We talk about having a slow metabolism or a fast metabolism. We hear about what we should eat and avoid. When we hear “metabolism,” and when referred to in many spaces, it simply means “the rate at which we burn calories,” but it’s a more nuanced process than that.
Metabolism is a three-stage chemical reaction that includes converting food to energy for cellular processes, converting food into bodily building blocks (proteins, lipids, nucleic acids), and eliminating metabolic waste. It’s both breaking down and building up.
Here’s why metabolism matters:
Energy Production – Food is converted to energy. This energy is essential for all bodily functions, from breathing to exercising. When someone starves, their body eventually shuts down because there’s no energy left to run crucial functions.
Weight Management – A higher metabolic rate means you burn more calories at rest and during activity. That’s why avid runners seemingly eat so much without gaining weight. Their bodies are highly efficient at turning food into fuel!
Nutrient Utilization – Efficient metabolism ensures that nutrients are correctly absorbed and utilized by the body, supporting everything from mental health to peak organ function.
Hormonal Balance – Metabolic processes are closely linked with hormonal regulation. Hormones affect just about everything, from reproductive health and hunger cues to stress management and mood.
Muscle Maintenance – Metabolism builds and maintains muscle mass. Remember, this process converts food into the body’s building blocks, like protein…and thus, muscle. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, too!
Immune Function – A well-functioning metabolism supports a robust immune system, helping the body fight infections and illnesses.
Cellular Repair and Growth – Metabolism provides the energy necessary for the repair and growth of cells, which promotes the healing and maintenance of healthy tissues and organs.
With the importance of metabolism in mind, we need to understand what we do that actively hurts this essential process. Even if you’re active and eating healthily, you might be holding yourself back with other bad habits.
8 Bad Habits Sabotaging Your Metabolism
#1 – Skipping Meals
Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can slow your metabolic rate as your body enters a conservation mode. You might hear it called “starvation mode.” Your body starts to believe food is scarce when meals are skipped, which signals the body to slow down energy conversion and consumption or redirect it to create fat stores.
#2 – Consuming Too Few Calories
Restricting caloric intake also causes the body to prioritize energy conservation. That means developing fat stores to burn when food is scarce. Not eating or not eating enough is not the path to weight loss!
#3 – Lack of Physical Activity
A sedentary lifestyle reduces muscle mass. Muscle encourages fast and efficient calorie burning. So when we don’t exercise (expending energy), we tell the body we don’t need that energy and decrease the tissues most effective for metabolism.
#4 – Not Enough Protein in Your Diet
Protein has a higher thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates, meaning it requires more energy to digest, boosting your metabolism. The same is true of complex carbohydrates compared to simple or refined ones. Because your body takes longer to break them down, your energy is more sustained, and you feel fuller longer!
#5 – Insufficient Sleep
I occasionally harp on the importance of quality sleep, and for good reason! Sleep quality impacts health across the board. Poor sleep negatively affects the hormones that regulate metabolism, such as insulin and cortisol. Insulin regulates blood sugar, and cortisol is the stress hormone. When these are off-kilter, we’re prone to ailments, weight gain, and mood changes.
#6 – Dehydration
Water is essential for metabolic processes; even mild dehydration can slow your metabolism! I recommend keeping a water bottle on hand, along with a specific goal for H2O consumption. If you’re prone to forget, keep a bottle at home and at work.
#7 – High Stress Levels
Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which can slow down metabolism and lead to fat accumulation, especially around the abdomen. In fact, chronic stress can cause Cushing’s Syndrome (hypercortisolism). The body produces too much cortisol, which can have a host of negative effects on the body.
Think about our ancestors. Stress wasn’t caused by the daily grind in an office – it was intimately connected to survival. It shouldn’t be surprising that high stress correlates to the “conservation mode” discussed above.
#8 – Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is toxic to the body, forcing your organs (specifically the liver) to work harder to filter and expel those toxins. It will prioritize removing the alcohol over dealing with fat, causing fat stores to build up! Alcohol isn’t a good source of energy, either, and is full of carbs that spike blood sugar.
Minding your metabolism isn’t just about weight management. It affects your body in profound, interconnected ways. Don’t fall into self-sabotage!
What do you find impacts your energy levels most? Share what helps (or hurts) in the comments.