Metabolism: Get Your Fire Started!!

     How many people have you heard, or you yourself, used the following phrase as an excuse for not losing weight "I have a low metabolism, so I can't lose weight"?  Ok now how many of you have heard the opposite phrase "I can eat whatever I want because I have a fast metabolism."  Those are usually the skinny people you get jealous of and mad because they can eat Fried foods and sweets all day and not gain a pound, while you eat 1 cookie and gain 5 lbs.  So what is the big deal about metabolism?  Why do some have fast metabolisms and others do not?  Are the people with fast metabolisms healthier than the people with slow metabolism?  Let's discover together:

     First off let's define "Metabolism".  According to Merriam-Webster Metabolism: is the sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm; specifically : the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated.  The sum of the processes by which a particular substance is handled in the living body.  Basically put, metabolism is a measure of how fast the body's processes work.  Your body gets energy from fat to work, and the faster that process, the faster the weight loss.  Understand? Good.

   The reason that people who are skinny, eat whatever they want, and not gain any weight is due to a naturally high metabolism.  This may be unfair, but it is true.  The opposite is also true, there are people who have naturally slow metabolisms, which slows down the weight loss process.  Now, let me tackle this thought process before we go any further: Having a high metabolism does not necesarily mean you are healthy.  Research professional wrestler deaths, baseball player deaths, and basically any professional athlete deaths and you will find out that many of those people are under the age of 50!  What many who have a high metabolism fail to realize is that just because your body can burn off fat easily, doesn't mean that your arteries and organs aren't suffering from all the junk being eaten. 
   
     So how do you increase your metabolism and be healthy at the same time? Here are some tips to achieve maximum burning capacity of your metabolism, and keep your body healthy along with it!

1.  Eat six smaller, healthy meals a day: 
Eating like this keeps you from overeating, and also increases your metabolism by "keeping the furnace" going.  Making your body go hungry triggers the metabolism to slow down so you don't burn away precious energy.

2.  Exercise:
Having a finely tuned engine performs much better than one left without maintanence!  Exercise keeps your body burning energy, which increases metabolism.

3.  Get Proper Rest:
The body needs time to repair so it can work more efficiently, so better sleep equals a better metabolism.

4.  Decrease stress:  Stress increases cortisol, which is an automatic metabolism blocker, so keep the stress down so you can keep the metabolism up!

I hope that these tips are helpful and will help you on your way to a more efficient, healthier machine that is your body!!

Till next time......

In Good Health,

Dr. Ara