How Does Human Metabolism Work

The word “metabolism” is often used in relation to weight loss. But most of us are not really aware about what it is and how human metabolism works. Learning about this process can help improve your understanding of how your body functions and why different foods and activities have a different effect on your body than on someone else. Here’s a brief look on how human metabolism works.

What is metabolism?

If we want to understand how human metabolism works, the first thing we need to know is that metabolism is actually a collection of chemical reactions that occurs in the cells of the body. These chemical reactions convert the fuel in the food that we consume into the energy that is required to maintain and sustain the basic functions of the body. It is a process that begins when we are conceived and it only ends when we die. It is necessary for our survival and is constantly working, even while we are sleeping.

How does human metabolism work?

When we eat food, enzymes in the digestive system break the proteins into amino acids, fats into fatty acids, and carbohydrates into glucose. Once broken down, these compounds are ready to be used by the body. So, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and taken to the cells of the body. When they enter the cells, other enzymes begin the chemical reactions and these compounds are metabolized.

As these processes take place, the energy generated from these compounds is either released for being used by the body or is stored in the tissues of the body. Anabolism or constructive metabolism is the process of building and storing energy. This process is responsible for growing new cells, maintaining the various tissues of the body, and for storing energy for future use. Catabolism or destructive metabolism has its own importance since it is this process that actually provides the energy required for all cell activities including anabolism. It also provides heat to the body and helps the muscles to contract and move the body.

How is human metabolism related to weight?

Most people want to know about how human metabolism works because they want to learn how it can help in weight loss. This is where calories play a role. Calories are the amount of energy that is provided to the body by different foods. The body either burns these calories to convert it into energy or stores it as fat. And the speed at which your body burns these calories is determined by your level of physical activity, the energy you burn while digesting and metabolizing food (thermic effect of food or TEF), and your basal metabolic rate (BMR). All three of them are important components of human metabolism and have an influence on your weight. The higher the level of these metabolic components, the more likely you are to lose weight.

Disorders such as hyper- or hypo-thyroidism, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and inherited disorders such as phenylketonuria are results of a faulty metabolism. Learning how human metabolism works helps us know how we can increase metabolism to lose weight and to promote the overall health of our body. So, while you are busy reading this article, remember that there are thousands of chemical reactions that are taking place right now in the cells of your body to keep you alive and healthy.

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What Is Metabolic Syndrome (Insulin Resistance)

Metabolic Syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome is a cluster of health problems that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in an individual. This group of conditions related to your metabolism increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Here’s a brief description of this syndrome.

What are the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by excessive fat around the waist, increase in blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Having just one of these conditions is usually not diagnosed as metabolic syndrome. However, it does increase your risk to cardiovascular diseases.

What are the causes of Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a disorder in the metabolism process, possibly linked to insulin resistance. In this condition, the body is unable to make efficient use of insulin. This is the reason why it is also referred to as insulin resistance syndrome. Here is what happens in insulin resistance.

The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin which controls the amount of blood sugar in the bloodstream. The digestive system breaks down some of the foods into glucose and the bloodstream carries it to the body tissues. Glucose enters the cells in the tissues with the help of insulin, where the process of metabolism turns it into energy. However, in people with insulin resistance, the cells respond abnormally to the insulin and this prevents glucose from entering into the cells. This increases the production of insulin as the body tries to help glucose enter into the cells. The result is an increased level of both insulin and glucose in the blood. An increased insulin level leads to elevated triglyceride levels, problems in your kidney functioning, and high blood pressure.

How is metabolic syndrome diagnosed?

Although there are no well-accepted criteria for the diagnosis of this group of health conditions which affects your metabolism, three or more of the following characteristics is usually used for diagnosis:

• A waist circumference of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men,
• 150 milligrams per deciliter or higher of triglycerides or receiving treatment for this condition,
• Less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women of HDL or receiving treatment for this condition,
• 130 mm Hg or higher systolic or 85 mm Hg higher diastolic blood pressure or receiving treatment for this condition, and
• 100 mg/dL or higher of fasting blood sugar level or receiving treatment for this condition.

