The notion that you can eat certain foods to boost your metabolism is one of the oldest weight loss advertising tactics that somehow hasn’t died yet. So, I wanted to write this post to share an analogy on metabolism that I love to use with my clients to offer clarity and better understanding of what metabolism actually is. This comparison is also helpful to make sense of what is in your control and what is out of your control in supporting a healthy metabolism. Let’s dive in!
Your metabolism works just like a factory. Here’s why:
Factories are busy, complex and run many different supply chains that involve the break down, assembly, storage and utilization of materials - just like our bodies! If a factory’s supply was abruptly reduced, the factory would:
- slow down
- use less materials
- move the most profitable materials to storage
- strategize ways to increase supply
That’s because, a lack of supply to meet the factory’s demand (such as - affording rent, compensating employees and making a profit) is a threat to the survival of the business.
Your metabolism functions the same. If food intake (supply) is abruptly reduced (often from dieting) your metabolism will:
- slow down
- burn less energy (calories)
- move the most energy dense nutrients to be stored as fat
- strategize ways to get you eating more to replenish energy supply by enhancing cravings and preoccupation with food
That’s because (from the perspective of your biology) inadequate energy (calories) is a direct threat to the survival of your body.
Now, a lot of the noise in the media portrays metabolism to be this single entity in your body that can be turned up or down like a knob on a stereo. I’d like to clarify, that this is so far from true. Want proof? If you could see metabolism, this is what it would look like:
Ahh! Pretty overwhelming, huh? So umm, tell me again how a single food is going to swoop in and “boost” the rates of these complex biochemical reactions?
As much as diet culture wants you to believe spicy food or green tea will magically help you burn more calories, it just simply isn’t true. Your metabolism is made up of thousands of chemical reactions needed to sustain life. These reactions create and break down energy to help you breathe, digest and absorb food, utilize nutrients, circulate and filter your blood, create waste and provide brain power. The truth is, your metabolism is mostly predetermined by genetics and largely out of your control.
So, are there any factors that can affect the incredibly smart and complex pathways in your body? Well your baseline metabolic rate is quite predetermined, however can fluctuate based on a number of scenarios or lifestyle factors. So, partly yes, partly no. Let’s break it down by what is out of your control versus what is in your control.
What is out of your control:
1. Genetics - the predominant factor. Your metabolism is predetermined at birth!
2. Age - metabolic demand reduces with age.
3. Gender - because men genetically have higher percent of muscle tissue, there is an association with higher metabolic rates among men.
4. Environment - temperature and climate changes can affect your metabolic rate.
5. Muscle Tissue - this is in reference to the amount which is genetically predetermined, differs among genders and depletes naturally with aging.
6. Stressed State: your metabolic rate is significantly higher (meaning, your body needs more energy/calories/protein) in times of significant illness and inflammatory stress. This is seen among patients who are critically ill, have suffered a recent trauma or who are post surgery.
What is in your control:
1. Shift your mindset
It is helpful to shift the focus from speeding up your metabolism, to supporting the metabolism you already have. Health promoting behaviors happen best when you work with your body rather than against it.
2. Eat consistently. Every day. Forever.
Remember the factory. Without consistent and adequate supply of food and energy (calories), your metabolism will slow down, you will store more energy as fat and experience heightened cravings and preoccupation with food. Remind yourself that your body does not care that you want to lose weight. It is only wired to detect threats to survival, and reduced food intake is a MAJOR threat.
Keep it simple, focus on feeding yourself usually every 3-5 hours.
It might look something like: meal snack meal snack meal snack
3. Avoid weight loss dieting and eliminating foods you love and crave for the purpose of body change.
Restriction and deprivation of foods that diet culture labels as “bad” will never be sustainable, and often lead to binge eating. Yo-yo dieting creates a seesaw affect from low calorie intake to high calorie intake which will hurt your metabolism. Rather, work on neutralizing food as neither good or bad, and allow yourself permission to eat what you want. This is tricky, emotional and complicated work! For more support in this area, click here to schedule a free consultation to see how I can help.
4. Improve your sleep habits
Research in this area associates lack of sleep with changes in appetite regulating hormones and glucose metabolism that could negatively impact your metabolism.
5. Stay active
Move your body and keep your muscles engaged. How well would a factory work with weak machinery? The percent of muscle tissue on your body does impact metabolic rate, however this doesn’t mean you have to vigorously exercise or lift crazy heavy weights. None of these recommendations are about weight change. They’re about taking care of your body. So do the best you can to find ways to stay active and incorporate weight training in ways that feel good and you actually enjoy.
So, tell me again how apple cider vinegar or a dang chili pepper is supposed to swoop in like a white knight and change the metabolic pathways of our genetic biological blueprint? I hope after reading this post you can confidently laugh these statements off and move on with your day!
