Your energy levels are largely dependent on how efficiently your metabolism functions. You should ensure that you practise healthy habbits to boost your metabolism.
Table of Content:
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What is Metabolism?
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Role of Metabolism
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Basal Metabolic Rate
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Difference between a fast metabolism and slow metabolism
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Factors affecting metabolic rate
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Five Ways to boost your metabolism
Our health expert, Dr. Sonal Mhatre, BHMS with 17 years of Clinical experience, explains role of metabolism and five ways to improve your metabolism.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the process by which food is converted into energy inside our body. The speed of metabolism depends on age, activity levels, genetics, and other factors. Regular meals, sleep, and exercise may all help boost metabolism.
It is one of the vital processes that occur in the body of a living being and it regulates life.
Role of Metabolism
Your metabolism is never at rest; it constantly generates energy that your body uses to perform vital functions like:
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Respiratory System
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Digesting food
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Blood Circulation
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Regulation of hormone levels
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Growth and repair of cells
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Maintaining body temperature
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Thinking process
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
BMR is the minimum number of calories your body requires to perform all the crucial functions while you are at rest. The BMR varies from person to person depending on their body’s capacity.
A healthy BMR should be between 1000 to 2000 calories. In men, the normal BMR is 1600 calories; in women, it is 1400. This means your body requires this many calories to perform basic functions.
Difference between a fast metabolism and slow metabolism
A fast metabolism means your body burns calories at a faster rate while the body is at rest. On the contrary, a slow metabolism means the body requires fewer calories to keep going.
A person with fast metabolism does not necessarily mean that he or she will not put on weight and stay lean forever. Rather studies* show people with obesity have a faster BMR as their body needs more energy to perform basic functions.
Factors affecting your metabolism
Your metabolism is affected by many factors, which determine how efficiently your body can burn calories and generate energy.
Age: As you grow older, you tend to lose muscles, which makes your metabolism slow.
Gender: Since males have more muscle mass, larger bones, and less body fat, they have a faster metabolism than females.
Muscle mass: Your body consumes more energy to build muscles than fat. Individuals with more muscle mass often have faster metabolisms that burn more calories.
Genetics: Your genetics is one of the important factors that affect your metabolism. Your genes play a role in the ability to build muscle mass and muscle size.
Physical activity: Exercise of any form ignites the process of burning calories and increases your body’s metabolism.
Smoking: Nicotine increases the metabolic rate, so more calories are burnt while smoking. Smoking can disturb the normal metabolic rate of your body.
Five Ways to boost your metabolism
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Eat healthy food at regular intervals: You must eat regularly, ensure you eat 3-4 meals a day, and do not skip meals. Staying hungry for a longer time can have a negative impact on your metabolism. Therefore, you must have sufficient calories. You should keep a check on your sugar intake, avoid high-fat food and drink a good number of fluids during the day to keep your metabolism running well. Dehydration can slow down your metabolism.
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Exercise: Exercises like running, jumping, cycling, aerobics, or any physical activity that gets your heart pumping can increase your metabolism, as well as burn calories. Just remember to have a high-protein snack before any high-energy workouts. Lift weights with guidance for stronger bones and muscles.
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Adequate rest and sleep: While you sleep, your body undergoes a repair process. Mostly 7-9 hours of sleep every day is ideal for the body to rest. Limit screen time before going to bed. Avoid seeing electronic devices at least one hour before sleep. Sleep in a cooler and darker environment. Consult a doctor if you face difficulty sleeping. You must get a good sleep so that your metabolism is at a good rate. Insufficient sleep can reduce your metabolic rate.
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Reduce stress: Stress and anxiety negatively impact the hormones, leading to increased production of cortisol (a hormone that helps regulate appetite). Stress could also have an indirect impact by affecting eating patterns and sleep, both of which can alter the rate of metabolism. High cortisol levels can cause cravings for sweet, fatty, and salty foods. Therefore, take care of your stress through meditation, adequate sleep, and, if needed, talk to your doctor for stress management for proper guidance and psychological counselling.
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Boost Your Vitamin Levels: Vitamin B, like Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), has an essential role in boosting the metabolic rate. To get sufficient vitamin B, include bananas, eggs, potatoes, spinach, peanut butter, etc., in your diet. You can also take vitamin supplements through doctors’ recommendations to fulfil your daily requirement. Enough calcium is also vital for keeping your metabolism up. The best way to ensure enough intake of vitamins and calcium is to have a balanced diet, a diet that is high in nourishment.
In a nutshell:
Metabolism plays an important role in the normal functioning of your body. You must adopt healthy habits and eat well, sleep well, and stay active throughout the day to keep a good metabolic rate. This can prevent you from many health issues.
*Data Source: Metabolism: What It Is, How It Works and Disorders (clevelandclinic.org)
