02/02/2013
Metabolism is the process by which the body gets the energy it requires from the food we eat. This process takes place in the cells of the body. During the process, the nutrients, proteins and fats are broken down so that they become readily available in the form of energy for the body to carry out its functions. Metabolismis an ongoing process; it begins at birth and ends at death. Metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories. No wonder many people try to lose weight by increasing their metabolic rate. The first thing to consider if you want to lose weight is to increase metabolism.
metabolism
Your metabolism is determined by a number of factors. Some of them you can change but some on the other hand cannot be changed. These factors are:
Age “” after age 40, metabolic rate decreases every decade by 5%.
Gender “” men burn calories faster than women as they possess more muscle tissues.
Hereditary “” your metabolic rate can be inherited from previous generations.
Thyroid disorders “” these can either speed up or slow down the metabolic rate.
There are several habits we can practice to improve our metabolism. The key is to eat healthy, natural foods, exercise and build muscles, and try to maintain an emotionally stable and happy composure. Here are some habits you can practice:
Keep your body’s pH stable; about 7.5. If it is too acidic, the cells may stop functioning or even die.
Perform muscle-building exercises to increase your metabolic rate. The more muscle you build, the more your metabolic rate will be increased. As a matter of fact, every muscle cell that you gain works constantly to burn calories even while you are sleeping. Do aerobic exercises. The aim is to raise your heart rate and keep up with the particular exercise for 30 minutes. Examples are:
Cycling “” This activity burns calories and increase metabolism. Cycle for 1 hour and your metabolic rate will increase for up to 12 hours.
Jogging “” Jog for half and hour to burn extra calories and boost your metabolism.
Yoga “” this activity also burns calories and increase metabolic rate.
Weight Training- In the long run, do some weight training. This will build muscles and as already mentioned, more muscles mean a boost in the metabolic rate. The muscles burn more calories than fat.
Find ways of dealing with problems in an effort to relieve stress. Once you can control and maintain your emotional well-being, your metabolism will be boosted. When you are happy, your metabolism increases.
Eat small, frequent meals each day.
Whenever you are thirsty, drink iced water. The body works to bring the water to normal temperature. This will increase the metabolic rate.
Tips and warning:
Watch what you eat and count your intake of calories. You can do this by recording everything that you eat in a notebook and the amount of calories each food contains.
