How to Improve Metabolism: 9 Ways to Boost Health and Lose Weight

Introduction

This guide provides nine comprehensive strategies on how to improve metabolism, minimise weight gain, have better energy and help prevent the cascade of metabolic health issues, including fatigue, insulin resistance, and increased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, that come with poor metabolic health.

Before we learn how to improve metabolism, we first need to understand what it is.

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes that occur in your body to maintain life. It’s the engine that drives every function in your body. It’s not just about calories in and calories out. It’s about how our bodies keep us alive. 

From the moment you wake up to the time you fall asleep, your metabolism is working, converting the food you eat into the energy that powers your cells, muscles, and brain. 

It regulates your body temperature, builds and repairs cells, supports your immune system, and ensures that every organ functions optimally.

A Metabolism Myth

You might be surprised to learn the findings of this 2021 study, which found that our metabolic rate doesn’t change between the ages of 20-60. 

It only slows down very gradually after age 60. 

So any weight gain with menopause, especially belly fat through our late 40’s and early 50’s is more likely because we are eating too much of the wrong foods and not moving enough.

PRO-TIP : Eat homemade food, move more. Get professional dietary and exercise advice if what you are doing isn’t working.

Boost metabolism - woman with great energy

How to Improve Metabolism:

9 Ways to Boost Health & Lose Weight

#1 Improve diet composition. Eat more nutrient-rich foods

Focus on a healthy diet high in plant-based foods, lean meat and fish (ideally higher welfare, organic or wild), complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

These foods help manage blood sugar levels, which can otherwise contribute to insulin resistance and fat storage.

Fibre-rich foods like leafy greens, beans, and whole grains help with digestion and keep you fuller for longer.

Complex carbohydrates found in brown rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes provide sustained energy without spiking blood sugar levels.

Healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and olive oil support brain function and heart health.

Lean proteins such as chicken, fish, tofu, and legumes help maintain muscle mass, provide the building blocks for all cellular processes and curbs appetite.

Nutrient-rich foods to include in your daily diet are wild salmon, sardines, kale, broccoli, seaweed, garlic, shellfish, liver, berries, eggs, avocado, dark chocolate, berries, nuts & seeds.

You may like to read my blog on healthy eating. You’ll learn why it’s so important to eat well, how to pack your diet with nutrient-rich food, ways to lose weight and more.

PRO-TIP : Eat natural unprocessed food and choose food packed with nutrients.

Healthy diet - lean proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats and fibre

#2 Enjoy fat-burning foods

Increase fat-burning foods such as lean proteins, whole grains, and leafy greens. They require more energy for digesting and absorbing these foods.  

🍵 Green tea, black tea, or oolong tea can provide a temporary increase in metabolism. These teas contain antioxidants and caffeine, which stimulate fat burning and improve metabolic function

🌶 Chilli peppers are great too. They contain capsaicin, a compound that can increase your body temperature and energy expenditure, promoting a faster metabolism by increasing brown fat production.

🫐 Blueberries: contain resveratrol that activates mitochondrial uncoupling genes and turns on brown-fat metabolism.

🌱 Soybeans: contain genistein and daidzein, two phytochemicals that activate brown fat. Opt for whole-foods sources of non-GMO soy: tofu, tempeh, and edamame

🌿 Herbs and spices: there are so many benefits to including herbs and spices in your diet. In addition to being an incredible source of polyphenols that support gut health and activate anti-inflammatory genes, they also turn on insulin-sensitising genes and activate brown fat.

You can also include oily fish, coffee, whey protein powder, apple cider vinegar, live Greek yoghurt, olives & olive oil, black pepper, ginger, cloves, lemons, cranberries to improve fat-burning processes.

Simultaneously, you want to avoid sugars and refined, starchy carbohydrates like flour-based products, bread, biscuits, bagels, pancakes, pasta etc. as these spike our blood sugars and promote fat storage and poor metabolic control.

You may like to look at Zoe’s blog on metabolism about foods to support fat-burning.

Fat-burning foods

Fat-burning foods – chilli’s, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, healthy fats

#3 Don’t starve yourself

While it might be tempting to try restrictive diets and low calorie meal plans to lose weight quickly, these can actually slow down your metabolism. 

When you drastically reduce your caloric intake, for over a week, your body goes into starvation mode, or “adaptive thermogenesis” conserving energy by slowing down metabolic processes…. because you’re eating fewer calories than your body needs to function properly.

If done for long enough, you’ll feel cold, lethargic, have fewer bowel movements, struggle to focus, feel moody, have impaired immunity and your body may start breakdown existing muscle to provide energy to power your body’s basic functions.

