How You Are Slowing Down Your Metabolism
A set of life-sustaining chemical transformations that are regularly occurring within our body cells is termed as metabolism. It is the metabolic processes occurring inside us that enable us to grow, reproduce, maintain our structures and respond to our environments. The speed of our metabolism (also known as metabolic rate) is of prime importance as it dictates our growth, health and proper functioning of our organs. Slower the metabolism, slower is the process of burning of calories inside your body and ultimately lesser the fitness.
How You are Slowing Down your Metabolism
Metabolism both affects and is affected by our day to day activities. Here are 6 of the most common yet unnoticed day to day activities that are reported to slower down our metabolism.
1- Taking Stress
Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, RD, and author of Doctor’s Detox Diet: The Ultimate Weight Loss Prescription says that stress causes your Cortisol hormone level to rise, which can adversely affect your metabolism; the increased levels of Cortisol make you to overeat, which leads to unwanted weight gains and ultimately slow down your metabolism.
2- Lack of adequate Sleep
Your metabolism also needs to be revoked and rejuvenated on a daily basis, so one should never skip his/her snoozes. Lack of adequate amount of sleep makes its tough to metabolize carbohydrates, which initiates chain reaction; carbohydrates that are not metabolized, lead to a rise in your blood sugar levels, which in turn spikes your insulin hormone levels. The increased levels of insulin force your body to store unused energy as fat.
3- Selected Medications
Drugs such as antidepressants, diabetes drugs, steroids, and hormone therapies are commonly known to slower down the metabolism in selected humans. They usually put unwanted fat on your body and cause your waistline to expand. This increase in weight ultimately de-catalyses your metabolism. So, if you are suspecting a weight gain because of a particular medication, contact your doctor immediately. A change of medication, dose or frequency of medicines may well be all that is required.
4- Under eating
It is when you are eating too little to meet the daily energy requirements for proper functioning of your body, your body starts to slower down your metabolism in order to save as much of energy as possible, or it can even start breaking down your muscle tissues to obtain the necessary energy for you to work. So it is always suggested not to overdo your diet in desire of cutting too many calories.
5- Skipping on Breakfast
Missing on breakfast is a direct signal to your body to start conserving energy, which makes your body to burn the stored calories slowly. Moreover, it sets you up for overeating at lunch. This is why Journal of Epidemiology found that people who skip a morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese.
6- Continuous Sitting for Long Periods
It is only after 20 minutes of continuous sitting in any fixed position that your metabolism starts showing its affects. Continuous sitting signals a complete lack of physical work to the body. Lesser the physical work, lesser the amount of calories burnt and more the fat accumulated inside the body. A combined study by University of Leicester and Loughborough University has reported that sitting for longer periods increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and death regardless of physical activity.