Metabolism is a complex process and refers to the chemical reaction that is the very life-sustaining force of a human body. In general terms, metabolism refers to the rate at which our body burns calories in order to carry out day-to-day activities. Metabolism basically comprises of two processes anabolism and catabolism.
Anabolism is the process of assimilation and building up tissues for which energy is generated through the process of catabolism. The BMR, the speed of metabolic rate determines the appetite of a person. The ability of our body to burn calories declines with age. This is due to significant reduction of physical strenuous exercises as we grow older. Diet, lifestyle, exercise, stress, certain medical conditions and a lot of other factors affect metabolism rate of a person at any given time. Two other things that influence the metabolic rate are fat percentage and muscle percentage. The more the amount of fat in the body, the slower will be the metabolism. Similarly, more the amount of active muscles in the body, the faster will be the metabolism.
Fortunately, there are certain ways that are known to boost your metabolism. Listed below are some of those:
1. Be an early bird
It is always blissful to wake up early in the morning. There is nothing quite like enjoying your morning cup of tea, reading a newspaper as sun shines bright upon you. We all know that sun rays are a natural source of Vitamin D. This essential vitamin not only helps in better absorption of calcium, thereby making your bones stronger, but vitamin D also gives a boost to your metabolism.
2. Exercise
It is most important to include some form of exercise in your daily routine. Sedentary lifestyle coupled with tremendous stress plays a havoc with your metabolism, making you vulnerable and prone to many fatal diseases like obesity, blood pressure, diabeties, heart ailments, irritable-bowel-syndrome, anxiety, and depression. You must spare at least 20-30 minutes daily to do some exercise. It could be something as simple as walking, jogging, dancing, swimming or some other form of aerobic exercise, but just keep moving. Strength training is a tad more beneficial because it builds muscle mass, which means more calories are burnt. However, if you don’t have time to go to gym on a regular basis, just do a couple of Surya Namaskaar’s (Yoga Postures) and Pranayam (breathing exercises) daily. That would not just benefit you on the physical level, but mental, emotional and spiritual level too.
3. Diet
It is important to have a good nutritional diet daily and avoiding junk food, processed food, canned juices and soda, too much caffeine, alcohol etc. Diet is of utmost importance for a healthy body and a noble mind. In order to increase your metabolism, you must have six smaller meals spread throughout the day as opposed to having three large meals. Having small portions at regular intervals help burn more calories and make you stay active. If you have large meals, your metabolism tends to slow down and you feel sluggish. Best is to have more of carbohydrate in the morning and more of protein in the lunch. Also you should have green tea as beverage because it has many benefits including a significant boost in metabolism. It is also advisable to fast one day a week and have just fluids, juices and fresh fruits in order to flush toxins out of your system. However, dieting should be avoided. It never really works in the long run.
4. De-stress
Almost all chronic conditions and diseases are aggravated, if not caused by stress. Stress also adversely affects our metabolism. Exercise is a great way to de-stress, but if you do so out of compulsion, it may become a cause of stress itself. So you have to find out things you love doing and pursue them. It may be listening to music, cooking, gardening, painting, playing with kids, being in the nature’s lap etc. It helps in the secretion of serotonin which is vital not just for the proper functioning of the central nervous system, but it also regulates metabolism.
