Slow metabolism is normally related to poor weight loss, but you should know metabolism can be rev up just by keeping good eating habits and increasing your physical activity.

In this article, we’re going to tell you how metabolism works as well as a few ways to help you lose weight even if you have a slow metabolism.

Metabolism and Your Thyroid Gland

Metabolism is a biochemical process that combines the calories in our food with oxygen to release the energy our body needs to stay alive. All body functions, even those we “don’t see”, such as breathing and blood circulation, require energy. The number of calories needed to carry out those functions is called basal metabolic rate, or simply put: metabolism.

There are several factors which determine your metabolism, like your body size, your sex, and age. Basic functions accounts for approximately 70% of the calories we burn every day; however, there are other factors which also determine the number of calories we burn, like food processing (digestion, absorption, transportation, and storing of food; accounts for 100 to 800 calories) and physical activity.

The mastermind in charge of regulating the metabolism is the thyroid, a butterfly-like gland located in front of the neck, which produces the thyroid hormone by extracting iodine from the blood. Every single cell in our body depends on thyroid hormone to regulate its metabolism. When our body is unable to produce the correct amount of this hormone, we may suffer from metabolic disorders.

Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss

There are several disorders related to the thyroid and to metabolism, and even if not all of them interfere with our weight, hypothyroidism has proved to be the culprit of slowing our weight loss.

Hypothyroidism is characterized by the insufficient production of thyroid hormone. And since the main purpose of this hormone is to regulate metabolism, when we lack of it, we experience symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.

Unfortunately, hypothyroidism is much more common than we may think. According to EndocrineWeb, about 10 million Americans have this condition, being women 10% more likely to have it. Some of the symptoms related to hypothyroidism are: fatigue, weakness, weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight, depression, memory loss, abnormal menstrual cycles, among others.

You Can Speed up Your Metabolism

Having a slow metabolism may not be good news if you’re trying to lose some weight. Fortunately, there are some simple and natural things you can do to safely boost your metabolism. Here is a short list of easy changes you can incorporate in your daily routine:

Include omega-3s in your diet

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods like salmon, chia seeds, flax seeds herring, tuna, etc., that help our body maintain healthy blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation, helping thus, to regulate metabolism.

Make some muscle

Increasing our muscle mass makes us People having more muscles burn more fat and use more energy. According to some studies, a woman in her 30s can increase her metabolism to burn 100 more calories a day by just exercising 30-40 minutes twice a week.

Include green tea in your daily diet

Green tea has a high amount of antioxidant polyphenols like flavonoids and catechin, which crank up metabolism by improving fat oxidation and thermogenesis (the body process that produces energy).

Don’t skip breakfast

Have a healthy, nutrient-rich morning meal shortly after getting out of bed. Believe it or not, this will also wake up your metabolism. You can try a spinach-and-feta omelet or any of our recipes to start your day off. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 78% of people who eat breakfast maintain a healthy, steady weight more easily.

Snack throughout the day

Eating between 5 or 6 times a day will help you curb your appetite, will hold your blood sugar levels steady, and will maintain your metabolism running. Just be careful and keep your meals around 300 calories each. Ask your therapist for some healthy ideas.

Increase your protein intake

Proteins are digested slower than fat or carbs, so you’ll feel full for more time; and since thermogenesis will take longer, your body will use more energy and will speed up your metabolism. Furthermore, eating protein will not increase your blood glucose levels.

Metabolic disorders like hypothyroidism can certainly slow down your weight loss, but it doesn’t make it impossible. If you improve your diet and do more exercise, you may very well be able to achieve and maintain your ideal weight. It’s up to you. #DecideItNow