The doctor emphasizes the importance of physical exercise to maintain the correct functioning of the metabolism. Understand!
During the weight loss process, many people attribute difficulty shedding extra pounds to a slow metabolism. But, ultimately, what is it and is there really a way to speed it up? Subsequently, the Dr. Deborah Berangerendocrinologist with a postgraduate diploma in Endocrinology and Metabology from the Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro (SCMRJ) speaks more in depth on the topic.
What is metabolism?
Scientifically speaking, metabolism is the term that refers to the all the chemical reactions that happen in our body to keep us alive.
“Through metabolism, the body transforms macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) into energy sources needed for essential functions such as breathing and digestion,” he says.
“When we refer to metabolism in the context of our weight, we are actually describing our own basal metabolism -OR number of calories the body burns at rest, determined by the amount of muscle and fat we have. Therefore, patients who wish to lose weight must consume fewer calories than their body uses. This is a negative energy balanceor calorie deficit,” adds Dr. Deborah.
Among the main factors that can influence metabolism are: sex, age, Weight AND Lifestyle. As we age, its functioning becomes impaired.
“The mitochondria, responsible for cellular bioenergy, are no longer as functional as they once were. Around the age of 40, our muscle mass begins to decrease naturally and the ratio of body fat to muscle increases. A body with more fat and less muscle consumes less energy, as our muscle mass increases our energy expenditure,” she points out.
Furthermore, metabolism is also affected after a long period of calorie restriction. “Our body always strives for balance. When you lose a large amount of weight, it adapts to this new level and your metabolic rate is likely to decrease and not return to its pre-diet level, even if you gain weight back. It’s worth it underline that this happens because our body, biologically, prefers to have energy reserves, therefore, when these are lost, there is a natural reaction to reduce metabolic energy consumption”, he underlines.
Can supplements speed up your metabolism?
There are several products and supplements on the market that promise to activate the metabolism and facilitate weight loss. However, according to the doctor, although many contain ingredients capable of increasing the metabolism immediately after consumption (caffeine and capsaicin, for example), the the effect is temporary.
“Most products that promise to help you speed up your metabolism to lose weight, without the two components mentioned above, don’t offer much scientific evidence to support their effectiveness. The basis is lifestyle“, he comments. “So instead of looking for a magic supplement, there are many other things you can do to speed up the metabolism,” he adds.
Tips to speed up your metabolism
Doctor Deborah guarantees it how to speed up your metabolism and reveals the most important tips for doing so:
Pay attention to what you eat
Your diet matters (a lot) when it comes to how your metabolism works.
“Diet affects the amount of energy the body uses to digest, absorb, and metabolize food. This process is called diet-induced thermogenesis, or thermic effect of food, and equates to about 10% of our daily energy expenditure. thermic effect of food is greater in foods rich in proteins, because our body needs to use more energy to break down and digest proteins”, underlines the endocrinologist.
Consume protein-rich foods it can increase your metabolic rate by about 15% (compared to the average of 10% for all other foods. “In contrast, carbohydrates will increase by 10% and fats by less than 5%.”
However, this does not mean that you have to base your diet exclusively on proteins. “To support overall health, prevent disease, and aid in weight loss, meals should include vegetables and a source of protein, balanced with whole grain carbohydrates and good fats,” your doctor advises.
move
Dr. Deborah says it is possible to lose weight without exercise, but by moving It is essential for increasing muscle mass and stimulating metabolism, which helps ease the process and achieve more consistent results. “Increasing muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories at rest,” she says.
He recommends doing 30 minutes of strength training a day. “It’s also important to mix things up by doing other activities like aerobics or gymnastics, as following the same routine can quickly lead to boredom, making it harder to stick to the schedule,” she suggests.
Sleep well
Research confirms this Sleep deprivation significantly impairs metabolismespecially since adequate rest is essential to ensure good health. hormonal balance such as leptin and ghrelin.
“Lack of sleep disrupts the body’s energy balance. This causes our appetite hormones to increase feelings of hunger and trigger food cravings, while also altering our sugar metabolism and decreasing our expenditure. snowball,” says the endocrinologist.
If you want to keep your metabolism healthy, that’s ideal sleep at least seven hours uninterrupted every night.
“An easy way to achieve this is to avoid screens for at least an hour before bed. Screens are a serious sleep disorder because they suppress melatonin production in the brain, letting us know it’s daytime instead of night,” he concludes.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
