Understanding Metabolic Rate and Speeding up Metabolism
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on 2/23/2009
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Metbolism is the bodily process of breaking down food and either turning it into energy or storing it as fat. The faster you can metabolize, the less fat you will store. Therefore, many looking to lose weight should have an interest in having a healthy metabolic rate.
What determines our Metabolic rate?
1. Age - Sadly, as we age, our calorie needs become lower and lower. Hence, the reason we used to be able to stuff our faces when we were kids and now we're on a constant search for low calorie food.
2. Genes - People are born with naturally slow or fast metabolic rates. You can't control this - you were either blessed or screwed.
3. Muscle - Unlike fat cells, muscle cells are very metabolically demanding. Building muscle will use up calories/energy as your body works to maintain your muscle mass.
4. Frequency of Eating - Although this is up for debate, it is said that if we go too long without eating, our body will store fat because it thinks we're starving. It is storing fat as reserve energy for a starvation period. The metabolic rate is said to slow down when you starve yourself. This is something to consider if you're planning on fasting to lose weight.
5. Activity Level - Not only does activity (exercise) help us burn calories at the time of performance, but it also speeds up the metabolic activity afterward - which keeps the calories burning.
6. Proper Nutrition - Metabolism is no simple process. It's based on tons of ongoing chemical reactions which all rely on certain vitamins and minerals. Make sure that you are eating a well rounded diet in order to maintain a healthy metabolism.
 Ryan Mayberry
http://fitconnect.com/ryan
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