[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing someone eat piles of food like a growing child and not gain a kilogram, whereas you treat yourself to a tiny indulgence and it shows up on the scale. This all boils down to individual differences in metabolism, muscle mass and physical activity.

What exactly is metabolism? It is the process by which your body converts what you eat into the energy that you need to function and survive. It fuels everything from breathing to blinking. If you have a fast metabolism, your body burns through fuel (calories) quicker, whereas a slow metabolism requires less fuel to keep the body moving. It’s very easy to kick up a fuss and blame any weight issues on a slow metabolism, but there are ways to maintain a healthy weight and support your metabolism correctly.

Your metabolism is flexible and can be restored with adequate calorie and nutrient intake. You need to understand that your body may be confused now, so it will take some patience and consistency for your body to adapt to a new well-nourished and satisfied state.

Your body is intelligent and geared up for survival, so it will adapt even after multiple dieting attempts.

Eating less is not more. Not eating enough just lowers your metabolism while eating adequately can normalize it. Listen to your body. If your metabolism is not functioning at its full potential, you should notice. Below are a few signs of impaired metabolism and inadequate calorie intake:

• You don’t get hunger signals
  You might mostly find that you are eating just because you are “supposed to”. Hunger might be a rare feeling for you. This could mean that your appetite stimulant, ghrelin, and your appetite suppressant, leptin, are imbalanced, and this could be due to insufficient caloric intake.

• You don’t menstruate or its irregular
  There are other reasons for this but one of them is definitely not eating enough. When your body isn’t getting enough energy to function in the first place, it will react by shutting down the reproductive system because it is not needed to sustain life.

• You have serious cravings for sugar and/or carbs
  When your body doesn’t have enough fuel and your cells are undernourished, your brain tells your body that it needs energy as fast as possible. Sugar is quick energy. A healthy metabolism will find it easy to balance blood sugar levels. When your body is well nourished with nutrients and energy, your sugar cravings will ideally be no more.

• Your hair feels dry and your skin and nails are cracked
  This is possibly due to a hormonal imbalance and can be related to an inefficient thyroid. And this is certainly linked to your metabolism.

You might react to these signs by being more restrictive with food and cutting out whole food groups. This will likely cause more problems than it solves.

Enjoying a wide variety of fresh, wholesome foods and following a flexible approach to meal patterns while listening to your intuitive signals of hunger and fullness will be the best way to support your healthy body.

Consider a visit to a Registered Dietitian to help you understand and calculate your unique nutritional needs. Click here to make an appointment and let’s get your health back on track.

[/vc_column][/vc_row]