9 tips to fine-tune your metabolism

“Your metabolism is quite good.” People who eat a lot yet look lean hear this a lot. But there’s more to metabolism than making one look thin. It, in fact, is a strong indicator of good health and keeps one away from diseases.

Metabolism is the process by which the body changes food and drink into energy. “The end aim of metabolism is to extract nutrients from food products and convert them into ATP (Adenosine triphosphate – source of energy) to be utilised by each cell of the body,” explains Dr Tushar Tayal, consultant, internal medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram.

The body requires energy even at rest for breathing, sending blood through the body, keeping hormone levels even, and growing and repairing cells. The number of calories utilised for these processes at rest is called basal metabolism.

Why is a good metabolism important

“A healthy basal metabolic rate is an indicator of good health. It depends on muscle mass, and people with higher fat percentage have a slower metabolic rate. Men tend to have a slightly higher metabolic rate due to more muscle mass,” Dr Tayal adds.

When metabolism isn’t working smoothly, it can manifest in various ways, such as rising insulin, cholesterol or triglyceride levels, or accumulating fat around the waist. These are signs of metabolic disorders, which can increase the risk of serious health issues like diabetes, heart disease, or stroke.

Belly fat is a sign of a weak metabolic system. (Photo: Pexels)

With age, metabolism slows down. Even a bad lifestyle or hormonal issues can lead to a decline in metabolic rate.

Signs that your metabolism is getting weak:

• Feeling sluggish all the time
• Excess belly fat
• Gaining weight despite a healthy diet
• Unexplained hair loss and fatigue
• Recurrent infections
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sudden rapid weight loss without any effort (indication of thyroid or sugar abnormalities)
• Underarms with skin tags may be an indicator of diabetes

But, don’t panic.

“Just like any engine, your metabolism can be fine-tuned. By incorporating regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and managing stress, you can reignite your inner fire and get your body functioning at its peak again,” says Dr Mayur Agrawal, endocrinologist and co-founder of health-tech startup DocOSag.

Here are some ways to fine-tune your metabolism:

1. Bask in the morning sun

Simply spending 15 minutes every morning out in the sun can improve your metabolism naturally. Wondering how? Well, our body’s circadian cycle, also called the body’s clock, plays a major role here. This cycle regulates the hormones which are crucial to metabolism and control hunger, including leptin, insulin and cortisol.

Our body clock works best when it is in sync with the sun, which means being exposed to bright light in the morning and diminishing lights around sunset. This is also the reason we should switch off the lights before bedtime so that our body gets a signal that it is time to sleep. We sleep better, that way.

Soak in the morning sun! (Photo: Pexels)

So, spend some time outdoors in sunlight (without wearing sunglasses) so that the sun reaches your eyes’ photo receptors. PS: It doesn’t mean staring at the sun.

2. Sleeping well

Lack of sleep can disrupt your hormones and metabolism. So, ensure you sleep well every night.

Follow a schedule (fix the time for when you hit the bed and wake up), consider taking a shower at night before hitting the bed, turn off bright lights and create a dim environment to prepare your brain for bedtime. These are a few things you can do to sleep well.

Snoring can also affect your metabolism. So, see a doctor and take measures to control it.

3. Drink enough water

Something as simple as drinking water can boost your metabolism. Aim for 8-10 glasses a day.

Staying dehydrated can slow down your metabolism. (Photo: Pexels)

Need an easy hack to keep your water intake in check? We bring you one from Reader’s Digest (May 2021 issue) – wear five rubber bands on your wrist. Every time you drink 2 glasses of water in a day, take off a band and put it around your bottle.

4. Protein-rich diet

An adequate protein intake is essential for our body to function normally. Aptly called the building block of life, protein is responsible for muscle growth and repair. It keeps bone health in check, and also enables the production of enzymes and hormones that are further crucial for processes like digestion and metabolism.

Protein also helps boost metabolism as it requires more energy to digest as compared to fats and carbohydrates, and also keeps you full for longer. So, add lean protein sources like chicken, eggs fish, tofu, beans, nuts and legumes to your diet.

Add lean protein sources like eggs, chicken, fish, tofu, beans, and legumes to your diet. (Photo: Pexels)

Consult a health expert or a dietitian to ensure you don’t overdo it, because long-term high-protein diets can also be harmful to the kidneys.

5. Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting, as also mentioned in Reader’s Digest (May 2021 issue), is a promising way to improve metabolic health and lose weight. Instead of focusing on what you eat, the focus shifts on when you eat.

There are several ways you can do it, like overnight fasting where one doesn’t eat anything between 7 pm and 6 am. There is another approach called 5:2 method, which involves eating only 25 per cent of regular calories on two particular days of a week. Do keep your doctor in loop before trying it out.

6. No strict dieting, please

Going on a strict diet wherein you eat very few calories each day does more harm than good. Your body’s metabolism depends a lot on how much muscle you have. If you lose weight fast, your body breaks down muscles, which slows down the metabolism.

And when you start eating normally again, your metabolism is slower, and you end up gaining fat eventually.

7. Chill out, for real

Did you know cold weather is a natural metabolic booster? It helps increase brown fat levels (the good fat that burns more calories even when you are resting).

“Going outdoors in cold weather can increase your non-exercise activity thermogenesis(NEAT) score, helping you torch calories,” Kristen Koskinen, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Richland, Washington told Reader’s Digest.

Exposure to cold weather can indeed increase NEAT, as your body works harder to maintain its core temperature in colder environments. This can lead to additional calorie burning throughout the day.

Additionally, keeping warm can help boost your metabolism effortlessly. Trying a cold shower or ending a warm one with a quick cool rinse might also give your metabolism a little kick by making your body shiver, which burns calories, to warm up.

8. Relax

Even curling up on a couch can help your metabolism. But wait, only when you are relaxed.

Stress management is essential for strong metabolism. “Stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol, which can cause metabolic dysfunction if it’s constantly elevated,” Bindiya Gandhi, a Georgia-based doctor, told Reader’s Digest.

Who knew curling up on a couch and reading a book could also help improve your metabolism? But only if you are relaxed. (Photo: Pexels)

So, do something that helps you de-stress every day. It can mean reading a book, watching a film or taking a long shower.

9. Exercise, obviously!

No matter how much you dread it, exercising is essential to maintain metabolism as it increases muscle mass and reduces stress hormones. Add cardiovascular exercises (like running, walking, or cycling) and strength training to your routine.

Dr Tayal adds yoga and pranayaam can also help increase basal metabolic rate.

“Good metabolism keeps a person healthy, disease-free, fit, and clean,” says Dr Deep Goel, principal director and HOD, surgical gastroenterology, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, Delhi. And that should be motivation for you to take measures to improve your metabolism.