Metabolism for The Fit Individual
The dictionary defines metabolism as the sum of all biochemical
processes involved in life, or the sustaining of life. In
application concerning our health, metabolism is related to the
intake and use of food. In reference to the case in point it is
our ability to utilize our food to the fullest extent.
Right now, the greatest results in raising our metabolism come
from exercise and building our muscle mass, while reducing our
body fat. Adding more muscle to the body, in turn causes us to
burn more calories, and this helps to elevate our metabolic
rate. Our metabolism functions also depend on how well we have
taken care of our nutritional needs. Some people have really
high rates of metabolism. In other words, when they consume
food, their bodies burn it up almost as fast as then consume it.
Then there are those of use who use our food intake so slowly,
as to not even notice that we're burning calories.
These people who burn quickly are often slim and trim, the
people who burn more slowly are the people with a tendency
toward obesity. The body's metabolism is a unique process for
each individual person. No two people metabolize food at the
same rate therefore no two people have the metabolism. We all
use our calories at different rates, with different results. Our
metabolism, like our fingerprints is unique to each of us. But
the need to understand and accommodate this metabolism is an
issue that we all face.
All of this metabolic process is related to our calorie
intake, our vitamin and nutrition needs, our thyroid and
endocrine production, and how well all of these processes come
together. For years, people have sought ways to raise the
metabolic rate. If you can raise someone's metabolic rate, you
are then better able to control the burn of calories, especially
for overweight or obese people. This would make the goal of
better or improved health a much easier reality for those
people. Efforts to date have produced very little results.
There are foods that we can consume that naturally raise our
metabolic rate, but not to a great extent. What we need is a way
to directly alter the rate. We need to be able to raise our
metabolism to a point where we can actually see a benefit.
This is where the effort to stay physically fit and active
provides tremendous payoff. Over the course of your life, if you
stay active, exercise, and maintain optimal health for your
muscles, you will see a tremendous difference in the rate that
your body metabolizes food. As people age, their metabolism
quite naturally slows down. The greatest way to prevent this
from happening is through exercise and staying fit.
I believe through careful analysis, exercise, and attention to
each person's unique needs, we could bring about a more natural
balance of the metabolic burn vs. the calorie intake. To a level
where optimal health and weight control are in equilibrium.
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