Did you know that metabolism is a crucial factor in being fit? That is why you have heard this term when talking about weight control and loss. However, many do not know what its function is or what it can do for you and your health if you activate it after being slowed down for a long time.
Accelerating metabolism is the ideal strategy to optimize glucose absorption, lose weight, and improve overall health. Metabolism is a term that unfortunately has a negative connotation in many people since many suffer from it because it works very slowly. The faster the metabolic system is, the more calories it will burn, and the easier it will be to lose weight, have more energy, and consequently feel better.
We tell you everything you need to know about metabolism, how to speed it up, and why it influences fat loss.
How Does Metabolism Influence Weight Loss?
Once you understand what metabolism is and its function in your body, it is worth asking how it influences your weight. Well, the energy that a food provides to the body is measured in calories. When you consume more calories than your body needs, they accumulate in the form of fat. In short, if you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If the opposite happens, you lose weight.
However, having a slow metabolism makes it difficult for calories to be transformed into energy. You may be restricting your caloric intake, following some type of low-calorie diet, and exercising without achieving the weight loss results you would like to achieve. If so, you may have a slow metabolism.
How Do You Know If You Have Slow Metabolism?
To know if you have a slow metabolism, there are some symptoms that you can look for to find out. Typically, people with a slow metabolism suffer from the following:
- Hair loss: This is caused by a shortage of micronutrients that can affect the hair’s ability to grow and regenerate.
- Difficulty losing weight: Even by exercising frequently or maintaining a healthy diet.
- Low energy: By burning energy at a slower rate, it is normal to feel fatigued quite regularly.
- Dry Skin: In a slow metabolism, cells are not as active as they should be and do not receive adequate blood supply. Therefore, you sweat less than usual and your skin becomes cracked and dry.
- Low body temperature: It could be a symptom that the thyroid is not working properly.
What Factors Influence the Speed of Metabolism?
Metabolism determines the rate at which you burn calories and is known as the basal metabolic rate or basal metabolism. That is related to the thyroid gland, an organ found in the front of the neck, below the Adam’s apple, which produces thyroxine and insulin, which the pancreas creates. Both hormones regulate the speed of metabolic processes. However, some factors determine its correct operation. These are some of them:
Gender
Men generally have less body fat and more muscle than women of the same age and weight, which means men burn more calories faster.
Age
Metabolism slows down as we age.
Weight, Muscles, and Body Composition
Both factors (weight and metabolism) influence each other since muscle tissue in the body is more metabolically active than fat tissue and, therefore, a person’s metabolism.
Genetics
The so-called metabolic disorders or diseases that prevent the metabolism from working healthily can be hereditary.
Stress
It causes a rise in blood pressure, an increase in glucose levels, and an increase in cortisol.
Dehydration
Natural water accelerates the metabolism because all metabolic processes need it for their proper functioning.
How Can You Speed Up Your Metabolism?
In addition to taking into account the factors that alter the speed of your metabolism – avoiding stressful situations as much as possible, hydrating, and exercising – there are other small actions that you can incorporate into your daily life to speed up your metabolism.
Avoid Restrictive Diets
These diets make the body function in savings mode and reduce metabolism. Severe and strict diets are not only challenging to sustain, but they can also reduce metabolism. Once a restrictive diet is finished or abandoned, it will be arduous to maintain the new weight achieved. A gradual weight loss with balanced eating plans is preferable.
Do Daily Aerobic or Anaerobic Physical Activity
In that way, our metabolism will remain permanently active. It is especially recommended to do HIIT or high-intensity training. If exercise is not your thing, you can also try dancing. Ballroom dancing is a favorable option to stay active and socialize at the same time. So if you are interested, buy your shoes for ballroom dancing and join a club.
Eat Foods Rich in Calcium
It intervenes in metabolic processes that allow for maintaining better metabolic expenditure. We generally associate calcium with products such as milk and its derivatives because these foods contain calcium that the body can absorb easily. Other foods quite rich in calcium are nuts, legumes, green leafy vegetables, soybeans, and calcium products.
Drink Enough Water
Dehydration can slow down your metabolism. Drinking water properly can help maintain a healthier metabolism.
Avoid Sugary Drinks
As we have already said, water is the best option to activate the metabolism. Failing that, you can also drink green tea or coffee.
Incorporate Spicy Foods
Spicy foods are rich in capsaicin, a thermogenic alkaloid (that is, it temporarily increases body temperature). They are found in pickles, hot peppers, and chili peppers, to name a few.
Consume More Protein
The body consumes more calories to process protein. White meat, fish, and protein-rich vegetables such as soy and quinoa are good options.
Conclusion
Accelerating your metabolism will bring benefits to your health and improve your lifestyle. However, it can be hard to achieve if you have certain physical characteristics. You will speed up your metabolism and reach your weight loss goal if you follow the recommendations in this article, such as eating more protein, doing aerobic and anaerobic exercises, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding restrictive diets.
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