11 Super Tips for How to Increase Metabolism After 40

What does it mean when you hear people accusing their metabolism of their weight? Especially when they cross 40th year of age. Or when they tell you about a certain someone who eats all the time but doesn’t gain a single ounce of weight because a high metabolism.

Perhaps you have heard this one complaint from at least one or two of your friends or someone in your family. You might have just nodded in agreement not being sure what they exactly mean but you secretly wanted to know how to increase metabolism after 40.

Today, you will solve this metabolism confusion as we are here to answer questions like; what metabolism is, is it really to blame for your weight, what precisely is the function of metabolism in the fluctuations of weight, do your genes have an impact on your metabolism, can working out, medications or specific food items, accelerate a slow metabolism and was metabolic rate’s significance merely a myth?

We also recently wrote about herbs that may help you get fit, which you might like to read.

What is metabolism?

The majority of people have this vague idea about metabolism and weight loss. They think it is related to weight loss which is partially true because the metabolic rate study involves research of cells building up, processing and breaking down of fats. But metabolism is far more than that.

Metabolism would be described as a chain of biochemical reactions that produce and break energy essential for life in a living system. Simply put, your body uses energy or burns calories at this speed. Calories that are mixed in what we eat or drink are merged with oxygen to deliver the body the energy it needs. This complicated cycle is vital to keep us alive.

So even when you are resting, your body requires energy for respiration, hormonal adjustment, maintenance of your cells and most importantly your body needs energy for blood circulation. The number of calories that your body requires for these essential functions is called the basal metabolic rate.

The type of metabolism you have is not in your control or anyone’s for that matter. Individuals who inherit genes of a faster metabolism can eat a lot without putting on any weight.

On the other hand, individuals who are born inheriting a slow metabolism can eat less and still manage to gain weight.

So if you have a high metabolism, your body will burn a higher number of calories while you are resting or during activity. A fast metabolism implies that to uphold your weight consuming more calories is what you need.

This is one reason which allows some individuals to eat more than others without affecting their weight. An individual with a slow metabolism will burn fewer calories while doing any activity and resting thus are forced to eat less to minimize the risk of being overweight.

Multiple elements, which include the size of your body and formation, ascertain the person’s basal metabolism. Your sex also determines your metabolism. Women have more body fat and less muscle than men generally do of the same age group and weight, which implies that men burn a greater amount of calories.

Another factor of your metabolism is your age. The muscle quantity reduces as you age and the weight you have is more of the fats in your body. This suggests that calories start to burn slower as you age and metabolism decreases with age.

It is valid that metabolism has to do with weight.

However, slow metabolism is seldom the consequence of excess weight, opposite to popular perception. While your metabolic rate affects the core energy requirements of a body, the factors that strongly influence your weight are how much you consume with how much regular exercise you receive.

Why does your metabolism slow down after 40?

Metabolism is vital to understand as it is one fundamental aspect of weight management. The metabolic rate is the way a body generates energy from the food it requires.

Factors such as starving yourself because of a certain diet and lounging for long hours slow your metabolism considerably whilst workout, healthy food and a proper sleep routine are known to improve your metabolism. A good start is to know and understand the type of your metabolism as it will help you begin burning your fat and with weight management.

As we mentioned earlier, age is one of the factors that contribute to your metabolism. The frequency changes as you grow older. The changes, for the majority, start at approximately the age of 30. But, of course, the beginning of the process may vary according to one’s genes. Your metabolic rate ages quicker and every ten years slows its tempo by 5%.

Upon turning 45, you burn 200 calories less each day than you did 20 years ago which results in around twelve pounds of extra gained weight annually.

The dynamic metabolism cycle also influences all processes in your body, such as the amount of energy you have and your psychological functions. Our hormones oscillate as we grow older. Not only that but the muscle we lose decreases the metabolic rate of our bodies and substitutes your lean muscle tissue with fat that typically resides in your stomach, buttocks and thighs.

What is the most natural way to increase metabolism?

How to increase metabolism after 40 isn’t as hard as you think it might be. You just need to make a few shifts in your lifestyle. We’re going to talk about some simple ways you can speed up metabolism.

