There are certain terms related to health that are thrown around, but not many people really understand what they mean. One of such terms is 'metabolism.'
What Is Metabolism?
The term refers to the amount of energy (expressed in calories) that your body burns so it can maintain itself. No matter what you're doing, whether you're sleeping, eating, or cleaning the house, your body is always burning calories to keep you going. It involves a complex network of hormones and enzymes that convert the food you eat into fuel and also affects how efficiently you burn that fuel.
Knowing if You Have Slow Metabolism
How do you know your metabolism rate is slow? Some of the symptoms are fatigue, dry skin, constipation, and feeling cold. However, these symptoms could be signs for an underlying medical condition and not necessarily for low metabolism. Be sure to consult your doctor so he can rule out any type of medical problem.
Can You Increase Your Metabolism?
The answer is yes, but you have to be proactive in order to achieve that. And one of the things you need to do is to exercise, not the today-I-will-but-tomorrow-I-may-not kind of exercise. You have to be consistent to get excellent results. If you've never exercised in your entire life, don't do anything drastic. Talk to your doctor before getting into any exercise program, even if it's as simple as jogging or swimming.
Genetics and Metabolism
Genetics plays a role in metabolism. Your parents or grandparents pass on certain traits to you, and these acquired traits could be responsible for your metabolism rate. Since everyone has a different bone structure and body type, not everyone can look like the athletes you see in sports or fashion magazines no matter how hard you exercise.
Factors That Influence Metabolism
Aside from genetics, your metabolism is also influenced by your age, your gender, and proportion of lean body mass. In rare cases, even a defect in the thyroid gland can also slow metabolism.
Of course, the type and amount of food you eat also figure into the overall metabolic process. The more food you eat, especially those that have high caloric levels, the more you have to burn. If you have a slow metabolic rate, burning calories may take you longer than others even if you consume the same amount of food. This means you have to do more exercise than someone who has eaten the same amount of food that you did.
