Active and appropriately working metabolism is what assists in weight loss and even helps you attain desired weight goals. Certain conditions such as hormonal imbalance have a direct influence on metabolism. Under these circumstances, the body’s natural metabolism slows down and makes it extremely difficult to lose weight even with a well-balanced lifestyle.
Metabolism does not only refer to calorie-burning ability. Instead, it is essential to maintain balance in the body in terms of blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure level. The metabolism slows down with age, but there are a number of other routine habits that kill metabolism.
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Habits That Mess Up Your Metabolism
Many times we are into habits that we consider are harmless, but they interfere with our metabolism. These habits are actually metabolism-killing. In order to maintain an efficiently working metabolism, we should avoid these habits. Let us have a look at these metabolism-killing habits.
1. Alcohol Abuse
When it comes to a healthy diet, both eating and drinking habits are equally important. Many of us consider that drinking alcohol is harmless, but it is not the case. Drinking alcohol is healthy, and it interferes with metabolism also.
When a person drinks alcohol, the body immediately begins to metabolize it in order to get rid of it. This makes it hard to lose weight. Alcohol consumption gets more serious when it takes the form of addiction. Not only it destroys metabolism, but it lets the body into more serious health problems.
Government facilitates recovery and treatment for addicted civilians in numerous ways. For instance, the people in Florida can use Marchman Act to help their loved ones. This law allows relevant institutions to hold your close ones in custody for assessment and get them proper help if necessary.
2. Eating Too Little
There is a general misconception that eating too few calories will help to lose weight. However, restricting yourself to very restricted calories generally backfires. When you eat too few calories, your metabolism actually slows down. A person needs a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. A person can create a calorie deficit simply through a gradual reduction in the number of calories in comparison to what he routinely takes.
When a person follows a highly restrictive diet that offers a body a limited number of calories, then in such cases, the body goes into starvation mode. During starvation mode, the body tends to store those limited number of calories that a person takes. Hence instead of losing any weight; a person might observe weight gain.
3. Sedentary Lifestyle
An active lifestyle that involves a great degree of physical activity increases metabolism. On the other hand, a sedentary and inactive lifestyle tends to slow down metabolism. Every activity and task that we generally do requires less or more calories. The body utilizes energy in the form of calories to carry out different internal and external functions of the body.
When you are too lazy to move around, then the body’s metabolism slows down as the body does not really need many calories during this phase. Managing a regular workout and exercise routine can help to overcome this problem. Regular exercise and workouts help to boost metabolism, and it also increases the efficiency of the body to process and metabolize calories.
4. Not Eating Enough Proteins
When we eat food, our digestive system metabolizes it, and the process generates heat which we know as the thermic effect of food. The thermic effect of protein is highest as compared to carbs and fats. Consuming a protein-rich diet increases metabolism to 30-35%, which is far greater than carbs and fats.
One way to boost metabolism is to eat a diet rich in proteins—furthermore, protein from plant-based or animal-based products provides a range of nutrients and nourishes the body. A protein-rich diet also assists weight loss as it helps the body to remain fuller for a longer time period.
5. Sleep Deprivation
Sound sleep is essential to a healthy mind and body. Sleep deprivation can increase the risk factor of many serious health conditions, cardiovascular issues, and even depression. Sleep deprivation also interferes with metabolism and causes it to slow down. A person should aim to sleep at least 7-8 hours at night.
A 7-8 hours night sleep will not only ensure good mental and physical health, but it will also improve metabolism. A healthy lifestyle also means maintaining a balance between the wake and sleep cycle. Late-night working and partying will not only cause sleep deprivation but will also disrupt the circadian rhythm of the body.
6. Eating Too Many Refined Carbs
Eating too many refined carbs kills metabolism in a number of ways. Refined carbohydrates are different from complex carbs as these are too few in fiber. Refined carbs are digested in no time and thus may even cause an increase in blood sugar levels.
On the contrary, the body needs more time and energy to digest complex carbs. Refined carbs are also associated with weight gain, whereas complex grains assist the body to lose weight.
7. Skipping Breakfast
After an overnight sleep, the metabolic rate is usually low, and it is essential to break this metabolic fast with some healthy breakfast. A healthy breakfast gives your metabolism a kick start and provides the energy needed to carry out routine activities.
Though most of us are usually in a rush during the time of breakfast and skipping breakfast is very usual. However, skipping breakfast can kill your metabolism
8. Drinking Very Little Water
The body is unable to carry out almost every cellular function without water, and due to it, a dehydrated body experiences a drop in metabolism. Muscles consist of 70% water, and when they are dehydrated, the muscles are unable to efficiently generate energy.
Drinking water not only boosts metabolism but also assists weight loss. Drinking water too often keeps your body fuller and prevents you from overeating, and thus it helps weight loss.
Take Away
Many routine habits are metabolism killing. It is essential to know about these habits that destroy the metabolism of the body. The disrupted metabolism not only makes it hard to lose weight, but it may even increase the risk for numerous illnesses.