How to Boost your Metabolism

How to Boost Metabolism for a Healthy Body

Metabolism is the biochemical process of combining nutrients with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. Resting Metabolic Rate or RMR is the number of calories your body turns to maintain vital body functions such as heart rate, brain function and breathing. RMR accounts up to 75% of calories you burn daily. When you know how many calories you’re burning, you’ll know how many calories you need to lose, maintain or gain weight. Three main purpose of Metabolism are :-

1. Conversion of food to energy to run cellular processes
2. Conversion of food to building blocks for proteins, lipids and some carbohydrates
3. Elimination of nitrogenous waste

The number of calories someone burns in a day is affected by how much that person exercises, the amount of fat and muscle in the body and the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Our bodies are designed to store excess energy in fat cells. So, if you eat and drink korecalories than your body expands and you will gain weight. So, when it comes to weight, metabolism plays a very important role

How many calories do you need

Well the simplest way is to convert your body weight in pounds and multiply that by 10. For eg if you weigh 60 kilos means your weight in pounds is 132 lbs. So, you need roughly 132 X 10 = 1320 calories. This is the minimum number of calories your body needs. With increase in activity levels, the requirement of calories in your body will also increase

Factors determining metabolism

Some of the factors which decide or play a role in the metabolism levels in your body are :-

1. Genes : You can’t really do much to change your genetics but altering your lifestyle does to a certain level helps achieve the right levels of metabolism
2. Age : In your 20s and early to mid thirties, the metabolism levels are higher. This means you might get away with inactivity or being lazy or eating junk or processed food. However, by the time you turn forty the body demands care and a certain activity level to stay fit and maintain proper metabolism
3. Height : Taller people seem to have better metabolism, however, your activity level compensates for height. This doesn’t mean that tall people do not need to work out at all
4. Body Composition / Type
5. Gender : Men tend to have higher metabolism compared to women
6. Stress : Stress kills in more ways than you can fathom. Apart from physically being affected, your brain activity is severely hampered when you are stressed
7. Nutrition : It’s very important to have the right amount of nutrition in your diet. Eating processed / junk food affects your metabolism adversely
8. Hormones : Your hormones play a important role in deciding your metabolism levels
9. Prolonged Disease : Any prolonged disease like thyroid and diabetes affects your metabolism

Metabolism and Brain functioning

For an average adult in a resting state, the brain consumes about 20% of the body’s energy. The brain’s primary function – processing and transmitting information through electrical signals is very expensive in terms of energy use. So, the brain is one of the most metabolically active organs in the body. Two thirds energy in the brain is used to help neurons or nerve cells fire or send signals. The remaining third gets used for house keeping or cell health maintenance. This simply means that for someone with high metabolism, the brain functions much better as compared to someone who doesn’t have good metabolism

What causes low metabolism ?

Whereas to some extent your genetics play an important role in the levels of metabolism in your body. Certain factors do cause low metabolism. These are :-

1. Low calorie diet
2. Not resting enough
3. Staying stressed
4. Eating processed or junk food
5. Low activity level
6. Overeating

Effects of low Metabolism

1. Low metabolism leads to weight gain
2. Low energy levels
3. Low immunity
4. Irregular periods
5. Low fertility
6. Continuous fatigue
7. Poor brain function
8. Thin hair / balding and poor skin
9. Frequent urination
10. Bloating / inflammation
11. Anxiety and depression

Best food to stimulate / boost metabolism

1. Water : Even mild dehydration can slow down the metabolism. Scientists have found that drinking 500 ml water increased the metabolic rate by 30% and increased energy expenditure by 100 Kilo Joules. However, make sure you do not go overboard and drink too much water as it leads to water intoxication
2. Protein , zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium and vitamin D is known to boost metabolism
3. Chia seeds : Chia seeds are one of the most powerful sources of plant based protein on the planet. Chia seeds contains high amount of zinc which helps in your body’s production of leptin
4. Flax seeds : Flax seeds are a good source of thermogens which is the fat burning compound. Adding more fibre, protein and omega 3 to your meal makes you feel full for longer periods
5. Almonds : Healthy fatty acids and protein in almonds give the body a temporary metabolic kick
6. Green Tea : This metabolism friendly beverage contains a substance called EGCG, which helps burns fat. What’s more, it has zero calories. Limit the consumption though to two cups a day
7. Probiotics : Probiotics like curd, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, kimchi, homemade pickles, fermented vegetables help boost your metabolism
8. Whole Eggs : These contain amino acids, zinc, vitamin D and other nutrients that help boost metabolism for more efficient fat burn. Vitamin B2 in whole eggs also enhances metabolism
9. Herbs and Spices : Cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, garlic, fenugreek seeds, cilantro, chilli pepper and fennel seeds help boost metabolism
10. Spinach, Broccoli and Celery : Many metabolism friendly vegetables are low in calories and high in fibre. Spinach, Broccoli and Celery offer plenty of additional nutrient superpower in form of iron, zinc and vitamin A and K.
    11.Citrus Fruits : Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C, a natural antioxidant that boosts immunity and activates the cellular functioning apart from boosting metabolism
11. Apart from this, apple, lentils, fish, oats, carrots, berries, mustard, beans, soy and asparagus are brilliant sources of metabolism

There are things like genes, diseases which are probably not in your hands but eating the right food, drinking the correct drinks and exercising in the right amount will surely increase your metabolism !!