Here are some useful tips to get your metabolism fired up and burning calories.

Do Not Skip Meals or Drastically Reduce Your Caloric Intake.

If your body senses that food is scarce, it will slow your metabolism down significantly to conserve energy. The result is that when you finally do eat, even if you have a healthy meal, your body will be slower to use the calories as fuel. You will burn less calories which leads to extra pounds over time.

If you are trying to lose weight but keep your metabolism fired up, a good thing to keep in mind is to cut your caloric intake by no more than 500 calories per day and never less than 1200 calories total each day. Once you determine your goal for calorie consumption, divide those calories into 6 different small meals/snacks through out the day.

Eat More Protein

The average person would benefit from protein intake at a minimum of 70 grams or higher each day. Research shows that protein helps to stabilize the secretion of insulin into your blood stream, a process that can affect metabolism. Increasing your daily protein intake is easy to do. Simply add more lean meats or fish to your meals. If you are vegan, you can add foods that boast a higher amount of protein per serving such as quinoa and tofu. A protein shake is a simple way to add protein to your diet. There is a vast variety of great tasting protein shakes out there to try. Just make sure you are using a protein powder that is not full of sugar, additives, and preservatives. Read the labels carefully. You can chose from low carb, low calorie, and vegan protein powders to help your body burn calories efficiently while keeping your body energized and fit.

Dec 15, 2007