22 June,2010 07:20 AM IST | | S Mitra Saigal
Plus other sneaky ways to burn calories without breaking into a sweat, becauseu00a0as it turns out, exercise isn't the only way to maintain a high metabolism The body finds it difficult to effectively process food in sleep-deprived individuals. Sleeping helps rejuvenate cells, energise the body and increase metabolism
Metabolism is the process through which the body breaks down food into energy, or stores it as fat. A faster metabolic rate is one that leads to burning more calories, and reducesu00a0 fat storage.
You already know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn, and the faster your metabolic rate gets. Now, there's hope for those who prefer rolling in bed rather than sweating it out at the gym.
Get eight hours of sleep
Sleeping helps maintain and increase metabolic rate. Experts say people who are sleep-deprived cannot perform metabolic functions such as breaking down carbohydrates and producing hormones.
u00a0
A study done by the University of Chicago found that reducing eight hours of sleep to four, created results that resembled faster ageing and mimicked the effects of diabetes. Sleeping helps rejuvenate cells and energise the body.
Eat more apples, pears and oatmeal
Your body needs at least 1,000 calories a day and a calorie intake below that means entering starvation mode and slowing down metabolism.
Apples and pears are great, because they satisfy sugar cravings and serve as a low-calorie, high-fibre snack.
u00a0
Oatmeal, the rolled variety, is another favourite since it's a good carbohydrate that fights cholesterol and keeps one energised.
Sit in a dry sauna
The lack of humidity in a dry sauna which is both wet and dry helps too.
Sitting in a dry sauna makes the level of heat bearable, but raises body temperature. High body temperature in turn increases the metabolic rate, which improves circulation of body fluids and is similar to doing mild exercise.
