Top 6 Things That Could Be Slowing Your Metabolism Without You Knowing

Metabolism refers to a series of reactions that occur within the cells of living organisms to maintain life. The process of metabolism involves many interconnected cellular pathways to provide cells with the energy they need to carry out their function. The metabolism, so that it is understood in a simple way, is what makes us, in part, burn the calories expended. One of the most frequent fears of people is that their metabolism or calorie burning decreases. Therefore, here we explain what things you may be doing that decrease your metabolism. Not resting properly, Rest is something very important and vital for any living being. If a living being does not rest, it ends up turning off in one way or another. We, as human beings who live in society, can harm ourselves in the workplace, as students, etc. For the brain, which is the boss of our body, to function properly, it needs to sleep and rest (which is not the same thing) seven or eight hours a day. If our brain is tired, it will do everything possible so that our metabolism slows down and the energy we have stored is maintained. And not only that, but as a bonus, it will make us more likely to eat more because the prefrontal cortex is not as efficient at inhibiting impulses from the brain. Eat little protein We know that protein is an important macronutrient for life, as it performs many vital functions. Not only is it necessary to gain muscle mass and/or lose body fat, but it has many effects on all tissues in the body, at the hormonal level, etc. If the body does not receive enough protein, what is achieved is that the metabolism of protein turnover decreases. On the other hand, if we eat X amount of calories without almost including protein, this will cause us to absorb more amount of calories. This is so because to metabolize 100 kcal of proteins, 25% of the energy they provide us is needed. On the other hand, to metabolize 100 kcal of carbohydrates or fats, we need between 1-10% of the energy they provide us. Therefore, including a minimum of 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is important for maintaining good metabolic health. Not doing physical activity, Human beings are adapted to move. Although it is true that we are not made to do deadlifts, bench presses, and other exercises that we have invented in the gym, we really are made to move. A person who is sedentary has a somewhat slower metabolism, since the chemical reactions that are needed to keep him alive are not as numerous as those of a person who is not sedentary. And we are no longer referring to the calories that are burned when doing physical exercise, but to the calories at rest. That is why, just for health reasons, it is important that we maintain minimum levels of daily physical activity or exercise. Maintain chronic stress and/or anxiety There are many people who confuse stress with anxiety when they are different conditions (not pathologies or diseases). Both concepts cannot be diseases because the RAE itself defines disease as "a state produced in a living being by the alteration of the function of one of its organs or of the whole organism". Stress is an activation of the central nervous system, while anxiety is a more general and anticipatory state of awareness, it is the recognition of a threatening sensory or symbolic stimulus. Maintaining both states chronically causes the body to feel that there is nothing good in the outside world, so, very simply speaking, it is in "economy mode" and slows down the metabolism. From Vitoria, we suggest and advise that if you suffer from stress or anxiety, you go to an expert who can help you manage it. Consume ultra-processed We know that the consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased chance of suffering pathologies or syndromes such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc. But did you know that it also has the ability to lower metabolism? Ultra-processed foods may have endocrine disruptors that cause the endocrine level, the metabolism, to not work properly. On the other hand, there would be an increase in inflammation, making the body more concerned with reducing this low-grade chronic inflammation than with carrying out its normal functions. Alcohol consumption The consumption of alcohol is something similar to what happens with the consumption of processed foods. We have all heard that alcohol turns into fat, but it is not true. What happens is that alcohol, being a poison, the body gives priority to the metallization, of that poison, causing the normal metabolism to decrease. For this reason, alcohol consumption, even moderate, also causes the metabolism to decrease. In Vitoria | Small changes in your diet can add years to your life, according to a study: we tell you what you can do to achieve it.