Although genes are relevant when it comes to determining your metabolism, you can trick your body into burning more calories efficiently. One of the best ways to do this is by hitting the gym. According to human studies professor at the University of Alabama Gary Hunter, by strength-training a few times a week, you'll reverse 50% of the seemingly inevitable metabolism slow-down that comes with age.

Ramp up the intensity

When you exercise - run, swim, or even walk - ramp up the intensity for 30-seconds intervals, returning to your normal speed afterward. This strategy will help you consume more oxygen and make your cell powerhouses, the mitochondria, work harder to burn energy, according to Mark Hyman, an integrative and functional medicine specialist in private practice in Lenos, Massachusetts. He is also the author of Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. “You increase the number of mitochondria and how efficiently they burn throughout the day,” he explains. Therefore, you can burn more calories in less time.

Get your omega-3's

Back in the 90s a war against fat started. This war targeted all food that had any fat in them. Today, this theory has been proved wrong. Not all fats will make up stock up kilos. What you need to avoid are the trans-fats. However, healthy fats will help you lose weight. Eating plenty of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, herring and tuna) will help you balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation, helping to regulate metabolism. They may also reduce resistance to the hormone leptin, which is linked to how fast fat is burned. A study in Obesity Research found that rats that ingested large doses of fish oil while exercising lost weight.

Strength-training boosts your metabolism

Muscle uses more energy than fat. Studies find that an average woman in her 30s who strength-trains 30 to 40 minutes twice a week for four months will increase her resting metabolism by 100 calories a day. That means that you are burning extra calories even when you don't go to the gym.

Turn to green tea

Although green tea has always been praised for its antioxidant polyphenols, new evidence suggests that this kind of tea has catechin which may crank up metabolism. According to a study, catechins may improve fat oxidation and thermogenesis - the latter is your body‘s production of energy from digestion. If you drink five eight-ounce cups of green tea a day, you can increase your energy expenditure by 90 calories a day. If it's summer, you can also opt for iced tea.

Don't starve yourself

While many dieters resort to cutting out too many calories, this is not the best way to lose weight as your metabolism thinks your there's a scarcity of food and stops fat burning to conserve energy. The trick to keeping your metabolism revved up while dieting is eating enough calories to at least match your resting metabolic rate (what you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day).

Don't skip breakfast

Eating a nutrient-rich morning meal shortly after getting out of bed will get your metabolism up and running. “Eating breakfast gets the engine going and keeps it going,” Hyman explains. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 78% of the people who lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off more than five years had breakfast every day.

Say “no” to trans fat

These are the types of fat you must avoid. They are not only unhealthy but they also slow down your body's ability to burn fat. “They have an altered shape and make your biochemistry run funny,” Hyman said, explaining that trans fat binds to fat and liver cells and slows metabolism. Trans fat also lead to insulin resistance and inflammation, both of which slow down metabolism and can lead to weight gain.

Trans fat products include doughnuts, cookies, muffins, pies and cakes - particularly with frosting. Although breakfast sandwiches might save you time in the morning, these usually contain 1 gram of trans fat. If you look at the ingredients, you are likely to find partially hydrogenated oils in the top five. Besides, they are packed with sodium. Margarine might also contain trans fat. The trick is that if you can keep them in your fridge for a long time, they probably have trans fat. Avoid fried fast food and frozen pizza at all costs as they will hinder your weight-loss efforts.

The human body is a wonderful machine and you can get it to do what ever you want. You just need to know how to use it. These easy tips will help you burn fat fast.

Go to bed earlier

It is important to sleep at least 7 hours a day. If you don't sleep enough, your body will be stressed and you will store more calories. Also, short sleep is associated with reduced leptin, elevated, ghrelin and increased body mass index. Basically, leptin is the chemical that tells your brain when you're full, when it should burning up calories and when it should create energy for your body to use. While you sleep, leptin levels increase telling your body you don't need energy. When you don't sleep enough, your leptin levels decrease and that can result in a constant feeling of hunger and a general slowdown of your metabolism.

