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Stimulate metabolism

Stimulate metabolism - is that even possible?

Whether in the media, on the street or in daily interaction, the term metabolism or metabolism is heard or read everywhere today. But very few people know what is really meant by it. Some people immediately think of digestion when they hear the term metabolism, and others think of fat burning. This is not wrong, but also not completely correct, because these are all only sub-areas of the metabolism. The metabolism itself includes much more.

What is metabolism actually?

Metabolism is the term used for ALL biochemical processes that take place in our body and cells. In other words, we take in food = nutrients and digest them. After these are digested (broken down into their components) and processed by the stomach and intestines, they are transported through the bloodstream into the individual cells, where again processes take place.

For example, the production of energy or the building of new building blocks, which are also responsible for our body to renew itself and grow.

This complex process is divided into two superordinate types:

  1. Catabolism (breakdown), here the nutrients are broken down into their individual components.
  2. Anabolism (building up), here the nutrients are reassembled.

Our food consists of a wide variety of substances such as proteins/amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, minerals etc. However, our body can do rather little with them in this state and first breaks them down into their individual components in order to reassemble them later in such a way that it can utilize them most effectively. Thus they are built up, degraded or rebuilt.

However, in order for these metabolic processes to function smoothly, we have enzymes in our bodies. Enzymes are proteins that each organ specifically produces itself, which are assigned to different functions. They lead the whole and regulate when the metabolic process starts or needs to be accelerated. However, our body can increase or decrease the activity of enzymes through various hormones.

What are the types of metabolism?

Carbohydrate metabolism = sugar metabolism: all types of carbohydrates that we take in with food are ALWAYS converted or broken down sooner or later into simple sugars such as fructose or glucose so that our body can obtain energy from them.

Note: even very complex and long-chain carbohydrates, such as rice or whole grain products, are ultimately always converted to simple sugars in the body. In contrast to very short-chain carbohydrates, such as dextrose, this only takes considerably longer.

Protein metabolism = amino acid metabolism: Proteins / protein are split and broken down into the individual amino acids. These in turn are used to build muscles, to generate energy and to build enzymes and hormones.

Fat metabolism: the fats are broken down and primarily serve to produce energy, as well as hormones and messenger substances. If the energy provided by fat is not needed, our body stores it in our fat depot (hips, belly, etc., who doesn't know it? 😉).

Bone and mineral metabolism: Refers to the absorption, transport and supply of minerals for bone formation, for example.

Metabolism disorder

A metabolic disorder occurs when one of the processes described above is interrupted. That is, one or more of the nutrients ingested is not properly utilized and does not reach the cell where it is needed. Causes for this can be hereditary factors, but also the consequences of a faulty diet and the lack of sport and exercise can quickly become the trigger. The metabolic disorder symptoms can usually be identified quite quickly and are manifested by:

  • severe weight gain or loss
  • Pain and swelling
  • Nausea and stomach problems
  • Skin redness.

This is not to be trifled with, because from the symptoms can be quite quickly serious diseases such as: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, diabetes or rheumatism / gout the consequence.

Can you boost or speed up the metabolism?

Here, the question probably refers in most cases to a weight reduction that one would like to achieve by stimulating the metabolism. The answer is "yes".

The basal metabolic rate is the energy consumption that our body needs in a resting state so that all organs are supplied with sufficient energy and the organism is kept alive. This is probably genetically determined and here the metabolism can not be boosted.

However, there is also good news and these relate to the energy metabolism, this refers to the total energy demand and can be influenced and boosted without problems with enough exercise / sport and the right choice of food and nutrients!

What can be used to stimulate the metabolism?

First of all, it is important to point out that a well-functioning metabolism is not only optimal for good fat burning. It also ensures that all the nutrients that we take in every day with our food are ideally utilized and this is the prerequisite for a healthy life in general.

  1. Eat regularly and healthy! Most people make the mistake of not eating enough food if you want to burn fat and boost metabolism! Sounds absurd at first, but unfortunately it is so! It should only be the right foods! Eating stimulates thermogenesis. This refers to the energy the body has to expend to break down, digest and then process nutrients. Here, foods rich in protein, as well as fiber, are especially recommended to get the most benefit.

  2. Drink enough! Another point is the sufficient supply of liquid. This should be 300 - 350 ml per 10 kg body weight and be taken in the form of water or unsweetened teas. The whole thing could be optimized by drinking mainly cold water, because here the body also needs more energy, since it first has to warm it up to body temperature.

  3. Sport! Through regular and intensive sports, the metabolism can be stimulated most actively. Therefore, the metabolism formula that leads to success is the combination of endurance training in conjunction with strength training, because with this combination the body has to fall back on its energy reserves = fat depots the fastest.

  4. Get enough sleep! A healthy sleep is the be-all and end-all for the metabolism. Too little sleep can increase blood sugar levels, which in turn causes our body to release insulin and combustion is strongly inhibited.

If all this is not enough for you and you want to do something even more active, one or the other dietary supplement can be very effective:

  • L-Carnitine - especially if you exercise a lot and the body draws on energy reserves, L-Carnitine can help fatty acids to be transported better and faster for energy.

  • Chromium - is an essential trace element and vital for our organism, it has, among other things, the task to contribute to a normal metabolism of macronutrients and to maintain a normal blood sugar level.
  • Magnesium - also belongs to the group of essential nutrients, which are vital and which our body cannot produce itself. In addition, magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic processes, assumes a key function there and can have a positive effect on the metabolism.
  • Vitamin D3 - is found in almost every cell of our body and is enormously important for a well-functioning metabolism. It is significantly involved in the regulation of our hormone balance and thus also in the energy metabolism.