As we all know, metabolism is the process by which the body burns food for energy. A healthy metabolism helps one have more energy, attain good quality sleep, burn unwanted fat, and improve overall wellness.
A fast metabolism helps speed up calorie burning, which helps maintain a healthy weight. It acts as a fuel and provides the body with the energy it needs to move, circulate blood, digest food, repair damaged cells, and more.
Many factors determine your metabolism and overall metabolic rate. Some of those factors include your metabolic age, activeness, hormone function, and muscle mass. Let us see what metabolic age is and how to improve it.
What Is Metabolic Age?
Metabolic age refers to the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR), or how many calories your body can burn at rest. A good metabolic rate means it should be somewhat close to your actual age. For example, if you are 30 years old, your metabolic age should be somewhere between 25 and 35.
Your chronological age determines how long you live, and your metabolic age is the BMR compared to others in your age group.
As they age, they won’t be fit or able to eat like they used to, and it is because the metabolism slows down with age, making it harder to lose a few extra pounds. If your metabolic rate is lower than your actual age, it is a good sign, and if it is the opposite, then we have trouble.
If your metabolic age is high, you must make dietary changes and build an exercise routine. You can guess your average metabolic age through the following things:
- Body composition.
- Retsing blood pressure.
- Waist circumference.
You should seek medical help if your metabolic age is very high compared to your chronological age. A healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and a healthy diet are vital to enhancing metabolism.
Build the habit of burning fat every day through exercise, and ensure you consume fewer calories. Replacing sugary drinks with water, consulting a dietitian or nutritionist, and increasing physical activity also work to speed up metabolism naturally.
Getting enough sleep improves metabolism, and lack of sleep and rest leads to unhealthy weight gain. So, make sure you maintain a lower metabolic age to have better overall health and well-being.
How to speed metabolism?
There are natural ways to speed up metabolism, which can help lower metabolic aging. You can improve your metabolism through the following:
✔️ Getting restful sleep
Lack of sleep leads to obesity as it affects the appetite-regulating hormones, which makes one feel more hungry. One ends up consuming more food, and this leads to unhealthy weight gain. So, ensure you get restful sleep cycles to improve your metabolism.
✔️ Consuming protein-rich diets
Eating healthy and consuming more calories can help increase your metabolism. A protein-rich diet helps prevent muscle loss and reduces the risk of a metabolic drop.
✔️ Staying hydrated
Drinking more water helps improve metabolism and prevent metabolic aging. Water helps break down food and convert it into energy. When the body is not hydrated, it can result in a sluggish metabolism.
✔️ Regular exercise
Regular exercise not only helps build muscle mass but also improves metabolic rate. A high-intensity workout can help you boost your metabolism while burning fat.
✔️ Building body mass
Lifting heavy things and building muscle mass help increase metabolism and fat burning. Lifting weights not only helps you retain your muscles but also prevents a drop in metabolism.
✔️ Drinking coffee
Caffeine intake can help improve the way the body processes fat. It helps increase fat burning by increasing metabolism.
✔️ Drinking green tea
Green tea helps burn fat and improve metabolism indirectly. It enhances the gut microbiome, which improves the breakdown of fat into energy.
✔️ Eating spicy food
Spicy food or pepper contains capsaicin, a compound known to boost metabolism. It helps maintain a healthy weight.
✔️ Practicing standing up more
Lack of physical activity equals low metabolism. Sitting too much not only affects metabolism but also overall health. Moving more will help burn more calories, while inactivity heightens the risk of weight gain.
What causes metabolic age to be higher?
The main reason for metabolic aging is aging itself. As we age, our metabolism starts to slow down, and it becomes harder to burn as many calories. Other reasons for metabolic aging include being less active, muscle loss, losing weight in unhealthy ways, and more.
Mostly, metabolic age increases due to poor lifestyle choices and food habits. Signs of slow metabolism include fatigue, digestive problems, gaining weight, inability to lose weight, dry skin, mood swings, general weakness, lack of concentration, and hair thinning.
If you notice your metabolism slowing down, try changing your diet, doing regular exercise, or consulting a doctor.
Conclusion
Metabolism fuels up the body with energy, and it is vital to have a lower metabolic age. If your chronological age is lower than your metabolic age, it calls for trouble. Reversing metabolic age is possible.
A healthy lifestyle, protein-rich diets, regular exercise, and staying hydrated help improve metabolism naturally. Also, seek professional help if you find natural remedies ineffective in boosting metabolism.
References
- Anderson C, et al. (2019). Younger relative metabolic age Is associated with a more favorable body composition and plant-based dietary pattern. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz041.P21-038-19 - Dent R, et al. (2020). Factors affecting weight loss variability in obesity.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33035570/
