How many times have we said to ourselves, or have we heard from our friends and colleagues, “I can’t lose weight because I have slow metabolism”?
Sometimes it can happen that, while respecting a healthy diet and following a correct lifestyle, we are unable to lose weight, even if we had set out to lose only a couple of kilos, perhaps when returning from the summer holidays or after a big binge. Although we do everything to burn excess fat, despite all the efforts, sacrifices and special care we dedicate to ourselves and our well-being, it seems that at a certain point our body tends to “freeze” and not cooperate. more. This unpleasant effect may be due to a poor functioning of the metabolism, an essential factor in weight loss.
Physiologically, as we age, our metabolism tends to slow down, resulting in greater difficulty in burning calories and fat.
Let’s discover ten moves to awaken the slow metabolism
1) Avoid fasting. An excessive caloric restriction is completely counterproductive, in fact this attitude tends to reduce metabolic activity as a defense mechanism of the organism that decreases energy expenditure and increases the ability to absorb the nutrients contained in food (capacity developed over time to resist periods of famine). If you get used to consuming less because less energy is introduced than required by the body, for example by eating a fruit-only lunch, even just a small food sneak will be immediately stored and will become much more difficult to eliminate.
2) Eat slowly. The first digestion takes place right in the mouth: if you eat too quickly, the foods are not chewed properly, digestive difficulties increase and you swallow air which causes abdominal bloating. This process slows down the action of the metabolism, which will have to meet the higher energy demands for laborious digestion. It is therefore advisable to make about 40 chews per bite, not to fill the fork tines more than 1/3 and to eat meals in no less than 20 minutes.
3) Eat little but often. If you let too much time pass between meals, your body will tend to decrease metabolic activity to cope with the temporary nutrient deficiency. For this reason, two snacks a day are recommended, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, very useful for breaking hunger between the various meals of the day. We especially recommend raw vegetables (celery, carrot, fennel, etc.) because, in addition to being rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants essential for the body, they contain very few calories and many fibers useful for promoting satiety. Alternatively, you can also consume a handful of nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), which provide a good amount of Omega 3, or some flakes of Grana Padano PDO, which instead provide high biological value proteins (also useful to control hunger), calcium and antioxidants such as vitamin A, zinc and selenium. But be careful not to consume snacks at night or in any case avoid food intake just before bedtime. During rest, the body’s metabolism tends to work less and many of the calories ingested, not being needed immediately, are stored in the reserve tissues.
4) Maintain a correct protein intake. A sedentary person should follow a diet with a protein intake that can vary from 0.8 to 1.1 grams, depending on age, but can also reach 1.2 – 2 grams of protein per day per kg of body weight in relation to the type of physical and work activity. It is advisable to prefer proteins from fish, meat or cheeses such as Grana Padano DOP. This cheese is a milk concentrate, but with less fat than the whole cheese with which it is made as it is partially skimmed during processing. It also contains high biological value proteins with the 8 essential amino acids, including the branched ones (valine, isoleucine and leucine) necessary to restore strength and vigor to the muscles after an intense workout and stimulate the metabolic activity.
5) Drink enough water, since it is able to activate the metabolic mechanisms of thermogenesis. The effect of water on the metabolism is short-lived, for this reason the recommendation is to drink at least 2 liters a day distributed evenly throughout the day. Together with an abundant supply of water, it is recommended to consume 2 portions of fruit and 3 of vegetables a day, so that the antioxidants contained in these foods favor the elimination of toxins that accumulate in the body due to pollution, such as active and passive smoking, preservatives and food sophistication. If it is difficult to drink water, preferably unsweetened teas, herbal teas and infusions are also allowed.
6) Prefer complex carbohydrates associated with fibers, for example wholemeal flour pasta and bread, barley, spelled, etc., while excessive consumption of simple sugars is not recommended, especially in the evening (sugar, honey, jam, etc.). An excess of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index favors the accumulation of adipose tissue and could cause insulin resistance in the long term. This condition tends to reduce metabolic activity and food thermogenesis.
7) Eat foods rich in iodine. Unless otherwise indicated by a medical practitioner, as in the case of hyperthyroidism, consuming foods rich in iodine favors the proper functioning of the metabolism: fish and crustaceans, in particular, are very rich in it, they help thyroid function and, consequently, can also favor the metabolic activity. The same result is also obtained with spicy foods (eg chilli), which contain some substances that can determine, albeit temporarily, an increase in metabolic activity. Other foods such as coffee and chocolate can also slightly increase the metabolism, however they should be consumed in moderation as their excessive consumption can cause negative effects on health: agitation, nervousness, insomnia in the case of coffee, weight gain in the case of chocolate.
8) Increase Lean Mass. Muscles burn calories and therefore the more developed they are, the more calories they will burn, even when at rest. Muscle, in fact, is a living and constantly renewing tissue, with metabolic demands that are clearly higher – almost 10 times – than those of adipose tissue (fat). Therefore it is recommended to practice a minimum of 150 minutes (300 optimal) of physical activity per week, both aerobic and anaerobic, in order to increase and tone the muscles.
9) Food “accelerates metabolism”. Did you know that there are particular foods that can accelerate slow metabolism, allowing you to lose weight faster? Apples, strawberries, cherries, pears, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, citrus fruits, eggs, salmon, whole grains, vinegar, seeds, nuts, berries, chilli, spices (curry, ginger, cinnamon), pepper black and green etc … are just some of the foods that promote an acceleration of the metabolism.
10) As soon as you wake up: water and lemon. Drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up and before exercising stimulates your metabolism and digestive activities. After half an hour of taking this exceptional mix, you can have breakfast on a regular basis.
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