How to increase basal metabolic rate: lifestyle and dietary adjustments

**How ​​to increase basal metabolic rate**

We know that basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the minimum amount of energy the body needs to maintain vital functions, and the body's energy expenditure has three main pathways: diet, activity, and BMR. BMR plays a crucial role in these three pathways. If you want to lose weight, it's more practical to increase your BMR than to painstakingly restrict your diet. This will not only help you achieve your ideal weight but also give you a youthful glow. BMR is the minimum amount of energy consumed by vital organs to function, and it gradually decreases with age. A high BMR indicates youthful bodily function and high energy expenditure; conversely, a low BMR indicates reduced energy expenditure and declining bodily function. The healthiest and most effective way to increase BMR is through exercise and a balanced diet. For those who want to lose weight, the first step is to reduce calorie intake while maintaining a balanced diet, and then find ways to increase BMR.

First, cultivate good lifestyle habits. ① Ensure sufficient sleep. When we rest (sleep), our metabolic rate decreases by 10% to 15%. This is why people who often stay in bed and sleep in are prone to weight gain. Exceeding our required sleep time and continuing to stay in bed keeps our basal metabolic rate at a low level, preventing energy from being metabolized normally. However, if we sleep too little each day, it will also affect our basal metabolic rate. Sleep time is also a time for the body's organs to rest and cells to repair; insufficient rest weakens metabolic capacity. Therefore, ensuring seven to eight hours of sleep each night allows our organs to rest better, resulting in better metabolic capacity. ② If you need to stay up late for work, it is recommended to supplement with foods rich in B vitamins, or directly supplement with B vitamins such as B₁, B₂, B₆, B₁₂, folic acid, and niacin. Vitamin B is a water-soluble vitamin and is not easily stored in the body. It plays a significant role in promoting metabolism, providing energy, and protecting nerve tissue cells. Modern lifestyles often involve irregular work and meal times, leading to nutritional imbalances and a deficiency in B vitamins, which negatively impacts health. Therefore, regular supplementation with B vitamins is highly beneficial for promoting metabolism. ③ Develop a habit of taking baths. Bathing is another simple way to boost metabolism. Repeatedly immersing yourself in hot water promotes vasoconstriction and vasodilation, stimulating sweat glands. A cycle of 3 minutes of bathing followed by 5 minutes of rest, repeated three times, can unknowingly burn a significant amount of energy, with excellent results. Simultaneously, bathing promotes the renewal of old skin cells, keeping skin smooth and delicate. It's worth noting that people with heart conditions are not suitable for saunas or frequent hot baths. In such cases, a traditional health remedy-soaking feet in hot water-is a better alternative. This not only dilates the capillaries in the feet, promoting blood circulation throughout the body, but also increases cell permeability, enhances metabolism, achieves fitness benefits, and improves cold feet.

Second, ensure sufficient calorie intake. ① Multiply your current weight in kilograms by 22 (or use your basal metabolic rate multiplied by a coefficient) to get your daily calorie requirement. If you reduce your food intake, your body will mistakenly think you are starving and will need to balance it. This will cause your basal metabolic rate, used to maintain breathing and heartbeat, to automatically decrease, dropping by 20% to 30%. This will affect the normal functioning of your body. In severe cases, it can lead to malnutrition. Therefore, people who don't get enough nutrition and only eat fruits and vegetables, especially those who only eat two apples, will experience lethargy, drowsiness, and fatigue. ② Use sufficient protein to burn calories. Ensure that 10% to 20% of your daily calorie requirement comes from protein. It can increase your metabolic rate, allowing you to burn an extra 150 to 200 calories per day. The main component of protein is amino acids. Compared to fats and carbohydrates, amino acids are more difficult for the body to digest and break down, requiring more energy from the body's major organs to digest and absorb them. Eating starchy, sugary, and fatty foods only meets the body's needs and does not increase the metabolic rate. Protein, on the other hand, warms the body and raises body temperature after consumption. ③ Eat a proper breakfast on time. Our metabolic rate slows down while we sleep. When we eat breakfast, our digestive system is activated, begins to move, and absorbs nutrients. Metabolism speeds up as digestion resumes. If you skip breakfast, your body has to wait until lunchtime to start burning calories and speeding up metabolism. This means you're automatically giving up the three hours of energy metabolism time provided by breakfast. If you're trying to lose weight, breakfast is essential.