like maintaining digestive health, heart health, joint health, overall energy, and skin health and appearance. As if you needed another reason to down more H2O, staying hydrated is also associated with increased lipolysis (a fancy word for “fat breakdown”) and weight loss.14The flip side of this is also true: if you’re dehydrated, your metabolism is probably slowing down. One study found that if you lost a certain percentage of your body’s water weight (most likely due to sweat), your metabolic rate would also decline.15We know, we know. You’ve had the “drink more water” message drilled into you before. But if you’re still struggling to drink enough, here are some quick tips:
- Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
- Set timers throughout the day to remind you to drink up.
- If you take medication or vitamins, drink a full glass of water with them.
- Drink eight ounces before and after every meal.
- Pair drinking a glass of water with another common activity, like opening the refrigerator or using the bathroom.
- Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate is actually a plant, but the tea made from that plant is often also referred to as Yerba Mate. It’s a common drink in certain parts of South America, but its popularity is expanding as more and more people discover its health benefits.Yerba Mate naturally contains caffeine, which, as we’ve already discussed, can boost your metabolism. And, similar to green tea, Yerba Mate doesn’t cause the energy spikes and crashes that coffee often does. Plus, it contains several different essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and more.Because of its effect on the metabolism, Yerba Mate may possibly be linked to weight management.16 Some people are wary of consuming excessive amounts of Yerba Mate, because of the caffeine content and because it’s largely unresearched. But if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to coffee, this might be just the ticket, mate.
- Capsaicin. If you’re ready to turn up the heat on your metabolism, you’re going to want to make sure capsaicin is part of your plan. Capsaicin (pronounced cap-say-sin, you’re welcome) is the compound in peppers that give them their heat. Long thought to have pain-relieving properties, capsaicin has an immediate burning effect on anything it comes in contact with17 (which, by the way, is why you should wear food-safe gloves when cooking with spicy peppers. Just trust us.).Capsaicin also has an interesting effect on your metabolism. Known as a “thermogenic” chemical, it may temporarily raise your metabolic rate. One reason for this is the heat itself. Eating spicy food can cause your body temperature to rise, which then automatically puts your body to work cooling itself down. This requires energy—thus, a boost in metabolism.18In addition to its impact on the metabolism, capsaicin may help you lose weight by suppressing your appetite and/or creating feelings of fullness.19 In other words, if you can handle the heat, it might keep you out of the kitchen.
- Accelerator+. If you’re finding it hard to get your daily dose of healthy teas, water, and spicy peppers, you can consider adding a supplement to your routine. Plexus Accelerator+TM contains Yerba Mate and caffeine from green tea, so you’re getting a two-for-one deal on your metabolic boost. Adding this to your healthy diet and regular exercise will help increase your body’s metabolic rate and help your body burn fat more efficiently. It’s fast, it’s simple, and it just might make all the difference in managing your weight.*Want one more way to rev up your metabolism? Say “pretty please!”Okay, since you asked so nicely…(BONUS!) 6. MetaBurnTM. This one is too good to keep to ourselves. This is a revolutionary fat-burning product that zeroes in on your body’s most stubborn fat—you know, the kind that hangs around on your belly, hips, and thighs. Its unique blend of exotic botanicals and extracts work to help keep your metabolism in high gear, helping you lose fat, weight, and/or inches. Plus, MetaBurn includes ingredients that are specifically there to help support mood and even give you a little energy boost, so losing weight^ doesn’t have to make you feel cranky and sluggish anymore. It’s a convenient, healthy way to keep your metabolism doing its job, so you can get the weight loss^ results you’ve been waiting for.*
Revving up your metabolism will only be one piece of your weight management puzzle, but taking these steps to give your metabolism a boost might be a great start. Try these little changes, keep living healthy, and get ready to feel the burn.
References/Sources:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508
- https://www.vox.com/2016/5/18/11685254/metabolism-definition-booster-weight-loss
- https://www.vox.com/2016/5/18/11685254/metabolism-definition-booster-weight-loss
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8361073
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329930/
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/principles-of-physiology/metabolism-and-thermoregulation/a/metabolic-rate
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/junk-food-and-metabolism#section2
- https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/how-to-boost-your-metabolism
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea#section3
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7369170
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/is-it-time-to-replace-your-coffee-with-matcha/2016/08/10/da5dd9b0-5f0a-11e6-8e45-477372e89d78_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.917ff82c98d7
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/23345-green-tea-benefits-metabolism/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/
- https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/archive/2003/news_74.php
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315195/
- https://draxe.com/capsaicin/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/cayenne-pepper-for-weight-loss#research
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10743483
Disclaimers:
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
^When combined with a reduced calorie weight loss diet plan.
