Metabolism of a body is defined as the rate at which the calories consumed by a body in the form of food; are converted into essential energy for performing various body functions.Therefore, it is very important to maintain a high and efficient metabolic rate of the body, so that there is no accumulation of fat.

The natural way of attaining an efficient metabolic rate is to incorporate certain physical activities in one’s life. Active lifestyle plays a very crucial role in maintaining optimum metabolic rate of the body. Few natural ways of stimulating metabolic rates are –

• eating healthy,
• regular exercise,
• reducing stress ,
• meal planning  and
• Adequate sleep.

Exercise in any forms helps to increase the efficiency of metabolism. Exercises helps to increase the oxygen level of the body and thus acts as metabolic booster.So, weight bearing exercises, aerobics, yoga, breathing exercises are few activities worth including in our life..

Metabolism tends to slow as we grow old.So, if we have the habit of exercising on a regular basis, then it’s always better to increase number of repetitions or add more resistance or weight to regular exercise.

It’s said -“breakfast like king, lunch like queen and dinner like popper”. This means, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Neglecting breakfast slows down the metabolic rate.

After a gap of 8-10 hrs, it’s very essential to eat a very healthy and nutritious breakfast. This helps to boost the metabolic rate to optimum level and ensures that body utilizes all the calories and does not store them as fat.

It’s very important to eat small and frequent meals. By doing so, there is continuous supply of calories to the body and therefore, the body speeds up its metabolic rate to burn those calories throughout the day.

In such cases, as there are sufficient and regular supply of food, body do not feel the need to store food in the form of fat . However, when we eat big meals or skip meals body stores the food and so this slows down the metabolism.Therefore, one should eat small meals 4-6 times in a day.

Eating right food is also important. So; healthy and nutritious food like whole wheat grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, soya, eggs, meat and skimmed milk should be included in diet.

Sugary food items, aerated drinks etc should be avoided. Instead green tea which is rich in antioxidants and at least 8-12 glasses of water should be part of healthy meal plans.

After a tedious work, it’s very essential to relax . So; sufficient amount of sleep helps body to de-stress and prepares it for the next day’s activity. Stress is one of the most common problems in today’ life.

Physical and emotional stress triggers our body to release a steroid called cortisol, which slows down our metabolism.So; people should also practice meditation and yoga for de-stressing themselves.