Sleep deprivation also results in higher levels of gherlin - the hormone responsible for telling your brain when you need to eat, when it should stop burning calories and when it should store energy as fat. When you sleep, gherlin levels decrease because sleep requires less energy than awake does. When you don't sleep enough, you end up with too much gherlin in your system. As a result, your body thinks it's hungry and it needs more calories, and it stops burning those calories because it thinks there's a shortage.

A study in Finland examined sets of identical twins and discovered that in each set of siblings, the one who sleep less and was under more stress had more visceral fat.

Eat more protein

Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle, otherwise when you lose weight, your body will take it from the muscle instead of burning fat. Protein can also increase post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent. Protein also helps you stay full because it doesn't give sugar spikes. On the contrary, carbohydrates make you full when you eat them but they turn into sugar that make your glucose go up very fast and at the same speed it goes down again, resulting in a feeling of tiredness and hunger.

According to a 2006 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that the current recommended daily intake for protein (0.36 grams per pound of body weight) is inadequate for anyone doing resistance training, and recommended that women get between 0.54 and 1 gram per pound of body weight.

Drink Cold Water

According to a study carried out in Germany, researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day can up resting metabolism by approximately 50 calories daily. This might be a result of the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

Vary your calorie intake

When you vary your calorie intake every few days rather than eating the exact same amount of calories daily, you outsmart your metabolism and continue to burn fat.

According to Dr Jim Stoppani:

“Although in today's society good tends to be accessible and abundant, our bodies are designed to store as much energy as possible to prepare for times of scarcity. One way the body does this is by adjusting its metabolic rate based on calorie intake.

If you stick with the same calories every single day while dieting, your body will adjust by lowering metabolic rate to prevent you from burning off too much body fat. It's all about hormones.

When leptin levels are high, your metabolic rate stays high; when leptin levels drop, so does your metabolic rate.

When calories are low and steady, leptin levels fall and so does metabolic rate. Eating higher calories on some days and lower calories on others helps keep leptin levels up.”

Eat spicy

Capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot, can also speed up your metabolism. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped peppers (red or green) boosts your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for your fight-or-flight response). As a result, chili peppers can boost your metabolism by 23 percent.

Drink coffee or tea

You can also boost your metabolism by drinking either coffee or tea. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and it can spike up your metabolism by 5 to 8 percent. As a result, your body burns about 98 to 174 calories a day. According to a Japanese study, a cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12 percent. The researches believe that the boost is caused by antioxidants called catechins found in tea.

With its colorful market maze, international stores and glistening shopping malls, Chiang Mai is a shopaholic's paradise. As Thailand's second largest city, Chiang Mai comes second only to Bangkok as the country's haven for both keen shoppers and souvenir buyers.

Modernity meets tradition in Chiang Mai, making the most culturally significant region in northern Thailand. As a city of contrasts, Chiang Mai boasts a variety of artifacts, ranging from traditional handmade objects and cottage crafts to international labels and imitation brand products.

While you can find great deals at any of the city's picturesque markets, you might also find yourself wasting your money if you don't know how to haggle or identify what is worth buying. That is why you must be prepared before you venture into the world of shopping in Chiang Mai.

Craft and Walking Street Markets

The city is home to over 15 markets, which are the ideal place to soak in the local culture while you either purchase souvenirs, grab a snack or even treat yourself to a massage. Chang Khlan Road might be an ordinary street full of shops and restaurant by day, but when the night comes, a famous night market brings the place to life. The Night Bazaar is also one of Chiang Mai's top attractions.

From handicrafts, clothing, high-tech items and all sorts of knickknacks, the Night Market is the perfect place to go on a shopping spree and put your haggling skills to the test.

San Kamphaeng, Chaing Mai's Handicraft Scene

Once the capital city of the country, Thailand is a treasure trove of culture, history and tradition, and as such, it houses the most significant traditional handicrafts of country. The main area to purchase these culturally significant souvenirs from is San Kamphaeng road, the city's famous traditional arts and crafts highway. Here is a great place to take in the local culture and find a huge variety of products and antiques, including lacquer-ware, celadon, silk and textiles, woodcarving, silverware, umbrellas, and a whole range of hill tribe arts and crafts.

Over the course of the last few decades, San Kamphaeng's has become Thailand's main Thai silk centre, and its prominence is such that it has attracted to the region relevant figures such as Lady Diana.

