4️⃣ ways to ‘boost’ your metabolism! 👉🏼 In clinic I’m often asked for ways to boost a ‘slow metabolism’ .. but before you reach for the green tea (unless you enjoy it that is!) .. read on! BACKGROUND 🤓 Our total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), ie the amount of energy (calories) our body exerts throughout the day, is made up of our ⬇️ ⁣ 🫁 Basal metabolic rate (BMR) - This contributes the majority of our daily energy expenditure (60-70%) through simply being alive and maintaining bodily functions such as breathing & regulating body temperature.⁣ ⁣ 🍽 Thermic effect of feeding (TEF) - The energy expended by our body digesting, metabolising and storing the nutrients we consume through food - this contributes to around 10% of our TDEE. ⁣ 🧹 Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) - The energy expended through movement throughout the day, e.g standing from your desk, going up/down the stairs or doing the housework. On average, this contributes to around 15-20% of our TDEE. ⁣ 🏋🏻‍♀️ Exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT) - The energy exerted through physical activity. Surprisingly for some, this only contributes around 5-10% (for most people) of our total energy expenditure. 🤔 So can we increase the number of calories, Ie the amount of energy, that our body burns? YES. 1️⃣ Build Muscle – Muscle burns calories so make sure to include resistance exercise weekly (ideally twice a week); i.e. lifting weights or doing body weighted exercises such as squats. The more muscle you have the higher your daily metabolic rate will be. 2️⃣ Get more Active – Reduce your sitting time. The more you move, the more calories you will burn and the higher your metabolic rate! 3️⃣ Include Protein with every Meal – Protein not only helps us to feel full but it takes more calories to digest than carbs and fat; in turn boosting your metabolic rate. Meat, fish, eggs, milk, yoghurt, beans & lentils all contain protein. 4️⃣ Turn down the Heat – Regulating the body’s core temperature burns calories and it’s thought that our over reliance of heating and air conditioning is one of the causes of our expanding waist lines! 🤨 Has anything surprised you here? #dietitian #metabolism