What is metabolism: why is it fast and slow?

A slow metabolism in the body is a sure way to excess weight. This is a problem mainly for older people and those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. It seems that it is easy to avoid gaining extra pounds: just eat less and exercise. But it's not that simple. There are many factors that can interfere with the ideal picture of losing weight. For example, some people may be temporarily or permanently prohibited from any physical activity other than natural ones. This situation will benefit from products that speed up metabolism.

Women over 40 years of age most often suffer from the effects of a slow metabolism. Young girls and men usually avoid this problem. But there are exceptions, so anyone who notices an increase in kilograms should pay attention to their metabolic rate.

Nutritionists identify 20 foods that help speed up metabolism:

• whole grains;
• Red beans;
• celery;
• spinach;
• cabbage;
• seaweed;
• fish;
• lean meat;
• bone broth;
• ginger, chicory and cinnamon;
• berries;
• apples;
• grapefruit and other citrus fruits;
• watermelons;
• almond;
• coffee;
• green tea;
• water;
• dairy products;
• chocolate.

It is desirable that this list of products be present in the diet of every person, regardless of age, size and lifestyle.

Whole grain products

Whole grain foods contain high amounts of fiber. To digest it, the body is forced to spend a lot of calories, this causes metabolic processes to accelerate.

Oatmeal is considered the ideal breakfast. It has a positive effect on the balance of blood glucose levels.

Natural vitamins and microelements are also preserved in whole grain products. This makes them even more useful.

Breathe deeper

Sometimes you read about yet another diet and you just want to sigh. And it is right! Deep breathing is a much more effective way to lose weight Jumpstart Your Metabolism: How to Lose Weight by Changing the Way You Breathe than strict dietary restrictions (in general, strict diets are more likely to make you gain weight than lose weight, and Lifehacker has already written about this).

And the logic here is simple: the deeper you breathe, the more oxygen enters the blood and the more active the process of processing food, including fats and sugar, into energy. Reproducibility study for free-breathing measurements of pyruvate metabolism using hyperpolarized (13) C in the heart.

Red beans

After eating a serving of red beans, a person is guaranteed to remain full for at least 3 hours. This effect is associated with a high fiber content, which the body will have to digest, expending energy.

Beans are recommended for women who want to not only burn fat, but also gain muscle mass. Group vitamins and zinc are responsible for this, which increase testosterone.

Another beneficial property of red beans is that they cleanse the intestines with the help of the resistant starch they contain. It destroys pathogenic microflora and is almost not digested.

Ginger, chicory and cinnamon

Spices are not just meant to make food taste better. From time immemorial, infusions and decoctions were prepared with spices, and they were used to treat the sick. By eating cinnamon, ginger, chicory and some hot spices daily, you can start the process of accelerating your metabolism, accelerating it by 10% every day.

When adding certain spices to your diet, you need to take into account the overall health of the gastrointestinal tract. For certain diseases, it is recommended to refrain from using spicy food additives until approved by a doctor.

Tips for beginners

One of the most popular methods based on stimulating the body to start processing incoming food at full speed is considered to be the Hayley Pomeroy method. When creating her own method, based on medical reports and scientific research results, the expert prioritized three important tips for beginners:

1. Refusal of rigor. No serious restrictions on all fronts, including a refusal to completely ban common delicacies.
2. Increased physical activity so that fats are easily transformed into beautiful relief.
3. Mood. A positive outlook on future menu changes is essential. It is even forbidden to arrange a moral brainwash if someone who wants to lose weight could not resist eating a cake. Otherwise, the body will remember the feeling of self-flagellation, stalling in obtaining the desired results.

It is even better if relatives begin to support the person who has embarked on the path of correction, and do not begin to tease him.

Coffee

No matter how the supporters of proper nutrition may oppose it, a cup of coffee for breakfast is a good way not only to cheer up, but also to kick-start your metabolism. Caffeine actively fights fat deposits in the body, so we are talking only about natural, freshly brewed coffee. It is advisable to drink it without sugar, cream and other additives. You shouldn’t be too zealous - two or three cups of this drink a day is enough.

People with a tendency to high blood pressure or digestive problems are advised to consult with their doctor before including coffee in their diet.