If you're looking for those brightly-colored hand-painted umbrellas the region is famous for, head to Bo Sang Handicraft Center. Known as the umbrella village, Bo Sang's local artisans have been manufacturing them for at least 200 years and they will paint beautiful designs on items you choose.

Shopping Centers

Street markets might be the city's heart and soul, but when it comes to convenience and escaping warm and humid weather, shopping malls are the place to be. Although Chiang Mai is not nearly as mall-obsessed as Bangkok is, the city's shopping malls are highly valued amongst locals. What's not to love about a single complex that offers essential products, clothes, cinema, massage and restaurants? The most popular shopping centers are Kad Suan Kaew and Central Airport Plaza.

Kad Suan Kaew is a massive shopping mall that houses an endless selection of shops. Kad means market in Thai, and inside this mall is like a Thai market, open until 9pm and air-conditioned. Located outside the center on a road lined by great cafes, the Kad Suan Kaew features department stores offering western sized clothes. Since this is more of a local's mall, it's a great place to enjoy some traditional Thai food and a real Thai massage.

Central Airport Plaza might be harder to reach - as it is located near the airport - yet many opt for it due to its modern cinema.

Shopping tips

Don't forget it is customary to haggle in Thailand so after you ask for the price, suggest something around half of that. Always barter unless there is a sign saying “fixed price.” Carry cash in your wallet as you will need it to purchase goods from the market. While bartering is not accepted in the malls, they do take most debit and credit cards, which can be increasingly convenient from time to time.

Of all the issues facing women in today's busy societies, one that is always foremost in their minds is hair care. It's bad enough that hair styles come in such a variety of shapes and sizes, many ladies choose to completely alter their look on a regular basis.

The good news is that for every particular style of hair, there's always a corresponding series of tips. So let's take a look at one of the most prevalent hairstyles: straight hair.

Keeping straight hair manageably straight can often seem like an uphill battle. How many times have you returned from a visit to your favourite hairdressers, admiring your latest sleek, straight hair makeover in the mirror – only for the style to fall apart. There can be several reasons for this to happen. The weather can sometimes be responsible for hair disasters. Excessive humidity in the atmosphere, right down to full-on rain downpours, can play havoc with the style that seemed so perfect a matter of hours beforehand.

Removing knots

Here is what you should know about hair care for straight hair. First of all, it is all too easy for straight hair to gather unseemly waves and kinks if it is left unattended. What you want to do in the first instance is ensure that your hair is tangle free – especially if there is any likelihood of it getting wet (when those pesky.

Tugs and tangles can easily be removed with some careful brushing. It's important not to be overly zealous while trying to remove these knots, as attacking the tugs with the brush will cause damage to the hair. Instead, use calm even strokes, going back to the problem areas and repeating the brushing process until the hair resorts to its natural straightness.

Washing

WashingThe next part of the process is to ensure that your street hair is rinse thoroughly. Afterwards, select a shampoo and pour a small portion into your hand – about the size of a coin. Now vigorously rub your palms into one another so you build up a considerable lather. Next, you work this shampoo into your hair, using your fingertips to really get the foam right into your scalp. This is important because you must ensure all your hair receives treatment, down to the roots. Also, avoid piling the hair up on top of your head.

A common question asked about straight hair care is how often to apply shampoo? While it may seem tempting to wash on a daily basis, it is not necessary to perform the task so frequently. Every second day will suffice, or even a couple of times a week.

Another important tip is not to scrub your scalp if your hair is at all oily, is this will exacerbate the condition.

Conditioning

After shampooing it is important to apply a good conditioner. This will ensure that you hair maintains a healthy sheen, as well as making it far easier to untangle. Use a wide-tooth comb to rinse out the conditioner as you shower.

Drying

When finally drying your hair, avoid rubbing too hard. Instead, use more of a ‘blotting' technique, as it is far better for your hair to remove the dampness slowly and surely. Once you have performed a cursory drying out, comb the hair again to ensure the shape is maintained.

Maintaining that straight style

The most effective way to ensure your straight hairstyle remains intact is to visit a good stylist every 4 to 6 weeks. As straight hair is especially prone to split ends, your stylist will ensure that these are tackled regularly.