Add protein to your meals:

Metabolic rate can be boosted for a while when you eat food. This is known as the Specific dynamic action, it’s also termed as the thermic effect of food (TEF). Specific dynamic action can differ considerably.

The most difficult food to process and use for your body is protein. As a result, 20-30% of protein calories during the processing and the release of the heat are expended from your body. This is why plenty of protein should be added to all meals.

In contrast, carbs are used up more easily by our bodies so 5-10% of carbs calories are lost in fermentation. 

Protein will also minimize the fall in metabolic rate frequently correlated with fat loss. This is because it eliminates muscle loss, a general side effect of dieting.

Fix your sleeping patterns:

Sleep and rest are important for overall health and metabolic health is no exception. Inadequate sleep has been shown to have profound effects on metabolism. Therefore, in order to keep your metabolism in perfect shape, you need to focus on getting at least 8 hours of night sleep.

Standing:

Excessive lounging is terrible for your well-being. Sitting for hours can burn lesser calories which automatically promotes gaining weight. If you have to sit all day at work, 174 calories are burnt if you stand up for brief periods to divide the time you spend plunking down.

Exercise:

When you workout, your body burns energy which is exactly what metabolism does. However, one benefit of exercise to speed up metabolism is that when you exercise, your body continues to burn up to 190 extra calories within 14 hours after the exercise.

The more water the better:

A natural way to increase metabolism after 40 is drinking enough water. Individuals who have water to drink rather than gulping down soft drinks are progressively effective at getting more fit and maintaining it. This is because soft drinks hold many calories, hence substituting them with water consequently diminishes your calorie consumption.

Be that as it may, water may likewise incidentally accelerate your metabolism after 40. Research indicates that consuming 0.5 liters of water raises RMR (resting metabolic rate) by 10 to 30 percent for nearly 60 minutes. Another follow up study concluded that drinking 500 ml of water increased energy expenditure of body by 24 percent.

This burning of calorie impact might be much more prominent on the off chance that you consume cold water, as your body utilizes vitality to warm it up to internal heat level. Water will aid your stomach to fill up, too.

10 Foods that speed up your metabolism

Most of the healthiest foods which improve metabolic rate are created from basic ingredients.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with valuable nutrients and vitamins which enhance your metabolic rate and your body is provided the support it requires. Here is a list of the easiest foods that can be added to your shopping list to rev up your metabolism after 40:

1.Lentils

Complex carbohydrates can be found densely in lentils. They include metabolism-enhancing nutrients that aid the fat in your body to burn. In case you are a vegetarian, lentils are extremely rich in protein, fat-low, and can be an ideal replacement for meat!

2. Beans

Beans are great for your heart. They not only enhance your metabolic rate but provide vitamin B as well.

3. Berries

Complex carbs and fiber are found abundantly in berries which is why they are great metabolic rate enhancers. As per research at Kansas State University, fiber accelerates the digestion process. Many delicious berries can be included in your routines such as strawberries, blueberries or blackberries.

4. Oats

If you consume fiber-rich whole grains, like oatmeal, your body burns almost twice the calories as compared to the packaged foods. Oats are also low in GI (glycemic index). They support and keep you properly digested. 

5. Garlic

Garlic bolsters adjusted glucose and solid digestion. Research has likewise demonstrated that adding garlic to your meals can expand the number of calories consumed for the day while diminishing the body’s generation of fat.

6. Coconut oil

Coconut oil attempts to keep a solid balance of good microorganisms in your gut, which is essential for productive processing. It is also a high-fat substance which attempts to give your digestion a lift. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fats, a kind of fat that paces up your digestion more than the fats found in products like margarine.

7. Green tea

It has been proven to improve metabolism by 5 percent. It allows to turn some of the body’s fat into fatty acids, which can improve the burning of fat by 10 to 17 percent. Because it is low-calorie, consuming green tea might be beneficial for dieting and weight management. However, we are obligated to inform you that a few researchers have found that green tea doesn’t influence metabolism. Thus, their influence on metabolism might be narrow, but rather it could just pertain to some individuals.

8. Hot peppers:

These spicy peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which can increase metabolic rate and reduce appetite.

9. Cinnamon:

This ages old spice is known for its positive effects on regulating blood sugar levels, which can improve metabolism and reduce cravings.