How to normalize metabolism in the body

It is very important to monitor your body and notice the slightest changes in order to prevent illness. Of course, taking medications is possible only under the supervision and prescription of a doctor, but you can do a lot on your own, for example, adjust your diet, increase physical activity, give up bad habits and fill vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Vitamin supplements

A nutritionist or dietitian will help you select the necessary vitamins and minerals based on identified deficiencies. The most basic deficiencies that occur in people

:

• Omega-3 fatty acids

  – regulate leptin levels in the body. According to many researchers, it is this hormone that is responsible not only for the metabolic rate in the body, but also for fundamental decisions about whether to burn fat at the moment or accumulate it. The best foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include fatty fish, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, broccoli, beans, bok choy, cauliflower, and walnuts.

• Iodine

  – activates the thyroid gland, that is, it also speeds up metabolism. A lot of iodine is found in seaweed, seafood, and even apple seeds. If you chew only 6-7 seeds a day, you will get the daily requirement.

• Chromium

  – improves stomach function, helps maintain blood sugar at the desired level, according to some data, reduces cravings for sweets;

• Vitamin B6 and other B vitamins

  . They really speed up the metabolism in cells. Include foods that contain these little helpers in your diet: meat, liver, fish, eggs, wholemeal bread, legumes, bananas, brown rice, nuts and yeast extract.

• Folic acid

  . It speeds up the body's metabolism, strengthens the immune system and helps cleanse. Found in carrots, green leafy vegetables, liver, legumes, eggs, wholemeal products, yeast, orange juice and wheat bran.

• Probiotics

  – remove toxic substances from the body.

Physical exercise

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you will not be able to normalize your metabolism using the methods described above. Experts advise doing physical exercises and healthy procedures every day.

:

• Running, brisk walking, swimming, cycling. You can sign up for a gym. Any physical activity that is performed regularly will be beneficial.
• Cold and hot shower.
• Massage for preventive purposes.
• Push-ups, squats. These exercises will help strengthen your muscles and you can do them yourself at home.
• Long walks in the fresh air.

Lifestyle

It is important to learn to control your emotions, be restrained, and be able to cope with depression and stressful situations. A mental balance helps to normalize the hormone responsible for appetite. It is worth giving up bad habits such as smoking and frequent drinking. These habits negatively affect your health and disrupt your metabolism.

Adequate sleep is very important for good metabolism. People who sleep on average about six hours a night are more likely to suffer from metabolic problems and have three centimeters wider waists than those who sleep more. Scientists from the University of Leeds came to this conclusion after studying the lifestyle of more than 1.6 thousand people. The optimal amount of sleep varies from person to person, but for most people it's seven to nine hours.

Massage and sauna

Any type of massage (anti-cellulite, sports, vacuum, even self-massage at home) perfectly stimulates blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, which significantly speeds up metabolism.

A sauna, as well as a regular or infrared bath, enhances cellular activity, ensures free breathing of the skin as an independent organ, warming up the body, opens pores, increases circulation in cells and stimulates metabolism. In addition, taking hot baths (lasting 5-10 minutes) and contrast showers also speed up metabolism.

Green tea

Green tea, unlike coffee, is considered a “healthy” drink. It is recommended for weight loss due to the catechins present in the composition, which serve as antioxidants.

Brew green tea correctly! cup put 1 tsp. tea leaves and fill with water, the temperature of which is 80-85 ° C. Wait 2-3 minutes and remove the tea leaves, otherwise the tea will taste bitter.

3-4 cups of properly brewed green tea per day will support normal metabolic rate and help you lose weight. You can drink the drink hot, warm or cold - the beneficial properties are preserved in any case.

Principles of nutrition to normalize metabolism

Let’s take a closer look at diet and nutritional principles to normalize metabolism, because no amount of physical activity or vitamin and mineral supplements will help without the base – proper nutrition.

First of all, you need a proper balanced breakfast. A morning meal will provide energy for a long time, so it is important that breakfast consists of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, especially complex ones, will provide satiety, fats will help launch bile flow and, accordingly, the entire digestion process.

Don't forget to drink water. Clean water removes waste and toxins from the body, and a couple of glasses of warm water on an empty stomach starts our body and helps it wake up. There are several options for calculating the required amount of fluid consumed: 30 ml per 1 kg of ideal weight, or 1 ml of water per 1 kcal of food consumed. If you drink a lot of coffee or black tea, remember to increase your water intake.

There is an opinion that frequent meals 5-6 times a day speed up metabolism and faster weight loss occurs. However, today, doctors and nutritionists are inclined to eat three meals a day in order not to cause unnecessary surges in glucose and insulin.

In addition, it is very advisable to eat protein foods every day, since the body requires a lot of time to absorb it and a lot of effort to digest protein. According to American nutritionists, the process of protein digestion activates the body's energy expenditure (that is, burning calories) almost twice. But there are also nuances here - good acidity of gastric juice and normal functioning of all enzymatic systems are necessary in order for the protein to be properly absorbed.

