Explained: Inverse relationship of good metabolism and weight management

Festivals are always fun. Looking stunning, relishing delicious food items, and enjoying a lot is what these days are all about. Diwali officially indicates that time of the year when it becomes hard to resist sweets and fried food. However, eating your favourite food is not a serious concern but to be able to digest is a troubling issue! It all depends upon one’s metabolism; some are so lucky to have inherited genes to promote high metabolism but some end up with a slower process. A person with a fast metabolism can eat more than a slow metabolism person and has fewer chances of unhealthy weight gain.

In order to effectively come victorious from this weight management fiasco, we need to understand what is Metabolism or Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
Metabolism is the process by which our body converts food into energy to perform daily activities. It is a chemical process that takes place inside our body, helps in the breakdown of energy. Having a good metabolism means burning more calories not only during activities but also at rest. Metabolism affects our body in several ways as we all rely on our metabolism to breathe, circulate blood, digestion, and other internal processes.

The inverse relationship between metabolism and weight

A person with fast metabolism burns more calories, while a low metabolism person burns fewer calories. Metabolism does not always depend upon genes one got but also on age, body size, and gender. According to some medical experts, a person with a fast metabolism eats more, burns more calories, and has no weight gain besides, a person with a slow metabolism who also eats more burns fewer calories due to slow metabolism ends up gaining weight. But this is not always the case, burning calories is more related to weight gain or loss. A good metabolism and weight loss theory does not seem to work for people battling with issues of an underactive Thyroid and PCOS.

Our traditional science of medicine promotes the practice of consuming one herb/spice and gaining multiple benefits. Maintaining equilibrium with the internal and external body is the secret of good health. The ancient methods of Ayurveda have several proven therapies and ways that can boost your metabolism. Ayurveda proclaims that healthy digestion is very crucial for a fast metabolism. The slow digestion process in an individual with weak metabolism tends to increase the number of fat tissues and block all the channels in the digestive system. 

Ayurveda has some tips and tricks that will prove helpful in boosting metabolism and in weight management.

Don't skip meals- Eat meals thrice a day or even eat more than four to five times. Waiting to have food for long hours affects your metabolism. Feeding more than three times a day is not a problem if the quantity of meals taken is minimal. Skipping meals tends to have a slow metabolism, thus causing trouble in managing the weight.

Exercise regularly- Increasing your daily physical activities helps in boosting your metabolism and is also helpful in weight loss. Exercising daily increases muscle mass and decreases the fat tissues from the body. People with more muscle mass burns more calories even at rest, which results in fast metabolism.

Natural detox- Ayurveda has several detoxes according to a person's body type. Getting your body accustomed detox with the right kind of natural detox helps in improving digestion and clears all the toxins from your body. Ayurveda detox therapy helps in cleansing the toxins to boost the metabolism that helps in weight management.

Get enough sleep- Sleeping 7-8 hours is considered reliable for a healthy sleep cycle. It regulates your food appetite and body hormones. Medical experts said that a person who sleeps little gains weight. 

Herbal supplements- Adding herbs like amla, jeera water, and triphala to your daily diet enhances your digestion process alongside cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, chia seeds, pumpkin, helps to maintain weight and also helps in increasing your metabolism rate.

How can we define weight management?

Weight management is the ability to attain a certain body weight. BMI is a perfect measure to know about ideal body measurement. According to World Health Organization (WHO) for adults, the healthy range for BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Having a Body Mass Index of more than 30 is defined as obesity. Gaining weight increases the severe risk of Diabetes, Arthritis, High Blood Pressure, and Breathing problems. 

So, in order to manage your weight well, it is extremely important to imbibe habits that boost your metabolism. A fast metabolism process also ensures protection from chronic illnesses and long-term ailments; it promotes good gut health and boost immunity.

(This article is attributed to Mr. Vikas Chawla, Founder and Director, Vedas Cure)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of India TV)