Whatever you’re doing right now — scroll through Instagram, brushing teeth, plowing inboxor play with your child — your body is expending energy. But where does this energy come from, and how is it created? It comes from the food we eat and our metabolism is what makes it. Our magical metabolism turns calories into energy. It reflects how quickly (or slowly) we can convert food into energy. People often call their metabolism low, high, slow, or fast – without knowing exactly what this means. In today’s article, we will delve into the metabolism of all things. We explore the causes of sluggish metabolism and the best metabolism booster powders. Fortunately, a slow metabolism is not permanent. With the right adjustments, you can improve your metabolism. Pervert warning: It doesn’t require hours at the gym.
Featured image of Teal Thompsen.
What is metabolism?
At a very high level, metabolism is a series of chemical reactions. These reactions are happening inside your body, around the clock. They keep you alive but more specifically, metabolism is where food is converted into energy. That energy is used to grow hair, pump bile out of your liver, and give you the strength to get around the block. Due to our metabolism, there is a never ending calorie burn. And while most assume most calories are burned at the gym, that’s not really the case. You are burning most of your calories by simply being alive.
The beauty of investing time and effort into metabolism is that it pays off. Feeding your metabolism equates to a happy and healthy life.
How is metabolism measured?
Metabolism is measured by determining how much oxygen your body consumes in a specific period of time. You may be wondering if you are a “fast burner” or a “slow burner”. This is yours metabolic rate.
Fast recording and slow recording
While these are generalizations, they can give you clues about burner type you are. Fast-burners often feel stressed, anxious, and irritable if they don’t get enough fat and protein. The fast-burner’s cravings are generally strong and consistent, with a preference for animal protein. On the other hand, slow burners don’t process food quickly (this could be due to an underactive thyroid). Slow-burners focus on simple carbohydrates, high-sugar foods, etc. In general, their appetite is less overwhelming. And while slow-burners tend to have poor circulation and dry skin, fast-burners are often warm and sweaty. Slow-burners especially benefit from the best metabolism-boosting powders!
What factors affect our metabolism?
Many factors influence whether a person has a high or low resting metabolic rate (more on that, below). Some of us burn more or less calories during the day, even without even trying. Here are the reasons why:
Genetics: Some people may have a genetic predisposition to a faster or slower metabolism.
Lean body mass percentage: Muscles need more oxygen than fat tissue. But what does that mean? In essence, your body has to expend more energy to maintain muscle. That’s why the more lean muscle you have (and therefore, less body fat), the higher your metabolism will be.
Calorie restriction: If you eat significantly fewer calories than your body needs, it can put your body into survival mode. When this happens, calories are conserved instead of burned. In turn, this lowers your metabolism.
Meal frequency: The calories you consume are used to fuel the digestive process. So the more often you eat, the more calories you will burn to digest. This is less about eating continuous and much more about eating Consistency. Try to eat every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism running smoothly. Supplementing with one of the best metabolism boosting powders also helps.
External factors: Lifestyle and environmental factors can easily affect metabolism. Some of these include being too hot or too cold, smoking, stress, and sleeping.
3 ways we burn calories
Did you know that the body burns calories in ways other than physical activity? Yes, going for a walk or shoveling snow makes a difference but we burn calories burning off the most basic physiological functions. Breathe, maintain a steady body temperature, and pump blood around the body. Here are three ways we burn calories.
Basic (Rest) Metabolism
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for more than half of your overall metabolism, and surprisingly, it’s the calories you burn doing nothing. Think: Lying on the couch watching Netflix or sitting in bed, reading a book. This part of your metabolism is fueled by your body’s inner workings – your heart beats, cells divide, etc. It’s the calories it needs to keep your body functioning at rest. Want to know what your BMR is? To know your BMR, just enter your height, gender, age and weight here. Remember that this recipe doesn’t tell the whole story — a bunch of other factors, especially genetics, can change your metabolism.
