JULY – 15: CONSUMER TIPS
How to develop a healthy metabolism
A commonly ignored yet important parameter in your weight loss regime is your body’s metabolism. It is the way your body converts the sugar, protein and fat into energy. Here are some tips on developing a healthy metabolism.
Controlling your metabolism: Your metabolism is greatly influenced by three factors – what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you get every day.
Know your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): BMR determines how fast or slow your metabolism is and is calculated based on your age, gender, height and weight. It measures how many calories you burn when you’re doing nothing. Knowing your BMR helps you decide your daily dose of calories and exercise. You can find the formula for calculating your BMR on the internet.
Food: Consuming too many calories without increasing your physical activity or skipping calories by dieting severely slows down your metabolism. Consume foods high in protein, fibre and low-fat dairy foods.
Exercise well: When you are trying to lose or maintain weight, physical activity is one of the most important factors because it is under your control.
Keep your muscles well-toned: Studies indicate that strength training like weight lifting and exercising using resistance-bands in your exercise regime improves your BMR and in turn your metabolism.
Sleep well: Lack of sleep alters the functioning of your endocrine systems and straightaway hampers your metabolism. Sleeping for about 7-8 hours a day keeps you healthy.
Metabolism slows with age: Age slows down our metabolism, especially in post-menopausal women. So if you are in your 40s, consume a little less and keep up with your physical activity to maintain your weight.
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Thyroid affects metabolism: Get your thyroid levels checked regularly because low levels of thyroid hormones slows your metabolism and lead to piling up of extra kilos.
Caffeine might boost metabolism: Studies have indicated that caffeine tends to stimulate your metabolism, especially green tea. But, caffeine also adds to your calories. Therefore, keep a check on the cups of coffee and tea you consume.
Sources: health.howstuffworks.com; ncbi.nlm.nih.gov;jcem.endojournals.org; uchicago.edu