How is metabolic syndrome treated?

Lifestyle changes are the key factors involved in the treatment of this metabolism disorder. Losing about 5-10% of the total body weight, 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercising, limiting unhealthy fats and including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet, and quitting smoking are some of the changes that your physician might recommend. You physician might also recommend certain medications to lower your blood pressure, control your cholesterol, help you lose weight, or help your body use insulin more efficiently.

Aggressive lifestyle changes are the key not just in treating metabolic syndrome, but also in preventing it. If you have any of the components of the metabolic syndrome, eating healthy, exercising regularly, and losing weight will help delay or prevent any of the serious cardiovascular diseases that occur as a result of metabolic syndrome.

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Tips to Boost Your Metabolism

A healthy low-calorie diet is a good way to lose weight. However, often people find that despite eating a low-calorie diet, they do not achieve much success and end up feeling constantly exhausted. The reason could be a sluggish metabolism. If you have a slow metabolism and you don’t take the necessary steps to boost it, you will find it difficult to lose weight and maintain your energy levels. Here are a few quick tips that you can use to boost your metabolism.

• Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and adjust your daily calorie intake accordingly.

• If you have thyroid problems or any other metabolic disorders, get proper treatment. Thyroid disorders slow down your metabolism and make you gain weight.

• Never skip meals, especially breakfast. Contrary to popular beliefs, skipping meals actually slows down your metabolism and your body stores calories as fat rather than burning it.

• Breakfast and lunch can be substantial, but dinner should be the lightest meal of the day and there should be a gap of about 3-4 hours between dinner and bedtime. This way, your body will process the food while you are awake and burn more calories.

• Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day to provide enough fuel for boosting your metabolism.

• Drink at least 64 ounces of water throughout the day. Your body needs water to boost your metabolism.

• Make sure you are getting enough supply of Vitamins B and C in your diet since they are necessary to give your body enough energy.

• Never consume less than 1000 calories a day. Anything less than that is not enough to support your basic metabolic functions. So, make to sure to consume enough calories to boost your metabolism.

• Include fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds, lean beef and chicken, oatmeal, and milk in your diet. Your body needs more energy to digest these foods and this boosts your metabolism.

• Include aerobics exercises in your daily schedule. Jogging, brisk walking, swimming, and cycling are wonderful ways to keep you physically active and raise your metabolism.

• Include weight training and muscle-building exercises in your weekly schedule. These should be done at least 2-3 times a week to increase your metabolism.

• Try and be as physically active as possible. Take the stairs or walk to the nearest shopping complex. Do whatever you can to stay as active as possible.

• Drink green tea. It’s not only good for giving a boost to your metabolism but lowers cholesterol levels, builds immunity, and prevents cardiovascular disease.

• Always look for natural and healthy ways to lose weight. Pills and powders to lose weight and increase your metabolism can harm the normal functioning of your body.

Your metabolism plays an important part in losing or maintaining weight. Use these tips to give a boost to your metabolism. It will not only help you lose weight but also promote your overall health.

For more tips and more explanations about how to increase your metabolism, please read “How to Increase Your Metabolism”.

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Body Mass Index Defined

Health-conscious individuals need to understand weight-related terms. No other word is as closely associated to weight as the word metabolism. People often refer to themselves as having a slow or fast metabolism.
What exactly is Metabolism?   Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes that are taking place within the body by which the food you eat is converted into the energy your body needs to function.
And there are a lot of influencing factors that can influence the metabolic rhythm such as gender, genetic facts, environmental temperature, stress, and also the quality and quantity of exercise. The measurement that evaluates the relationship between body weight and height and is the recommended method by medical professionals to diagnose overweight and obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI).
There is no such thing as an ideal body weight but there is what you call a healthy weight range.  The Body Mass Index is the height-weight system that will determine this healthy weight range.