Digestive metabolism
Our digestive metabolism, also known as the thermic effect of food (TEF), burns calories. Simply digesting food — turning carbs into sugar and turning protein into amino acids — typically burns 10-15% of your daily calories. And get this: Digesting protein burns more calories than digesting carbohydrates or fats—about 25 calories for every 100 calories consumed.
Transformation of motion
Last but not least is exercise and movement. This part of your metabolism includes both working out at the gym and other more enjoyable physical activities. Some are called exercise-activity thermogenesis, or EAT, and others are considered non-exercise active thermogenesis, or NEAT. Exercise only targets 15-30% of your fat-burning.
What causes a slow metabolism?
As for the cause of the slow metabolism, it depends on the individual. In general, genetics, hormone, and lifestyle plays an important role. For example, if you have too much cortisol – known as the “stress hormone” – you may experience a slow metabolism. Normal amounts of cortisol can help you burn fat, but if you have too much cortisol, your body may think you’re running out of energy and thus conserve energy.
High insulin levels can do the same thing. Elevated insulin and blood sugar levels can contribute to weight gain and, therefore, a slower metabolism. Same goes for low estrogen and testosterone. Lack of estrogen (in women) and testosterone (in men) often results in an increase in fat mass and a decrease in lean mass. You should also have your thyroid checked. After all, your thyroid helps regulate thyroid hormones, which greatly influence your body’s metabolism. Last but not least, lack of exercise causes a slow metabolism. You need lean muscle mass to keep your metabolism running smoothly.
Does a sluggish metabolism cause unwanted weight gain?
This is a bit of a chicken and egg complex. Weight gain can lead to slower metabolism, but a slow metabolism can also lead to unwanted weight gain. People with slower metabolism tend to be more energy efficient, thus storing fuel (food) in the form of fat.
Can you change your metabolism?
The good news is you maybe Make changes to boost your metabolism. Through various dietary and lifestyle changes, you can control your metabolism (to a degree). Adopting a healthier diet, incorporating a metabolism booster, being physically active and getting a good night’s sleep can make all the difference. The most important aspect of changing your metabolism is be consistent with your new routine.
7 ways to boost your metabolism
Our bodies are fat burning machines, so let’s let them work at their maximum efficiency. Combined latest discovery In fitness and nutrition with practical tips on how to do it, here are seven ways to help turn your body into a fat-burning machine. These are scientifically proven ways to boost your metabolism.
- Don’t diet. Restricting foods will change your metabolism. Instead of restrictions, use the concept “Crowded” unhealthy food. When you cut calories, it makes your body think, I’m hungry! In turn, it slows down your metabolism to conserve existing energy. Over time, restriction can cause your body to burn muscle tissue. This reduces strength while giving a greater advantage to visceral fat.
- Prioritize protein. Talk about dieting, consuming enough protein key. Your body needs enough protein to build lean muscle mass. And muscle mass is needed to burn fat.
- Maintain blood sugar balance. Maintain stable blood sugar is important for many reasons, including metabolic health.
- When possible, go organic. Research shows that additional pollutants are stored in fat cells and can interfere with energy burning. Plus, there are More benefits of choosing organic products (and do it on a budget!).
- Drink green tea. Studies show that green tea contains a compound that can increase your calorie intake and burn fat. Coffee has the same effect! ONE 2011 meta-analysis published year Review of obesity found that consuming about three cups of green tea boosts metabolism (enough to burn an average of 100 extra calories per day!).
- Your zZz watch. We sound like a broken record, but Sleep hygiene is very important. Especially when it comes to keeping your metabolism running smoothly. Lack of sleep is show to cause profound metabolic and cardiovascular effects.
- Move your body. This is no surprise. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you need to start a vigorous exercise routine. In fact, just 20 minutes of brisk walking a day can make all the difference. However, resistance training is gold. From research It is extremely effective in building muscle and burning fat.
5 best metabolism boosting powders
When it comes to the best metabolism boosting powders, look no further. The best metabolism booster powders are easy to put together, packed with quality ingredients, and give an energy boost.