Please don’t get confused between “intermittent fasting” and “starvation mode”. Intermittent fasting is a controlled, short-term caloric deficit, while starvation mode is an automatic mechanism that kicks in during long-term, low-calorie diets. More below…

#4 Do try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting involves alternating periods of eating and fasting, which can help improve metabolic function and support weight loss

By giving your body a break from the intensive process of digestion, you allow it to reset insulin levels, which can promote fat burning and reduce belly fat.

There are various methods of intermittent fasting, such as the 16/8 method, where you fast overnight for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour daytime window. 

This is my preferred type of fast, but we are all different. I can help you find a fasting window that works for you. You don’t want to be doing a fast that feels too challenging or extreme.

If you restrict calories too much, your body starts to break down muscle for energy. A loss of muscle mass slows the metabolism.

PRO-TIP : In general, anyone who consistently burns more calories than they take in will lose weight. Consistency is King.

Intermittent Fasting

Fast overnight for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour daytime window

#5 Belly fat exercises

Planks

  • Start in a push-up position, with your forearms on the ground and elbows directly under your shoulders.
  • Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  • Tighten your core and hold the position for 30-45 seconds gradually increasing the time as you get stronger.

Bicycle Crunches

  • Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and legs lifted off the ground.
  • Bring one knee toward your chest while twisting your torso to touch that knee with the opposite elbow.
  • Switch sides, bringing the other knee toward your chest while twisting to touch it with the opposite elbow, as if pedalling a bicycle.
  • Repeat for 10 reps per side.

Leg Raises

  • Lie flat on your back with your hands placed under your hips for support.
  • Keep your legs straight and lift them towards the ceiling until your hips are off the ground.
  • Slowly lower your legs back down, stopping just before they touch the ground, and then lift them again.
  • Perform 10 repetitions.

Russian Twists

  • Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  • Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight, and lift your feet a few inches off the ground.
  • Hold a weight (like a dumbbell or medicine ball) with both hands and twist your torso to one side, bringing the weight beside your hip.
  • Twist back to the other side, maintaining control and keeping your core tight.
  • Do 10 twists per side.

Pilates Roll-Ups

  • Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms extended overhead.
  • Slowly roll your body up, one vertebra at a time, reaching for your toes.
  • Engage your core throughout the movement, avoiding jerky motions.
  • Slowly roll back down to the starting position.
  • Repeat for 5.

PRO-TIP : Protect your spine – always keep your belly button pulled in, towards your spine.

Belly fat exercises

#6 Use resistance training to boost metabolism

Resistance training is one of the best ways to boost metabolism, Increased muscle mass raises metabolic rate, which in turn helps you burn more calories at rest.

Incorporating exercises like weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, like yoga, or using resistance bands into your routine can counteract the loss of muscle mass that occurs with age. 

I recommend seeking the help of a qualified personal trainer to create a specific plan for you, help motivate you and importantly prevent injuries.

#7 Be more active overall

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) refers to the calories burned through everyday activities that aren’t formal exercise, such as walking around the house, standing, fidgeting, washing up, cleaning and gardening. 

NEAT can significantly increase daily energy expenditure, helping to prevent weight gain and support overall metabolic health.

Simple ways to boost NEAT include taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking or cycling instead of driving short distances, standing while working, doing household chores more actively.

Of course, it’s also important to combine these general activities with more structured aerobic exercise like walking, hiking, swimming, cycling, dancing, and jogging to keep the calories being burned.

#8 Enjoy better energy from quality sleep

Sleep is so important for good energy and metabolic health. You have probably experienced this when you feel more hungry, and have more food cravings, the day after a poor night’s sleep. The lack of sleep disrupts our hunger hormones.

Sleep deprivation hinders our body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Blood sugar dips and spikes cause metabolic problems.

Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Create a bedtime routine that starts with relaxation to promote better sleep quality.

#9 Cold water exposure

Cold exposure stimulates adrenaline (our flight-or-fight hormone), which causes more energy to be burned to keep warm.

Cold exposure stimulates brown fat cells to be made. Brown fat boosts our metabolism, lowers insulin resistance, inflammation, and risk of metabolic disease.

Try turning your shower to cold at the end, especially first thing in the morning – the rush of adrenaline will wake you up and the release of dopamine will make you feel positive and upbeat.

Stay in your cold bath/shower for as long as you can. Ideally, you want to work your way up to 60 to 120 seconds.

Do however much you can safely tolerate and gradually work your way up to the 11 minutes total per week.

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. 

Peter Drucker

Management consultant, educator, and author

How to Measure metabolism

My last piece of advice is to measure your metabolism, and track your progress towards better health. 

