You’ve probably seen dozens of tips on  how to speed up your metabolism . Most of them, of course, focus on weight loss. This is common: when we talk about weight gain, we immediately think of metabolic changes. But this rate interferes with many other factors that prevent the body from functioning properly.

Therefore, in this article, we want to show the importance of maintaining a balanced metabolism, with information about the functions impacted by this condition and how it is possible to adopt habits to speed up the metabolism, if yours is slower than expected.

What is the much talked about metabolism?

As with everything in life, balance is essential for the body to function well. This means that, in this case, neither extreme is recommended. However, before talking about slow or fast metabolism, it is important to understand what metabolism and basal metabolic rate are.

The first  concerns all biochemical reactions that occur inside a cell and our body . These reactions may be related to the synthesis of organic compounds or the breakdown of these compounds to produce energy. Thus, we see that metabolism is fundamental for the maintenance of all the activities of our organism.

The  basal metabolic rate  is a calculation that determines a person’s energy needs . In other words, it is the amount of energy the body consumes to keep itself functioning properly. This value can vary according to age, lifestyle and other individual factors.

What is the difference between an organism with a slow and a fast metabolism?

A person with a fast metabolism generally consumes a greater amount of calories throughout the day . For this reason, they are less likely to accumulate fat than people with a slower metabolism. Although the main sign of a fast metabolism is the ease of maintaining weight — or even losing weight — there are other signs of this condition, such as health problems (hyperthyroidism, infections, fever, problems with the immune system, for example).

On the other hand,  a slow metabolism takes longer to digest food, which causes fat to accumulate.  However, the weight gain characteristic of this condition is not its only symptom. Thus, people with a slow metabolism may also experience cellulite formation, hair loss, dry skin, fatigue and excessive cravings for sugar.

Is it possible to speed up metabolism?

Metabolic slowness can be related to a series of conditions, which can range from genetic predisposition to dysfunctions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes, including stress and the use of certain medications — as in the case of corticosteroids.

For this reason, it is essential to have an  evaluation by an  endocrinologist , who will identify the causes and ways to treat and balance the metabolism.  Even so, as we have already said, lifestyle can have an important impact on maintaining the metabolic rate. Therefore, it is possible, by changing or adopting some habits, to encourage the acceleration of the metabolism.

How to speed up your metabolism by changing your habits

We don’t always realize that small actions can have beneficial consequences for our overall health, such as speeding up our metabolism and, consequently, increasing our energy and quality of life. Therefore, we have selected a set of practices that can easily be incorporated into your routine to help in this improvement process:

• Drink more liquids  (water, natural juices, green tea). If you drink them cold, even better!
• Increase your protein intake  (lean meats, eggs). In addition to consuming more energy during digestion, protein also stimulates the production of muscle mass;
• add thermogenic foods  to your diet – pepper, ginger and cinnamon, for example, stimulate the central nervous system and metabolism;
• The B vitamins (B1, B2, and B6) aid in the conversion of energy from carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.
• To boost your metabolism exercise 3.4 times in a week. If you can raise the load, that is much better! High-intensity workouts can increase metabolism for up to 4 hours afterward.
• sleep well  – sleep deprivation is linked to  increased cortisol production  and reduced insulin sensitivity, among other changes that can cause metabolic imbalance;
• combat stress  – cortisol in action once again! Released in stressful situations, it increases hunger and the accumulation of visceral fat and plays a leading role in the  development of metabolic syndrome .