What Is Metabolism and How to Activate It?

We have heard a lot about metabolism. For example, those people who tend to gain weight have a slower metabolism, and that it is necessary to do sports to accelerate it. Or that our metabolism depends on a genetic issue. But what is metabolism? How does it work? How does it change with age? We will discuss in brief about metabolism in this blog.

To some extent, those statements may be true. We are going to share some of the aspects that you must understand if you want to activate your metabolism and make it start working in your favour.

What is metabolism?

Although metabolism is the set of processes by which living organisms build (anabolism) and destroy (catabolism) molecules, in simple language, metabolism is the process by which our cells transform the food we consume into energy. This is commonly called " burning calories." Even when we are at rest, our body needs a certain amount of energy, for circulation, respiration, etc.

The number of calories we need at rest is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

The more active our metabolism, the more calories we will burn at rest, and the more quickly those we consume with food will be processed.

What factors affect metabolism?

We already anticipated some of them. For example, metabolism is determined, in some way, by genetics. Not all organisms can process calories as quickly. Another important factor is age. As we are getting older, metabolism of our body also slows down.

The latter is due to the fact that, with age, we lose muscle mass, which causes fat to occupy a greater percentage of our weight. The lower the muscles, the fewer calories we will burn. Diets also affect. Someone who does a lot of dieting, can put their metabolism to sudden changes.

The good news is that physical activity is also a factor, and a very important one, that affects our metabolism. It is proven that the sports or exercises that we do in our day-to-day life help us turn and burn more calories. And of course, diet is also a key factor.

How to activate our metabolism?

The first thing is physical activity. Try to do some physical exercise or play any kind of sports. The reason is logical: Any kind of exercise helps us to develop muscle mass, that is why our body will need to burn more calories and convert them into the energy we need, even while at rest.

This brings us to the second point. The exercise will motivate us to healthier eating. To maintain our physical state, we will need to consume foods with a high vitamin and protein level. The junk food makes us feel heavier and slower.

In this sense, it is also better to avoid processed foods, which lack the necessary nutrients for the proper functioning of our body. Likewise, it is advisable to avoid sugar, since it affects the rate at which our body stores fat.

Also keep in mind that it is in the morning when your metabolism is most active, so try to eat a good breakfast every day in the morning and skip your breakfast (remember that your body has been burning calories while you were sleeping). But if you train in the morning, it is advisable to always do it on an empty stomach.

On the contrary, try not to eat a lot at night. Since at the end of the day your body slows down to process calories. It is best not to eat anything for at least two hours before going to bed. And try to stay hydrated, not just when you do exercise, but throughout the day.

Finally, remember that the activation of our metabolism does not happen overnight. It is a process in which it is necessary to know our body and have patience. And as always, a nutritionist can be very helpful.