10. Apple cider vinegar:

Another home remedy to speed up metabolism after 40 is apple cider vinegar. This can help regulate blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and increase metabolism. However, always use it in diluted form, because it can be hard on your stomach because of its acid content.

Intermittent fasting and metabolism

Intermittent fasting is one effective way to lose weight, as well as to improve health. What is it? Putting it in simple words, intermittent fasting is not about what to eat, but rather ? when to eat. These are eating patterns where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. It is currently one of the most popular health and fitness trends.

There are several different methods for intermittent fasting, some of which split the day or week into fasting or eating periods. It is as easy as it sounds, you might as well think of it this way ? many people already are fasting while sleeping, so really, extending that fasting period would be the simplest way to describe intermittent fasting.

You can do this by skipping breakfast and head straight for lunch at noon, and a meal in the evening, round about 8 pm which would count as your dinner. That way, you’re technically fasting for 16 hours per day, and restricting your diet to an 8-hour time span. This is the most popular, yet the simplest way of intermittent fasting, known as the 16/8 method.

Intermittent fasting speeds up your metabolism. As weight loss is the primary source of motivation for those who opt for intermittent fasting and as seen in a few reports, weight loss of 3 to 8 percent of body weight lost in 3 to 24 weeks has been reported. For a 200-pound person, this is approximately 6 to 16 pounds.

Fasting seems to be a safe and potentially more reliable way to lose weight bettering the quality of life. However intermittent fasting is not for everyone to try.

How to kickstart your metabolism in the morning?

Here are a few things that you can do in the morning to boost metabolism for rest of the day.

First of all, hydrate yourself as soon as you wake up because your body has been without water for about 8 hours. And 500 ml water is a great liquid to speed up metabolism by 34 percent for at least an hour. We do not recommend overdrinking water but a glass of water could be your secret 30 second morning habit to speed up metabolism after 40.

Another habit you need to have is to have a healthy protein, healthy fats and fiber rich breakfast. This will jumpstart your metabolism for the day.

And finally the never failing method of boosting metabolism in the morning is physical activity. Try to engage in about 30 minutes of rigorous physical activity and your metabolism will be optimum.

Very low-calorie diet and metabolism

A semi-starvation diet or a very low-calorie diet is a diet that allows you to eat 800 kilocalories. It allows you a very low intake of daily food energy.

Having a very low-calorie diet therapy can have dire consequences for metabolism. To lose weight, people often embark on the path of a calorie diet to fulfill this objective.

Be that as it may, imposing harmful limits on the calories you consume can have minor or substantial problems and negative consequences on your health. one of the biggest issues with low calorie diet is that it slows down metabolism.

If you are not eating as much as you should, the body begins breaking muscles to generate glucose, which is then used to give your body energy. This is known as survival mode. Due to the lack of calories, the body limits the metabolic rate to protect energy.

How long does it take to speed up metabolism?

The time taken to increase metabolic rate after 40 is dependent on various factors. Some of these include the kind of diet you were already eating, the physical activity level before and after and more importantly your starting metabolism.

At the minimum, it will take about a couple of weeks to notice any increased metabolism as body adjusts to new changes you will make to diet and lifestyle. Though you will most definitely see a change in metabolism resulting from positive dietary changes and physical activity, but the key here is to stay consistent for the long term.

Keep in mind that everyone’s metabolism is unique, and some people may experience a faster or slower increase in metabolism compared to others. It’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice.

Summary

You can speed up your metabolism by consuming more fruits, vegetables and protein. It guarantees your stomach to feel complete, your body stays fueled and your body will be provided the basic amino alkaloid acids required to regenerate cells and heal your tissues and cells.

Exercising your muscles will strengthen and this will automatically help you sleep better. Research has revealed that an individual needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep in order of their body to function favorably. Getting the required sleep can also help manage the optimal weight.

Taking this route will help you be able to lose the extra pounds, burn your fat, give you a healthy brain. Your immune system will remain strengthened and you’ll always feel energized.

Also remember that every person has a unique metabolism rate and different people will see different rates of increase in metabolism. It is also advised to talk to your doctor for a more personalized advice about how to increase metabolism after 40, especially if you are suffering from any existing medical conditions.