Mastering Your Metabolism

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink to energy. During this process calories in the food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy our body needs to function.

Our organs include the salivary glands, the liver, pancreas, and the gall bladder which contain necessary enzymes. These organs add secretions and enzymes that breaks down food into nutrition. Now the secretion of these enzymes from particular organs is regulated by the hormones in response of food consumption.

Enzymes are protein chemicals, which carry a vital energy factor, essential for the metabolism in our body. Most of the digestive enzymes are produced by the pancreas. Small intestine, stomach and colon also play pivotal role in the production of digestive enzymes. It has been estimated that there are over 1300 enzymes in the human cell. Digestive system converts the food we eat into their simplest form with help of enzymes like sugar into glucose, proteins into amino acids and fats in fatty acids.

Now metabolic rate (the amount of calories burnt in a day) does vary between people. Our metabolic rate is influenced by many factors including age, gender, muscle to fat ratio, amount of physical activity and hormone function. Most common metabolic diseases are liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, diabetes and heart disease. There are more than 1300 known metabolic diseases.

The question arises as to how can we improve our metabolism?

1. High intensity work out can increase metabolism. Exercise builds lean body mass. The more lean body mass one has, the faster your metabolism.

2. Super-hot food and spices, few herbs and herbal tea have been shown to provide a temporary burst in metabolism along with uplifting mental levels.

3. Good sleep is very important. Get your beauty rest as sleep deprivation revs up our appetite thereby stimulating hormones and leads to a sluggish metabolism.

4. Don’t sit for a long time while working. Stand for some time if you want to increase metabolism.

5. Eat your Omega 3s regularly as these fat plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal fat burning. Adding protein rich food such as meat, eggs, fish for non-vegetarian and legumes, nuts, seeds and dairy for vegetarians can also increase metabolism.

6. High glycaemic index foods like white sugar, refined flour, white potato, white rice lead to rapid sugar in the blood glucose that completely stresses out and overwhelms your metabolic system.

7. If we binge eat or live sedentary and stressful lifestyle our metabolism gets affected adversely and our food intake gets stored as fat. It can also put stress on metabolic pathways which become less optimal over a period of time. Wrong inputs can lead to metabolic disorders including insulin resistance which can be a risk factor for diabetes or you can develop a metabolic disorder wherein certain organs such as your liver and pancreas becomes diseased or do not function normally.

8. Aerobic exercise can increase brain volume and blood flow in the brain and can enhance brain metabolism. The hypothalamus part of the brain which controls food intake and body weight, can send the signals to limit our food intake and help us to stay fit and healthy.

Here I’m sharing a recipe to increase metabolism.

Metabolism Boosting Smoothie

by Jolly Vin

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cooked oats or quinoa or amaranth seeds (rajgira)

• 2 tsp soaked chia seeds

• 15 soaked almonds or 2 tablespoons almond butter/ peanut butter

• 1 green apple or red apple or any citrus fruit or berries

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1/2 tsp coconut sugar / jaggery powder (optional)

• 2 cups water

Method

• Mix everything together in a mixture jar. Grind and make a smoothie.

This smoothie loaded with antioxidants, amino acids and all the vital nutrients not only helps to boost your metabolism but also helps keep the body energized and satiated throughout the day.