The diet should contain a lot of plant foods and fiber. As you know, vegetarians have an accelerated metabolism. At the same time, more energy is spent on raw foods. Include up to 80% plant foods in your diet. Fruits containing fruit acids and plant enzymes also allow you to lose extra pounds and help metabolism in the body. Grapefruit and lemon improve digestion, promote fat burning and speed up metabolism.

Targeted nutrition tips

that will increase your energy level by 10 out of 10

From TOP nutritionists of the MIIN

Get tips

Also, quite often, to speed up metabolism, nutritionists prescribe treatment table No. 8

. The general characteristic of this treatment table is to reduce the calorie content of the diet due to carbohydrates, especially easily digestible ones, and to a lesser extent fats (mainly animals) with a normal or slightly increased protein content. Restriction of free fluid, sodium chloride and appetite-stimulating foods and dishes. Increased dietary fiber content. Dishes are prepared boiled, stewed, baked. Fried, pureed and chopped products are undesirable. They use sugar substitutes for sweet dishes and drinks (xylitol and sorbitol are taken into account in the calorie content of the diet).

Compound

: proteins – 90-110 g (60% animal), fats – 80-85 g (30% vegetable), carbohydrates – 150 g, sodium chloride 5-6 g.

Calorie content

: 1700-1800 kcal.

Diet

: 5-6 times a day with enough volume to feel full.

Excluded foods and dishes:

• products made from premium and 1st grade wheat flour, butter and puff pastry;
• milk, potato, cereal, legume, and pasta soups;
• fatty meats, goose, duck, ham, sausages, boiled and smoked sausages, canned food;
• fatty types, salted, smoked, canned fish in oil, caviar;
• fatty cottage cheese, sweet cheeses, cream, sweet yogurt, fermented baked milk, baked milk, fatty and salty cheeses;
• fried eggs;
• cereals: rice, semolina and oatmeal, pasta, legumes;
• fatty and spicy snacks, sauces; mayonnaise, all spices;
• grapes, raisins, bananas, figs, dates, very sweet varieties of other fruits, sugar, confectionery, jam, honey, ice cream, jelly;
• grape and other sweet juices, cocoa;
• meat and cooking fats.

Recommended dishes:

• Bread and flour products

  : rye and wheat bread made from wholemeal flour, protein-wheat and protein-bran bread - 100-150 g per day.

• Soups

  : up to 250-300 g per meal, from various vegetables with a small addition of potatoes or cereals; cabbage soup, borscht, okroshka, beetroot soup. 2-3 times a week, soups in weak low-fat meat or fish broth with vegetables and meatballs.

• Meat and poultry

  : up to 150 g per day. Low fatness beef, veal, rabbit, chicken, turkey, limited - lean pork and lamb - mainly boiled, as well as stewed, baked in large and small pieces. The meat is fried after boiling. Beef jelly, beef sausages.

• Fish

  : low-fat types up to 150-200 g per day. Boiled, baked, fried, seafood.

• Low-fat milk and fermented milk drinks

  . Sour cream - in dishes, low-fat cottage cheese with 9% fat content (100-200 g per day) - natural and in the form of cheesecakes, puddings. Low-fat cheese varieties - limited.

• Eggs

  : 1-2 pieces per day, hard-boiled, protein omelettes, omelettes with vegetables.

• Cereals are only for adding to vegetable soups. Crumbly porridges from buckwheat, pearl barley, and barley due to the reduction of bread.
• Vegetables

  They are used widely, in all forms, some of them always raw. All types of cabbage, fresh cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, turnips are desirable. Sauerkraut - after washing. Limit dishes from potatoes, beets, green peas, carrots, rutabaga (total up to 200 g per day), as well as salted and pickled vegetables.

• Snacks

  : salads from raw and pickled vegetables, vinaigrettes, vegetable salads with boiled meat and fish, seafood. Jellied fish or meat, lean ham.

• Fruits and berries of sweet and sour varieties, raw and boiled. Jelly and mousses based on methylcellulose, xylitol, sorbitol, unsweetened compotes.
• Sauces and spices

  : tomato, red, white with vegetables, mild mushroom, vinegar.

• Beverages

  : tea, black coffee and coffee with milk. Low-sweet fruit, berry, vegetable juices.

• Fats

  : butter (limited) and vegetable oils - in dishes.

