Metabolism and Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight, you know that a slow metabolism can really hinder your progress. Did you know, though, that there are metabolism boosting foods that can help? Here, Advanced Functional Medicine looks at how your metabolism affects weight loss, and how to fill your diet with foods that boost metabolism.

Understanding Metabolic Health

When we talk about metabolism, we are talking about the amount of calories the body needs for daily function. Metabolism is also used to describe calories burned at rest, called the basal metabolic rate. Your metabolism converts the nutrients you consume into fuel to give your body energy to breathe, move, digest food, circulate blood, repair damage to the body, and so on. The higher your metabolic rate is, the more calories you burn during the day. There are several factors that can affect metabolism, including diet, age, body composition, sex, body size, activity level, overall health, and medications you may be taking. Some things are beyond our control, like the fact that men tend to have faster metabolisms than women, and can lose weight more easily. Fortunately, there are other factors within our control, and things you can do to boost your metabolism.

How to Boost Metabolism for Weight Loss

Eat foods that boost your metabolism. There are certain foods with high thermic effect, and working these into your diet can make a big difference in your metabolism. Protein, spicy peppers and green tea are all foods that have been proven to increase metabolism and help with weight loss. Protein is particularly important in helping burn calories and build muscle, so eat protein at every meal.
Get more exercise. If you don’t exercise regularly, start. Aim for 30 minutes, five days a week, but if you can’t hit that goal, do as much as you can and work up to it. If you do exercise regularly, exercise more. Add interval training to your cardio routine by running during part of your walk. Find ways to move more, and you’ll increase your metabolism.
Stand instead of sitting. When it comes to your health, standing is better than sitting, and stepping is better than standing. If you have a desk job, try a standing desk, and take regular breaks to walk around.
Keep your metabolism going. Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast, because you need to keep burning calories to keep your metabolism working. Digesting food actually burns calories.
Lift some weights. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so adding muscle mass to your body can help raise your basal metabolism.
Get enough sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep benefits your overall health, and lack of sleep can decrease your ability to make good decisions and control your impulses. Additionally, lack of sleep decreases how your body metabolizes fat, but getting just one good night’s sleep can improve metabolic function.

Treating the Whole Person

At Advanced Functional Medicine, an integrated medical clinic, we exclusively practice functional medicine. A full functional medicine approach to healing uses a comprehensive diagnostic screening to get to the root of a patient’s issues. Our whole body approach to medicine utilizes all-natural, researched-based nutritional approaches to optimize the body’s natural healing abilities, rather than just using medication to treat symptoms. Each individual receives unique and customized care, formulated based on the latest scientific resource, and we have a 96 percent success rate in patient outcomes. As a medically driven, patient-focused health clinic, we support our patients’ individual health goals, providing natural relief for symptoms of chronic factors and expert guidance about the decisions affecting a patient’s long-term health. It is our goal to help reverse chronic disease without resorting to dangerous or unnecessary drugs or surgical interventions, promoting healing from the inside out, in its truest, healthiest form. To schedule an appointment or learn more about how we can help restore your health and strengthen your body’s unique physiological functions, call 858-500-5572 or contact us through our website.