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Your Body and Metabolism are Slowing Down: Now What?
Metabolism is defined as every chemical process that occurs in your body in order for you to stay alive. But here we’ll be talking about your body’s ability to turn food and fat into usable energy. As you have probably noticed teenagers can eat an ungodly amount of food without gaining weight, while others eat a few doughnuts and suddenly the zipper won’t close. It’s common knowledge that your metabolism starts to slow down when you step into your late twenties. Apparently, every year your metabolism will slow down from 2% to 4% every year. You shouldn’t be worried because it’s not a lost cause, there are simple ways to change your lifestyle and not allow yourself to lose your figure.
Why?
As cells age they metabolise slower and we also start losing muscle mass. Muscles use up energy, so if there is less of them that means that your body doesn’t see the point in making unnecessary energy. Also, another trigger is that we stop moving as much. When you were younger, you were constantly running around going to see friends or to the mall. But now you have a job and when you go home you’re not in the mood for running around so again you spend less energy than before. Stress is also a contributor, it promotes the release of cortisol, a hormone linked to weight gain. Another trigger is a not getting enough sleep. Studies have shown that poor sleep patterns disrupt the delicate metabolic balance. Sure our body’s change as we age, but many fail to take into account how much our lifestyle changes as well.
Food
Since it’s difficult to change your life, job and schedule the easiest thing you can do is change your eating habits. Your body will have difficulty processing the unhealthy foods you are used to eating so it’s probably time for a clean up, house and body. The best thing you could do is choose to eat organic foods, sure they’re expensive but it’s for a good reason. In order for the crops to be as bountiful as possible farmers use GMOs, treat them pesticides, they also pump hormones into meat and these chemicals have a negative effect on your body.
Processed foods are chemically treated to last long, look and taste good. But these kinds of foods have additives and preservatives that also slow down your body. Buying fresh food that is locally grown is better because the food that is frozen loses some of its nutrients, and you should always try and support your local farmers market. It’s a good idea to always have fresh food in your house for whenever you feel your stomach rumble, so instead of going for a pizza or a sandwich you could eat a tomato salad. I make it a rule to always have a fruit hamper displayed here in Sydney and so fruits became my snack food. Whole variations are a no-brainer they have more vitamins, minerals and fibre in them as opposed to processed foods.
Work It
You want to trim the fat but you cannot cut back on the calories, then your only option is to go to the gym. You need to set aside two and a half hours from your week for some moderate exercises and you have to work your all muscles twice a week. By making your body work regularly it will remember that you use up the extra energy so it will not store it in the form of fat.
You could more or less regulate your metabolism by choosing to eat healthy but it is advised to invest into some form of physical activity as well. Not because you need to, but proper exercise will prevent future issues like sprains, back pain and even headaches.
about the author
Living in Sydney Laura Hollington is a proud single parent of three, two girls and one boy. Though being a parent of three lively children is one of the most challenging things in the world she finds it incredibly rewarding. Believing you should take care of your body Laura is a advocate for natural foods and healthy living. She also loves travelling to exotic and interesting places fully immersing herself into the scenery and culture.
