Your metabolism plays a crucial role in burning fat, depending on its rate. Boosting your metabolism will help you burn a few extra calories in a day, helping you slim down faster than usual.
We all experience a meltdown when that one particular outfit in our closets won’t fit, the weighing scale reads a number that can cause one to have a stroke, or clothes don’t fit like they used to. We have to stop ourselves and ask that one vital question―am I leading a healthy lifestyle? Being a health junkie, I find myself constantly giving advice to people on how to lose weight, considering that I was about 40 pounds overweight at one point.
You feel a great change in your body taking place; people who see you after months or even years, will take immediate notice. That is why it is crucial that you get moving before it’s too late. As you get older, your metabolism drops, meaning, your ability to lose weight gradually decreases with age. The adage, ‘Time and tide wait for no man‘, rings true for this very case.
Understanding Metabolism
Food is the most important instrument that will help you either lose or gain weight, considering that metabolism rates rely on what you eat. Chemical reactions take place within the body’s cells which convert fuel from consumed food into energy, to do everyday functions like thinking, growing physically, performing household chores, and the like. Without metabolism, cells wouldn’t be kept healthy and buzzing with energy.
Enzymes break down the proteins in food in the digestive system. These are then converted into amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and sugar. These are then absorbed into the blood (namely amino and fatty acids), as they make their way to the cells. Other enzymes then actively control the chemical reactions that occur, thus, metabolizing compounds that are the result of the process.
Types of Metabolism
Catabolism
Also known as destructive metabolism, catabolism produces energy to make cells active. Carbohydrates and fats are broken down to produce energy. This energy is then released to provide fuel for anabolism (read below) to take place. This in turn increases the body’s temperature, allowing muscles to contract during movement. Complex chemical units are converted into simple matter like waste through the skin, lungs, and kidneys.
Anabolism
Also known as constructive metabolism, anabolism caters to storing and building. New cells are formed and energy is stored for later use. This is then converted to large molecules of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
There are many reasons that stunt one’s ability to lose weight like genetics, hyperthyroidism, and type 1 or 2 diabetes. Make it a point to check your family history to gage whether you have problems that hinder the way your body functions. Consult a doctor if you’re unsure of why multiple diet plans and workouts fail to bear fruit.
How to Boost Your Metabolism
As a child, you may have been pestered day in and day out to drink lots of water. Dietitians say that drinking approximately 6-8 glasses of water a day can improve not only your health, but also take care of skin problems and hair troubles, increase metabolism, regulate bowel movement, cleanse the body from toxins, and so on. Let’s take a look at how to keep your metabolism humming from sunup to sundown.
- Eat fruits and vegetables (because of their high-fiber content).
- Walk long distances for at least an hour a day (give interval training a try―alternating between brisk walking and running at full speed after every minute lapse).
- Drink as much green tea in a day as possible (it acts as a great detox drink).
- Increase your protein intake by including fish, lean meat (chicken), cereal (homemade), lentils, and omega-rich foods in your diet.
- Include hot peppers in a meal every once in a while.
- Substitute regular coffee with black coffee (avoid using cream, sugar, or milk).
- Constantly munch on something healthy every few hours (almonds, groundnuts, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds).
- Make it a habit to opt for the stairs, instead of the elevator.
- Avoid unhealthy starchy and sugary carbohydrates like white bread, artificial sweeteners, candy, aerated drinks, deep-fried food, regular pasta, and packaged snacks.
- Eat a good breakfast and lunch; go easy on dinner (make sure you eat two hours before you head to bed, to avoid bloating).
- More importantly, avoid starving yourself.
Be sure to follow these simple steps to remain in the pink of health. Don’t fret if you see minuscule results; remember, good things come to those who ‘weight’. Also, go easy on alcohol, smoking, and binge eating; these are the sort of things that piss off your metabolism.
