Metabolism and weight loss

METABOLISM is a much-bandied word when it comes to weight management, especially as we age. So just how relevant to weight gain – and loss – is it?

Contrary to popular belief, metabolism is not all about how quickly you burn calories. It actually describes the cellular process of changing or breaking down – metabolising – what you take in to your body.

Food, of course, is metabolised in the form of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, which are used for energy and nutrition. But you also metabolise medicines, chemicals, alcohol, air pollution, additives, and so on. And exactly what you take in can actually speed or slow your metabolism.

Factors in metabolic fitness

A number of factors affect your metabolic rate and function. And the good news is there are ways you can improve it. These include your basal metabolic rate (which is determined at birth), diet, activity levels and age. From the age of 30, for example, our metabolism drops naturally if we don't maintain it.

You might also hear menopause being cited as a factor in a sluggish metabolism. This isn't strictly true. A number of coinciding factors – menopause, loss of muscle bulk, reduced activity levels – all play their part. Exactly how each affects the other is not absolutely clear.

What is clear is the importance of maintaining lean muscle as you age to help prevent your metabolism from slowing. This is because muscle cells metabolise faster than fat cells. So the more muscle, the higher the metabolism.

We also know that when you eat raw, unprocessed foods, your cells use more energy to metabolise them than for foods that are cooked or highly processed. So your metabolic health depends on how well your body is equipped to metabolise – and what foods and other substances you put into it.

Step one: equip your body with lean muscle

• Exercise regularly, especially as you get older. All aerobic exercise (activities that get you puffing) is good, however try to include weight bearing exercise in the mix (that is, activities such as walking or running in which you carry your own body weight, as opposed to swimming or cycling, where your weight is supported).

• Weight and resistance training (in a gym or at home) will build muscle mass, increase your resting metabolic rate and are the best known ways to boost metabolism.

• Keep your body on alert – exercise in short, 10-15 minute spurts throughout the day to keep your metabolism pumping.

Step two: fuel up with the right stuff

• Eat breakfast, because your metabolism slows during sleep and needs revving up in the morning.

• Don't crash diet or fast. This causes your body to anticipate famine and store fat, not burn it.

• Eat foods that will give your metabolism a kick in the pants: raw instead of cooked, unprocessed instead of processed, nutrient laden instead of sugar and fat laden.

• Make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need, including minerals and vitamins, because these are needed for optimum metabolism.

Blame it on the metabolism?

If you have a healthy, low fat diet, exercise regularly and don't drink too much alcohol but still have weight and/or energy problems, there are certain metabolic disorders that may be a factor – or health problems that may impair metabolic functioning.

• Type 2 diabetes affects your metabolic rate because your body becomes less able to process glucose. This kind of diabetes is often linked with eating sugary, fatty foods and insufficient exercise.

• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)/ hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) Your thyroid regulates the production of many of the substances needed for metabolism, so if it's under or overactive, then it will affect your metabolic rate – and often your weight.

• Some medications may also affect your metabolism, including certain antidepressants, birth control pills or HRT. Ask your doctor if you're concerned.

• Syndrome X (metabolic syndrome) is gaining recognition as a genuine health disorder. It involves a set of symptoms (such as tiredness, weight gain and feeling bad after eating) that, when experienced together, may be diagnosed as this syndrome. The consensus is Syndrome X affects your body's breakdown of sugars and fats and can increase your susceptibility, or be a precursor, to diabetes. It can be well controlled by diet and exercise.

As a general rule it's best to look at your metabolism in terms of optimising the way your body carries out its essential processes – and not as a scapegoat for a weight problem!