Originally published December 13 2005
Health expert provides readers with strategies for improving their metabolism
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Michael Carrera, MSc, explains how eating habits and exercise can be used to increase your metabolism.
Furthermore, we also have plenty of research which clearly illustrates the need to follow a program that includes both cardiovascular and resistance training.
However, one question I often get asked is, How exactly can I increase my metabolism?
Your metabolism or how much energy your body burns or needs to stay alive on a daily basis is usually expressed in calories and is different for everyone.
We all have different speeds of metabolism which is determined by factors such as age, sex, gender and of course, genetic predisposition.
However the one thing we all have in common are the three basic components of total metabolism: resting metabolic rate (RMR), physical activity or exercise and the thermic effect of food (TEF).
Exercise accounts for at least 20% to 30% of the body's total energy use and the thermic effect of food or the amount of energy or calories burned to digest and absorb your food is approximately 10% of total metabolism.
For example, if you were to eat 2000 calories in a day, your body would use approximately 200 calories to digest and absorb the food.
Exercise and meal frequency can help you burn more calories which contributes to metabolism (remember: exercise accounts for at least 20% to 30% of energy use), but can also increase the amount of calories your body uses to burn food (aka, the thermic effect of food).
First of all, studies show that for every pound of muscle that the average human gains, there can be an increase of 35 to 50 calories burned in a day.
Gain 10 pounds of muscle by following a structured resistance training program and you burn an extra 350 to 500 calories/day without changing how you eat or the amount that you exercise.
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