For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

What Affects Metabolism?

What affects metabolism and how does it really matter to us? To put in a simple way, your metabolism decides how your body uses the food and the nutrients in it in a healthy way. Your body needs to break the food down and absorb the good and excrete the bad.

Also Read: Health Benefits Of Idli-Sambar

To handle this whole process, you would need energy. The process of metabolism helps your body maintain the whole system and function efficiently.

But certain lifestyle factors may sometimes affect the metabolism in certain ways. When the metabolism gets affected there could be certain side effects. For example a slow metabolism may result in unwanted weight gain.

Also Read: 15 Reasons To Drink Milk

So, in this post, let us look at what affects metabolism.

Excessive Caffeine Consumption

Excessive Caffeine Consumption

Too much of coffee or other caffeine drinks may kill your appetite. Ensure that you minimise your caffeine consumption to maintain the right levels of appetite. Otherwise, your body may suffer nutrient deficiencies.

Pesticides

Pesticides

Try to buy organic foods as pesticides may hamper your metabolism. Reports suggest that the chemicals present in pesticides greatly harm your health.

Bad Drinking Water

Bad Drinking Water

If your drinking water contains chlorine and fluoride, then it is better to rely on a different source. Your thyroid function may get affected and that would affect your metabolism. Therefore, clean filtered water is advisable.

Dehydration

Dehydration

Your body needs sufficient water to function efficiently. Soon after you wake up, drink a glass of water to feel energetic and manage your appetite levels.

Is Your Meat Organic?

Is Your Meat Organic?

Unfortunately, most of the meat and eggs that we consume today is not organic. Animals are being injected with hormones and consuming such products may affect your metabolism in many ways.

Eating Late

Eating Late

Skipping meals and trying to eat bigger meals close to bedtime is also a factor that affects your metabolism.

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol tends to slow down the speed of your metabolism and this is why we seem to gain fat when too much of alcohol is consumed. A study indicates that 2-3 shots of alcohol can slow down the fat burning process by nearly 70%!

Bad Diet Plans

Bad Diet Plans

Certain extreme diet plans may deprive you of certain nutrients and this may also affect your metabolism in a negative way.

Too Much Of Processed Foods

Too Much Of Processed Foods

Many additives and chemicals present in proceed foods may cause several health issues as they affect metabolism first.

Sleep

Sleep

Whether you sleep too much or sleep too little, it is going to affect your metabolism. 8 hours of sleep is the optimum. Anything more than that or less than that may affect your metabolism.

Your Diet Lacks Nuts

Your Diet Lacks Nuts

Nuts are a good source of protein and they also speed up your metabolism and lower your cholesterol levels. Make them your snacks.

Sweets

Sweets

Your body will absorb the sugar content in those sweets very fast and this might affect your metabolism. Try to eat fruits if you have sugar cravings.

Your Diet Isn't Balanced

Your Diet Isn't Balanced

We all need nutrients like carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins and minerals in the right proportions on a daily basis. If the balance is not maintained, then it might affect your metabolism.

Exercising At The Wrong Time

Exercising At The Wrong Time

Though workouts are good for you, when you on them at the wrong times, then they are not going to help you. Yes, some of us have the habit of working out at midnight just because we are busy during the day time. It isn't a good idea.

Medications

Medications

Popping in pills for every small thing or consuming most of your vitamins through tablets isn't a wise thing to do as they too affect your metabolism in many ways. Unless a doctor recommends, stay away from medicines.

Story first published: Thursday, January 21, 2016, 18:15 [IST]
Read more about: health wellness