How Can I Boost My Metabolism Naturally?

How Can I Boost My Metabolism Naturally? Top Tips and Tricks

Writer: Jordan Stachel

Are you wondering how you can boost your metabolism? You're far from alone. After all, who wouldn't want a more efficient metabolism to help them along each day? Read this article for expert tips on faster fat loss and discover the proven strategies to enhance your metabolism naturally through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes for better health.

Exercise

Finding ways to move and exercise the body helps boost metabolism. Exercise helps your body process the foods that you eat and use the foods that you eat for energy. [1] In addition, regular exercise can help improve body composition. When you complete strength-building types of workouts, this helps to put more muscle on your body.

Having more muscle, in general, helps to boost metabolism. [1] Muscles are living tissues; they increase your metabolism by requiring the body to do more work to keep it alive. Try some of these strength-building types of exercises if you are looking to build muscle:

• Weight training
• Pilates
• Bodyweight movements like squats, planks, or sit-ups
• Walking
• Running
• Hiking
• Biking

In general, finding an exercise routine that you enjoy and that works well for you is best so that you can be consistent. If you can be consistent with exercise, you will get the most benefit to your metabolism. Use some of these tips and tricks for starting a movement routine: Start with a small and achievable goal, like walking for ten minutes at a time, one to two times per day.

Foods

Maintaining a well-balanced diet is key for boosting the metabolism. If you are not fueling correctly, it can wreak havoc on your digestion, causing a slower or more sluggish metabolism. Choosing the right foods and combinations of foods can be very helpful for boosting your metabolism. If you need more personalized guidance, it can be helpful to consult a qualified healthcare provider such as a dietitian.

First, eating enough of the right kinds of foods is important for boosting metabolism. Protein is a crucial macronutrient that feeds your lean muscle mass. As stated above, muscle is a living tissue that costs your body energy. Feeding your body by giving it enough protein will help to preserve your muscle tissue. [2] If you are looking for ways to boost your protein intake, try some of these meal and snack ideas:

Breakfast: Greek yogurt (protein source) with granola and berries Snack: hard-boiled egg (protein source) with a cheese stick Lunch: turkey (protein source) sandwich and crackers Snack: cottage cheese (protein source) and an apple Dinner: stir fry with tofu (protein source), brown rice, and veggies

Another food that may help to naturally boost metabolism is spice. If you can handle spice in your food, it may also rev up your metabolism. [3] There is a food component in spicy foods known as capsaicin. This is found in chili peppers, and there has been some research to show that it is helpful for metabolism. If you don't mind a little extra spiciness, try adding chili peppers into stir-fries, soups, or other meals you eat for a little metabolic boost.

Lastly, drinking certain beverages like green tea can be a helpful metabolic boost. [4] Green tea has certain antioxidants in it, in addition to caffeine (sometimes), that help to speed up the metabolism. Green tea is particularly rich in a nutrient known as epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), which has been shown to help process sugars and burn fat. [4] Next time you are at a coffee shop, try a matcha latte (a more concentrated form of green tea) or ask for a green tea with some citrus and honey added to it.

Sleep

Sleep is a key tip for boosting your metabolism. If you are not sleeping long enough or well enough, it can affect the metabolism in negative ways. This is because lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep alters how your body metabolizes glucose (or sugars) that you eat, making it less efficient. [5] In addition, poor sleep leads to shifts in other hormones that also affect the metabolism, like ghrelin and leptin. These hormones help to tell your body when it is hungry and when it is full.

When you are not sleeping long enough or sound enough, the levels of leptin and ghrelin get disrupted. As a result, your body has a hard time knowing when it is hungry and when it is full. Often when people are not sleeping well, their hunger hormone signals more often, telling them that they are still hungry or to keep eating even after they are full. This leads to a poor metabolic rate. [5]

When you are sleeping long enough and sound enough, your hormones are well-regulated. This will allow your body to signal appropriately when it is hungry and will also signal to you when it is full so that you stop eating. This leads to a healthier metabolism. [5]

If you are looking to improve your sleep hygiene, try some of these tips:

• Stop the use of technology at least an hour before bed.
• Try eating dinner earlier in the evening.
• Try to exercise earlier in the day, rather than later.
• Try to get outside during the day a couple of times to help regulate your circadian rhythm (your body's internal clock).
• Make sure your bedroom is set up for sleep, making any changes to sounds, sheets, or temperature to make you more comfortable.

Reduce Stress

Lastly, working to reduce stress levels can help to boost your metabolism. If you are someone who has high stress levels, it can negatively affect your metabolism because the stress hormone known as cortisol is higher. [6] When cortisol levels are high, and your body constantly thinks that it is in danger, it enters survival mode.

When the body is in survival mode, it will negatively affect the metabolism because the body will hold on to fat as a survival technique. The body doesn't know if you are stressed and being chased by a bear or just extra stressed with work deadlines, and it will have a hard time letting go of fat tissue.

When stress levels are lower, your body is in a more relaxed, energy-friendly state. This has a better effect on your hunger hormones mentioned above so that the body will properly signal when it is hungry and when it is full. Your body will also feel generally safer when stress levels are lower, so it won't feel as though it needs to store fat. [6]

Try some of these tips and tricks for reducing stress levels:

• Try a new stress-relieving activity like meditation.
• Exchange technology for other things like reading or drawing.
• Engage in physical activity.
• Spend time around animals and people who lower stress levels.

Measure Hormones That Impact Your Metabolism Today With Everlywell

Everlywell offers a variety of at-home testing options that you can take to understand how your metabolism is running. From testing your blood insulin and hormone levels to receiving guidance from qualified practitioners, you don't have to go on this journey alone. Take the first steps today to a healthier you with the help of Everlywell.

Bibliography

1. Thyfault J, Bergouignan A. Exercise and metabolic health: beyond skeletal muscle. Diabetologia. 2020;63(8):1464-1474. doi:10.1007/s00125-020-05177-6. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-020-05177-6.
2. Moon J, Koh G. Clinical evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. 2020;29(3):166-173. doi:10.7570/jomes20028. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://www.jomes.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.7570/jomes20028
3. Writer S. Does eating spicy foods have health benefits? | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Published November 22, 2024. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/does-eating-spicy-foods-have-health-benefits/
4. Thavanesan N. The putative effects of green tea on body fat: an evaluation of the evidence and a review of the potential mechanisms. British Journal of Nutrition. 2011;106(9):1297-1309. doi:10.1017/s0007114511003849. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/putative-effects-of-green-tea-on-body-fat-an-evaluation-of-the-evidence-and-a-review-of-the-potential-mechanisms/2B360DD0B64C7A1CD603FE13D369026B
5. Sharma S, Kavuru M. Sleep and Metabolism: An Overview. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2010;2010:1-12. doi:10.1155/2010/270832. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2010/270832
6. You guessed it: Long-Term stress can make you gain weight. Cleveland Clinic. Published January 23, 2025. Accessed February 10, 2025. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/stress-and-weight-gain