There are several health measurements that give you an indication of your metabolic health. Don’t let any unfamiliar names of some of these tests and measurements put you off. 

The measurements you can do yourself at home are:

  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Use an online calculator to estimate how many calories your body needs at rest. Someone with a fast BMR burns more calories at rest than a person with a slower BMR.
  • Waist-to-Hip Ratio: Measure your waist and hip circumference to assess fat distribution.
  • Body Composition: Use bioelectrical impedance scales to estimate body fat percentage, muscle mass, and more.
  • Resting Heart Rate: Check your pulse first thing in the morning.
  • Blood Pressure: Use a home monitor to measure your blood pressure levels.

I’ve created this free guide that explains exactly how to do the at-home tests; why it’s important and what to do to improve your scores. Click the link below:

The professional tests that I order for my clients are:

  • Fasting Glucose: A blood test to measure blood sugar levels after fasting.
  • Triglycerides (TG): A blood test to check the levels of fat in your blood.
  • High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol: A blood test to measure your good cholesterol levels.
  • HbA1C: A blood test that shows your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.
  • High-Sensitivity CRP (hsCRP): A blood test to measure inflammation levels in the body.
  • Thyroid Hormones: Blood tests to check your thyroid function, which affects metabolism, temperature regulation and energy levels. 
  • Fasting Insulin: A marker that indicates insulin resistance earlier than other markers.

These blood tests identify potential health risks, giving you a window of opportunity to act sooner rather than later – and we all know – a stitch in time saves nine.

I recommend measuring and tracking these metrics annually to spot changes early, so you can make manageable improvements to your diet and lifestyle to maintain your health and vitality year after year. 

Don’t leave your health to chance – contact me to schedule these essential tests and take the next step toward optimal metabolic health.

PRO-TIP : Measure and track your metabolic markers annually.

How I can help you with metabolism testing

Come into clinic and we can do:

  • Body composition testing: We start with in clinic body composition testing using my body composition scales. Body fat, muscle mass, water content, bone score, visceral fat and calculated metabolic age. 
  • We’ll take your blood pressure, resting heart rate, waist-to-hip ratio and calculate your BMR
  • I will organise a convenient at-home blood test for you for the metabolic blood tests.
  • Nutritional & lifestyle Advice: Based on your test results, I’ll create a personalised nutrition and exercise plan to support your metabolic health, energy levels, and weight management goals.
  • Fidnd out more about healthy ageing and my Metabolic Health Clinic.

Pro tips

Pro tip 1: Eat homemade food, move more. Get professional dietary and exercise advice if what you are doing isn’t working.

Pro tip 2: Eat natural unprocessed food and choose food packed with nutrients.

Pro tip 3: In general, anyone who consistently burns more calories than they take in will lose weight. Consistency is King.

Pro tip 4: Protect your spine – always keep your belly button pulled in, towards your spine.

Pro tip 5: Measure and track your metabolic markers annually.

Conclusion

For postmenopausal women, losing weight, particularly around the middle, is the first step to improving metabolism and overall health

By incorporating these nine strategies—ranging from belly fat exercises and fat-burning foods to improving sleep quality and consulting with a healthcare provider—you can significantly boost metabolism, increase energy levels, and achieve sustainable weight loss.

Remember, it’s not about making drastic changes overnight but rather about making consistent, small changes that will have a lasting impact on your metabolic health. With the right approach, you can enjoy a healthier, more energetic life well into your 70’s and beyond.

Contact me today for a free 15 minute chat, and let’s start your journey toward better metabolic adn long-term health.

References

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/202. Menopause-Associated Lipid Metabolic Disorders and Foods Beneficial for Postmenopausal Women.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26883880/. “Effects of dietary protein intake on body composition changes after weight loss in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis”.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26399868/ “The Minnesota Starvation Experiment revisited”.

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(19)30429-2.pdf. Alternate day fasting improves physiological and molecular markers of ageing in healthy, non-obese humans.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1183765/full. The effects of exercise training on body composition in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279077/.  Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis in Human Energy Homeostasis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213858714700129 The metabolic burden of sleep loss.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34337558/.Brown adipose tissue is associated with healthier body fat distribution and metabolic benefits independent of regional adiposity

Dawn Rowland, BSc(Hons), BSc(OST), Dip ION

Dawn Rowland, BSc(Hons), BSc(OST), Dip ION

Osteopath & Nutritional Therapist

Dawn is founder of New Dawn Health. She guides and motivates women to improve current symptoms through diet and exercise, and ultimately enjoy a longer health span warding off the chronic diseases of modern living.

Caring and practical, Dawn will find a way to take you from where you are now to where you want to be.