Eating and lifestyle habits that slow down your metabolism
Metabolism is the process by which our body breaks down what we eat into energy. You might have come across people who eat a lot but never seem to put on weight, it's because their metabolic rate is high. Slow metabolism burns fewer calories, and more fat's stored in the body. Here are some habits that are affecting your metabolic rate.
Here is what our expert says
- Metabolism is dependent on factors like age, sex, genes, and race.
- While these factors cannot be changed, there are others that can help boost or slow down metabolism.
- The most important of these is the level of activity in day-to-day life, followed by the muscle mass of the individual.
- Higher the activity levels and muscle mass, the higher the metabolic rate.
Skipping meals
It is a myth that skipping meals can help one lose weight. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism more with age and makes it even harder for you to lose weight. This often leads to overeating later and our body craves more munchies and unhealthy junk food which only causes weight gain. Also, when we eat after long gaps, our body's metabolism slows down.
Not drinking enough water
Water is a very important factor in our metabolism. Staying hydrated is very crucial. Drinking enough water also prevents us from overeating. Being dehydrated can give your body the impression it's hungry and thus lead to overeating. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour. Drink water every hour, to keep your metabolism high throughout the day.
Not burning enough calories
Leading a sedentary lifestyle that involves working at the desk has ill effects on metabolic rate and health in general. It is not possible for everyone across different age groups to involve with exercises, runs, or gym time. Such individuals should try and be active as much as they can. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator Increase your general physical activities.
Not eating enough
The increase in metabolism after digestion is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). Protein's thermic effect is much higher than that of carbohydrates or fat. So eating enough protein can speed up metabolism. Following a restrictive diet is a problem that can lead to a slower metabolic rate. Also, not eating enough leads to less calorie consumption, which can worsen a slow metabolism.
Eating too much sugar
High sugar consumption is harmful to your health - be it in the form of soft drinks, packaged fruit juices, sugary snacks, or sweets. Refined sugar can cause our body to produce more insulin. This can lead to type two diabetes. Consuming a lot of fructose-containing sugary beverages might slow down your metabolism and cause fat buildup in the stomach and liver.
