How to increase your metabolism --- by Jenny Stamos Kovacs

Your metabolism may be slow, but it’s not all your genes’ fault.
And being fat is not your fate.
Everyone
-- no matter how old, overweight, or out of shape --
has the power to increase his metabolism.

Here’s how:

Increase your body’s need for energy.

One such time is during exercise.Strength training with heavier than usual weights uses up energy, too -- in order to repair small (healthy) muscle tears.

You can also increase your metabolism by eating foods that require extra energy to digest and metabolize; for example, protein.

To increase your metabolism -- and keep it humming -- practice the following habits:

--> Build some brawn.

--> Burn, baby, burn. Integrating high intensity intervals into your workout.

--> Hit the sack. Lack of sleep can decrease the number of calories your body burns just resting, which makes a serious roadblock to weight loss.

--> Eat often. Eating every 2 to 3 hours. People who eat every 2 to 3 hours have less body fat and faster metabolisms than those who eat only 2 or 3 meals per day.

--> But eat right. Doesn’t mean snacking. Make each mini-meal complete -- with a serving of vegetables and a healthy source of protein like eggs, chicken, or nuts.

--> Go fish.Fish oil increases levels of fat-burning enzymes and decreases levels of fat-storage enzymes in your body. Choose capsules containing at least 300 milligrams of EPA and DHA total.

--> Keep your cool.Keeping ourselves too comfortable reduces the energy we expend to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

--> Let’s get physical. Never sit when you can stand, or stand still when you can walk.