Health & Fitness: Fundamentals of Nutrition Part II

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Metabolism plays a huge role in why we look the way we do. The older we get the slower our metabolism gets. This has to do with the decrease in hormonal levels as we age, namely growth hormone and testosterone for males and estrogen and progesterone for females (hormones that are already present in the body).

Fast and Slow Metabolism

I believe that this concept of fast and slow metabolism has more to do with what our bodies have a tendency to burn as a source of energy. Fats, carbs, or protein. We all know that it is possible to eat in a way that that will force our bodies into catabolism (the breakdown of muscle as an energy source) For example: skipping meals for one. So when you hear people talking about a fast metabolism or a slow metabolism, I think they are really referring to how much fat your metabolism burns as well as at what rate. In the hopes of trying to gain weight, someone with a fast metabolism would have to eat enough calories to support the speed of their metabolism and then a few hundred calories more per day to support the growing process. The growing process of muscle not fat, so eating everything in sight is still not a good idea. Sticking to quality calories is best, trying to stay away from sugary foods and saturated fats is a good idea. I believe these kinds of foods can help encourage your metabolism to slow down because of the effect it has on insulin levels. So stick to an eating plan that is high in protein, complex carbohydrates and quality fats (not to mention the obvious fruits and vegetables).

The same way a person with a slower metabolism can turn their metabolism around to a fast one, A person with a faster metabolism can slow down their metabolism by making poor food choices according to the glycemic index. Sugar is the enemy. Stay away from sugars and excessive carbs, regardless of the fact that they are fat free. Your body will turn excessive calories into whatever it wants. Considering we are all mammals, we are therefor fat storing animals and any excessive calories will get converted into fat and then stored. Genetically our metabolisms will always have a tendency to be more like the way we were born, thanks to our parents. But I believe that the way our parents fed us from the time we were infants to mid adolescence plays a role in the conditioning of our bodies to be faster or slower. This can not be said for all, but the United States does not have the reputation for having the highest percentage of obese people because the majority of the country was genetically born that way. Activity level and the way in which we ingest food and the type of foods chosen plays a much larger role than most of us think. If you tend to have a slower metabolism it is just easier to come to terms with this if you blame it on genetics. I understand that some individuals have medical conditions surrounding this issue but, there are many people, even some bodybuilders, who use this slow metabolism as an excuse for their shortcomings. Having a slow metabolism can be beneficial if one is trying to gain weight, both fat and muscle. When it comes to dieting one must be more careful with the foods consumed if one is trying to get leaner. The best way to get your metabolism to speed it up is through weight lifting and increasing lean body mass. The second best way is through eating techniques. The way to do this is to eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. It helps to get your complex carbs in the morning and gradually cut them out as the day goes on.

#1 WAY TO SPEED YOUR METABOLISM
The best and most effective way to speed your metabolism is to increase your lean body mass. By stimulating muscle growth and hormone release through intense weight training is the best way to increase the speed of a slow or slowing metabolism. Muscle is living active tissue that requires caloric expenditure for survival. The more muscle you have the more calories your body has to burn on a daily basis to maintain that tissue. If and when you stop training and begin to lose muscle, your metabolism can slow down, and you can gain weight if you don't drop your caloric expenditure.

#2 WAY TO SPEED YOUR METABOLISM
The second fastest way to speed your metabolism has to do with your diet. There are two main points that come into play here. The first is the type of foods you consume and the second is the way in which you consume those foods. A diet that is balanced and consists of complex carbohydrates, quality protein, mono-unsaturated fats and plenty of fiberous carbs just about does it. As far as giving your body what it needs so your metabolism doesn't slow due to a depletion of something somewhere in your diet. In other words give your body everything healthy it could possible be looking for. To add the second equation into the mix to help get your metabolism to speed up and burn more fat, now eat these quality foods throughout the day. Not just at two or even three sittings. Eat smaller meals and more of them. Six meals a day is about what you should be shooting for.