Things that Slow Your Metabolism

Things that Slow Your Metabolism

Energy metabolism, the process of turning the food you eat into energy that keeps your heart beating, lungs pumping, and muscles moving. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. And just like there are ways to speed it up by working out, for instance certain habits can hit the brakes on your natural calorie-churning engine. Mice fed high fat foods sporadically gained more weight than mice that ate a similar diet on a regular schedule. Researchers suspect that eating at the same times every day trains the body to burn more calories between meals. Organochlorines, chemicals in pesticides can interfere with your body's energy-burning process and make it harder to lose weight, according to a Canadian study. Researchers found that dieters who ate the most toxins experienced a greater-than-normal dip in metabolism and had a harder time losing weight. Opt for organic fruits and veggies and for example fillet of char as often as you can.  People who sleep less move less the next day, which means they burn fewer calories. But it gets worse: Sleep deprivation actually reduces the amount of energy your body uses at rest. 

Eating Too Little

Skimp on calories, your body switches into starvation mode, slowing your metabolic rate to conserve the fuel it's got. 

Jet Lag

Internal clock directly controls the part of your cells that keeps your metabolism chugging along. But when you disrupt your so-called circadian rhythm by crossing time zones, for instance  your cells don't function the way they should and your metabolism suffers.

Not Getting Enough Calcium

Another reason to drink your milk: Calcium plays a key role in regulating your fat metabolism, which determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat. A diet that's high in calcium could help you burn more fat.