The BMI formula (in pounds/inches) is:
Your Weight (in pounds) x 704.5 divided by Your Height (in inches) x Your Height (in inches)

A handy tool used to calculate BMI index is the Body Mass Index Calculator. This is one of the most accurate ways to determine if extra pounds pose health risks. In general, when people use the word metabolism they used this interchangeably with Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

How Body Mass Index Classifies Weight

Under 20 (19 for women) = Underweight
Between 20 and 24.99 = Normal Weight
Between 25 and 29.99 = Overweight
Between 30 and 34.99 = Obese Class 1
Between 35 and 39.99 = Obese Class 2
40 and above = Morbid Obesity

This is the sum-total of all the energy consuming process going on in the body while it is resting and the release of this energy is only sufficient for the vital functioning of the heart, lungs, nervous system and kidneys. If the Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories your body needs when you are resting and multiplied by your activity level, BMR then lets you estimate how many calories you need to lose weight or maintain your current weight.

If you calculations fall outside of the normal range and you are not an athlete, then consult with a licensed medical practitioner to achieve your goals.

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Kick Start Your Metabolism and Weight Loss

You decide it’s time to lose weight. And now, like everything else in life, you want it to happen right NOW. We live in a society that thrives on immediate gratification. There is fast food, fast cars, fast service and buying everything on the Internet so you don’t have to stand in line. We want our weight loss the same way – fast.

But there are some basic tenets of weight loss that must be observed, even when you want to lose the weight fast. You have to forget about dieting and learn to concentrate on healthy eating habits. Cutting back on calories alone doesn’t give your body the nutrition it needs to maintain a fast metabolism and keep your energy high.

On the other hand, by eating food dense in nutrition and low in calories you aren’t hungry, you give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs and you have the energy to walk past the donut table in the middle of the afternoon. And finding these foods isn’t as difficult as you might believe. Did you know you can eat as much raw fruits and vegetables as you want without fear?

Exercise is another important factor in losing weight, getting healthy and having more energy. As much as you may think you hate exercise it doesn’t have to be the workout you dread. Remember that you aren’t aiming to compete in the Olympics. Instead you are just trying to increase your metabolism and burn a few extra calories.

There is no denying the benefits of exercise. Exercise will increase your energy, improve your muscle tone, increase your metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn each day, even when you are at rest! Cardiovascular and weight workouts are best to meet these goals. Change up the exercises you do each month. Don’t do weight workouts more than 3 times a week and allow 48 hours between workouts with weights to allow the muscles to repair and become stronger.

And remember to rest! Many of us are busy from the time we get up until the moment we go to bed. Sometimes finding the time to eat or exercise can be a challenge. But cutting back on sleep will only sabotage your efforts to lose weight.

Shoot for 7-8 hours a night. Some people believe they can make do on less and although you’ll be awake studies have shown that you’ll grab more snacks in an effort to jump start your brain and keep yourself awake. Lack of sleep also adds to your stress level which releases hormones known to pack on the pounds. It is nature’s way of protecting the body.

The first natural weight loss drink is apple cider vinegar! It is true that it tastes awful, but Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the most powerful, natural appetite suppressants available. When you are trying to lose weight, hunger is your biggest enemy. In order to defeat this enemy, you need to take the help of some sort of appetite suppressants. Instead of relying on prescription drugs that come with harmful side effects, why not try out Apple Cider Vinegar? It is 100% natural and safe to take!

Just add three tablespoonfuls of Apple Cider Vinegar juice with eight ounces of water, and drink the juice just before having your meal. Apple Cider Vinegar will also boost your metabolic rate and keep you energetic throughout the day!

The second drink that now comes in gum form is Green Tea. You might have already heard about the great health benefits of green tea, especially with regards to weight loss. It is no wonder that most of the weight loss supplements available out there contain green tea. Green tea helps you burn fat by accelerating your metabolic rate. You can drink green tea on its own or mixed with lemon juice and honey.

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