Health Unchained — Column by Savanna DeHay
How much do we actually know about metabolism? What if our lifestyle is negatively impacting our metabolic processes, affecting our entire wellbeing?
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the process by which our bodies convert food into energy and the chemical reactions that sustain us. It’s essential for our overall well being. Metabolism is the sum of all the cellular processes that keep us alive. Breathing, digestion, maintaining homeostasis, and healing are just some of the many processes that are dependent on metabolism.
Metabolism involves two main processes: catabolism and anabolism.
Catabolism is the process by which your body breaks down food into the smallest usable components. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these components enter the areas of the body where they can be assimilated, such as the muscles, bloodstream, and liver.
Anabolism is the process by which your body assimilates these broken down units to build new structures such as muscle tissue, facilitate wound healing, and support immune function.
Metabolism is sometimes used interchangeably with BMR (basal metabolic rate). BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest, while maintaining all of the internal processes needed to keep you alive. Regardless of how fast or slow your metabolism is, you will always have a minimum baseline for keeping you alive even if you are sedentary. For instance, a 35-year-old man, 5’10”, has an estimated BMR of 1,665 calories per day. Passive movement (e.g. washing dishes, teeth brushing) and deliberate exercise both increase BMR, meaning you need more energy than if you were just sitting all day.
What Factors Influence Metabolism?
According to Better Health, metabolism is influenced by:
- Body size – Larger bodies demand more calories for maintenance.
- Muscle mass – Muscles require a lot of energy for growth and maintenance. The more muscle you have, the more calories you need.
- Body fat – Fat cells require very few calories to be maintained.
- Eating too few calories – Our bodies are smart. If we don’t consume enough calories for an extended period of time, our bodies adapt to conserve energy, thus lowering our metabolic rate.
- Nutrient deficiencies – Lacking sufficient dietary fat and protein, in addition to vitamins and minerals, inhibits metabolic efficiency.
- Age – Babies and children have super fast metabolisms because they are growing rapidly. Metabolism decreases as we age (mostly due to muscle loss).
- Gender – Since men naturally have more muscle mass compared to women, they require more calories for maintenance.
- Genetics – A body may be predisposed to a fast or slow metabolism. However, it is still heavily influenced by all the other factors. Genetics alone do not determine metabolic health.
- Hormones – Sex hormones, thyroid hormones, insulin, and cortisol play a crucial role in our bodies. From appetite and fat storage to blood sugar and energy expenditure, hormones call the shots.
- Environment – Toxins, stressors, and weather, are just some of the environmental factors that affect metabolic efficiency.
- Infection and illness – Many people will lose weight when dealing with an infection or illness simply because the body is using more energy to protect and heal itself.
- Exercise – Certain types of exercise such as weight-lifting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) produce long-lasting effects that boost metabolism even after exercise.
- Drug use – Metabolism can sometimes increase due to caffeine intake and nicotine use.
While metabolism is controlled by numerous factors, hormones by far have the most influence. The importance of hormonal health cannot be overstated.
Symptoms of a Slow Metabolism
The consequences of a slow metabolism go beyond unwanted weight gain. It also leads to unwanted side effects like lethargy, dry skin, hair loss, feeling cold, constipation, the inability to properly digest carbohydrates, and carbohydrate cravings. If symptoms go untreated, they can create a domino effect, leading to chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes.
The Effects of Carbohydrates on Metabolic Health
Carbohydrates, one of the three macronutrients, are known for providing quick energy to the body. Fruits, vegetables, many nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, grains, and some dairy products all contain carbohydrates, some more than others. According to Dr. Berg, a well-known health-minded chiropractor, there are four different types of carbohydrates:
- MONOSACCHARIDES: Simple sugars that are digested very quickly by the body. Causes a blood sugar rush, leading to a blood sugar crash. E.g. Glucose, fructose
- DISACCHARIDES: Slightly more complex carbohydrates. These contain two types of monosaccharides. E.g. table sugar, milk sugar
- OLIGOSACCHARIDES: Even more complex, as they are made of three monosaccharides. E.g. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains
- POLYSACCHARIDES: Polysaccharides, such as fiber and starches, demand the most energy to digest. These have the lowest impact on blood sugar and tend to contain vitamins and minerals too. E.g. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains
Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient. While some complex carbohydrates do contain vitamins and minerals, protein and fat are necessary for every single bodily function. Carbohydrates are not an “energy food.” According to Dr. Berg, carbohydrates are fatigue foods. Rather than providing stable and long-lasting energy like we get from dietary fat, carbohydrates cause sporadic glucose spikes and crashes that cause stress and fatigue. Excess carbohydrate consumption will lead to insulin resistance, unhealthy weight gain, and chronic inflammation.
While carbohydrates are not inherently “bad,” they should generally be eaten in small amounts. Protein and fat give our bodies everything we need to live and thrive.
Really want to kick-start your metabolism? Try ditching carbs for just two weeks and watch what happens!
How to Boost Metabolism
A healthy metabolism is born out of a healthy lifestyle. Here are some healthy habits to set you up for metabolic success:
- Stop eating processed foods
- Consume a minimum of 0.8–1.2g+ protein per pound of body weight
- Consume only healthy and natural fats (avoid seed oils)
- Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night
- Exercise daily (even a simple 20-minute walk)
- Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) (Not for the faint of heart; however, HIIT has been shown to preserve muscle and increase metabolism for several hours after exercise)
- Build muscle
- Eliminate or limit carbohydrates
- Stop consuming sugar
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption
The Takeaway
Metabolic health is crucial for every cellular process in the body. A healthy lifestyle supports a healthy metabolism, while an unhealthy lifestyle leads to issues like insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, and other chronic conditions. The choices we make today shape our habits and future. So let’s invest in ourselves today for a healthier tomorrow. We’re worth it!
