ITV regular guest Dr Amir Khan has shared five simple ways people can boost their metabolism, potentially leading to weight loss. The full-time GP, who is also known for his appearances on daytime shows such as Good Morning Britain and This Morning, was on Lorraine last week where he discussed the issue.

Dr Amir explained that while many people think they have a "fixed" metabolic rate, there are actually steps we can take to burn more calories. He told stand-in host Christine Lampard: "The first thing [to do] is build more muscle.

"[You can do this by] strength training, and muscle helps you burn calories as you rest so if you've been to the gym, you've lifted weights, you're still burning calories when you get home."

Next up, the doctor said, is to eat more protein. Dr Amir continued: "We need protein in our diet so things like fish, chicken, yoghurts, tofu, all of that will get protein in, feed that muscle, get it better and increase your resting metabolic rate. The third one is sleep.

"I know we talk about this a lot but getting a good night's sleep helps protect you from rising hunger hormones, stop those cravings, and can help with metabolism, and then staying active [is also] really important. I use this acronym NEAT, it's non-exercise activity training, so it's not exercise or eating or anything like that.

"It's the things you do in between like walking, taking the stairs, just even flailing around with your arms like I do all the time, it burns calories." The final tip on his list is to "drink smartly" because: "When you're hydrated you burn more calories, your body's more efficient at burning fat."

So drinking plenty of water is recommended, though "there are a couple of drinks that could temporarily increase your metabolism", such as green tea and black coffee. Drinking cold water rather than tepid may also make a difference, Dr Amir said, because "your body uses some calories warming it up to body temperature."