Striking a balance between appetite and metabolism is one of the most straightforward practices towards improving your healthspan.
When these two are not taken care of, it can lead to digestive issues and cause unwanted weight gain. Metabolism is among the other factors that contribute to a healthy weight (eating habits, lifestyle and sleeping patterns).
What is metabolism?
As defined, metabolism is a chemical process that occurs within a living organism to maintain life.
Its three primary purposes are:
- Conversion of food into building blocks for proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and some carbohydrates
- Elimination of metabolic byproducts
- Transformation of the energy in food into functional energy to power cellular processes
Aging and how it affects our metabolism
In association with weight loss, it is said that a slow metabolism can inhibit your weight loss journey – and aging is one of the elements that influence this as well.
As aging is inevitable, outward signs appear in your body and likewise within – including slowing down your metabolism. Finding ways to slow down this process has been continuous for researchers – and with metabolism, it’s no different; some things to try are exercise or changing what we eat and drink [1].
It’s true that, unfortunately, particular food and beverages can’t instantly increase or decrease metabolism. Some things we consume can indirectly contribute to it – not speed it up. Additionally, drinks might help with weight loss rather than speed up your metabolism.
Factors that determine metabolism speed
Younger people usually have more elevated metabolism rates. They burn more calories – not because they are more active, but because they are also developing.
In addition, growing expends a lot of energy costly – bones, height and increasing muscle mass all need energy, calling for a heightened rate of metabolism.
Metabolism and genetics
Your basal metabolic rate is partially specified by the genes you inherit. Some people with a high metabolism can eat more without gaining weight because their bodies burn it off faster.
Sometimes, these people are the ones who can’t stay put, making their bodies use up more calories with constant movement. People with slower metabolisms burn calories more gradually and need to eat less, or the body will accumulate the extra calories as fat.
Drinking habits to aid metabolism
With that, here are some drinking habits that might help your metabolism and contribute to weight loss:
- Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol: bypassing excess alcohol intake proves to sustain a healthy metabolism. Excess could mean more than two drinks a day for men and one drink daily for women.
If consumed moderately, alcohol isn’t as bad as it appears. Regardless, overconsuming the beverage could lead to weight gain from consuming empty calories and other health issues like heart issues and hypertension.
- Consume lots of water: water is the key to life – and it turns out to be one of the most effortless practices to aid metabolism. Consuming water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it [2]. It means if you drink a few cups of water every hour, you’ll maintain your metabolism at peak performance throughout the day [3].
Up your water intake game with these exciting variations to try:
- Cumin cinnamon water: cinnamon is an antioxidant powerhouse. Its anti-inflammatory properties support fighting diabetes. Cumin, on the other hand, is excellent for digestion and improves the immune system. To prepare: in a big saucepan, add cumin seeds and cinnamon, with a glass of water. Allow it boil for five minutes. Strain and have it warm. You can opt to add salt, lemon and honey.
- Lemon detox water: lemon is rich in vitamin C and contains citric acid and antioxidants, which can remove bodily toxins, as well as increase our metabolism. Adding honey and cinnamon to lemon detox water can also enhance gut health. To prepare: take two cups of water, squeeze one lemon, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and one tablespoon of honey. Mix well.
- Ginger lemon water: aside from weight loss, the ginger lemon drink is great for gastrointestinal tract issues. It helps in combat bloating and cramps. The vitamin C and pectin in lemon make it a good detox drink. To prepare: take one glass of water in a mixer, add some ice, ginger and mint leaves. Blend nicely. You can choose to add a tablespoon of lemon juice and honey to enhance the taste.
- Drink protein beverages: Dieticians recommend protein as they need the most energy to be digested and broken down. It has a slower digestion rate compared to fat or carbohydrates.
Some suggestions for protein beverages include those prepared with cow’s milk, Greek yoghurt or protein powder. These might help keep your metabolism in high gear and curb your appetite.
- Sip some green tea: Green tea is one of the most potent drinks for weight loss. The catechins found in it are antioxidants that have proven to increase fat burning and potentially elevate metabolism [4].
Furthermore, caffeine in green tea may help improve exercise performance by providing some energy boost. For augmented benefit, you can try to consume matcha, a type of green tea highly concentrated with catechins.
[1] https://www.eatthis.com/drinking-habits-speed-up-metabolism-50/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21750519
[3] https://selecthealth.org/blog/2018/01/4-ways-to-boost-your-metabolism
[4] https://bit.ly/3uSE7I9