Water

The key to human health and longevity is water. If there is a lack of fluid in the body, metabolism slows down. In the process of research, scientists from Germany found that every 0.5 liter of water drunk speeds up metabolism by about 30% and causes the body to spend 24 kcal more.

It is recommended to drink 2.5-3 liters of water per day. More for athletes. If this volume seems unattainable to you, you should start small and gradually increase the volume of water you drink.

For people over 50 years of age, it is advisable to ensure that their kidneys are healthy before increasing their fluid intake.

Four stages

The diet, which accelerates the metabolism stuck in a disadvantageous position, provides for almost a month. Moreover, each week also has its own stepwise division. The first segment had three stages:

• two-day removal of negative emotions and work on restoring the functioning of the adrenal glands;
• muscle building two days;
• stimulation of heat exchange with cardiac activity in the remaining days.

The first phase requires that all meals be divided into five meals, where two of them are snacks (second breakfast, afternoon snack). The emphasis is on cereals, and snacking is only allowed on fruits.

The second segment excludes the consumption of fruits and cereals, replacing them with meat, fish, and vegetables. But the breakdown by number of meals remains identical.

The final stage is based on the same algorithm for breaking down meals, but the diet is based on:

• vegetables;
• fruits;
• legumes;
• seeds;
• seafood;
• salads;
• cereals

The dressing is vegetable oil.

Having successfully overcome the obstacles of the first week, you can safely move on to the second, where the focus is not only on stress relief. A person must get rid of fear by overcoming guilt. Since Mrs. Pomeroy pays great attention to the psychological side of acquiring the desired forms, spiritual development cannot be avoided here.

The third week is also a great time to think about your own appearance. Against this background, we must not forget about five meals a day without snacks. You should eat after a maximum of four hours. And you need to have time to eat breakfast half an hour after waking up. You need to maintain optimal water balance at all times.

The final week will delight you with the active breakdown of fats accumulated over the years, as evidenced by the active phase of weight loss. If the patient notices positive changes, then Hayley Pomeroy advises sticking to her technique for the rest of her life in order to maintain her physical and emotional state at the proper level.

When using the method for a long time, generally accepted truths are taken as a basis:

• products of natural origin are a priority;
• eat half an hour before your planned workout;
• after waking up, you need to immediately start breakfast without delaying cooking;
• home-cooked food is a guarantee of health;
• say goodbye to alcohol, corn, soy, sugar, salt;
• support your body as it begins to change with vitamin supplements.

If you adhere to the above and do not lose heart, then positive changes will demonstrate themselves in all their glory very soon.

Chocolate

It is usually not advisable for those losing weight to eat sweets, but chocolate is an exception. We are talking about high quality natural dark and dark chocolate - it is a natural metabolism stimulant and appetite suppressant. Epicatechin in its composition has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, brain, and does not allow cholesterol levels to increase. Other antioxidants contained in chocolate tone the body and promote the production of the happiness hormone.

The listed products speed up metabolism, help effectively fight excess weight, and normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Change in metabolic rate

Before this, we were talking about things that were partly genetic. But man is not a closed system. We are greatly influenced by the environment. A hundred years ago, metabolism was less dependent on it. But today we have an abundance of food - fatty, sweet, high-calorie, always available. We move less - we have cars, subways, planes, and all kinds of technology make life easier.

A sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep - all this disrupts the weight self-regulation system and disrupts eating behavior. The hypothalamus ceases to correctly perceive the body's signals, the muscles lose sensitivity to insulin. In the worst scenario, metabolic syndrome develops - type 2 diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, which often go together and reinforce each other.

And if it’s difficult to fight genetics, a lot can be done with lifestyle. Even the most genetically hopeless person is capable of great change.

"Acceleration" of metabolism

It is not correct to talk about “accelerating” metabolism. Instead, you need to think about how to return it to normal. Severely accelerated metabolism is a serious disease (for example, Basedow's disease).

What reduces metabolism? Sedentary lifestyle, lack of strength training, lack of muscles, addiction to sugar and saturated fats, eating disorders. And this is “treated” by changing your lifestyle.

You'll lose weight, restore your cells' sensitivity to insulin through diet and strength training, and your metabolism will return to as normal as possible. You will learn to eat when you are hungry and not eat when you are full, stop bombarding your brain with endorphins from high-calorie foods, and improve your sensitivity to leptin.

But it’s not the other way around: first “accelerate” the metabolism, and then lose weight at these speeds. There is absolutely no point in speeding up your metabolism to lose weight. It returns to its normal state during the weight loss process.