Article: Do You Know Your Metabolism?

Do You Know Your Metabolism? ... By Keith Dorsette             

Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are conditions that are directly related to being overweight and or having poor conditioning. They include heart attack, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic lung diseases and a handful of others. NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide (more than half), yet a survey taken (in NYC) among 1,000 persons in September of 2015 revealed that approximately 11% of the people know what they are. Even fewer have an idea of how to prevent them. Education and breaking up with a few lifestyle habits can help us all remain NCD Free. NCDs are PREVENTABLE!

By being knowledgeable of your metabolism, we all can reduce the risk of getting an NCD ….

Metabolism is the process the body undergoes when it breaks down foods and converts it into energy. Metabolisms, for the most part, are unique. While there are some generalities in relation to the actual chemical process, the speed (metabolic rate) differs from person to person. Having an understanding of which body type you are, will give you a better sense of your own metabolic performance (or lack of). Three major body types are ectomorph (typically skinny, fast metabolism, small joints, find it difficult to gain weight), mesomorph (naturally athletic, large bones, easy to gain or lose weight) and endomorph (soft body, shorter build, gain weight easily). By identifying which of these body types you are, the better equipped you will be for establishing and implementing a plan of action to manage your metabolism more efficiently. The faster your body processes this conversion of food to energy, the less likely it is that your body will store the energy as fat (stored energy).

Each of us have our own daily caloric demand that is necessary to perform our daily functions. This demand is referred to as Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). There are a handful of BMR calculators available online. It is highly suggested that you reference what your personal BMR is. This in depth knowledge of yourself will help you make better decisions as to how many calories to take in daily. And, more importantly, what types of calories to take in.

After training more than 4,000+ people in the SAAF CAMP NCD Prevention and Health And Wellness Programs, we have concluded through extensive studies that have been monitored by the ministry of health and hundreds of doctors that the following insertions into your daily life plan will result in a more efficient metabolic performance (in no particular order):

  1. Eat smaller portions, more frequently throughout the day. Spread your calorie consumption out. This will prevent your body from storing calories and encourage the body to get into burning mode.
  2. Build more muscle! Shred Fat and replace it with muscle. 10lbs of muscle requires about 50 calories a day just to operate it. If you focus on replacing (or adding) 10lbs of muscle, it will require 500 calories daily to sustain at rest alone.
  3. Increase healthy fat (such as coconut oil, avocado…), increase fiber (whole grains, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, almonds, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds) … 35g of fiber daily can increase your caloric burn by 6% at rest. Increase your protein. Your body cannot produce muscle without protein. More muscle = higher metabolic rate. Honorable mentions to Greek yogurt and berries.
  4. High intensity interval training obtains better results than marathon training, steady training. Interval training burns off significantly more calories than a steady pace method of training. While exercise in general has numerous benefits, specific methods produce more or lesser results.
  5. Reduce your stress! Increase sleep (quality sleep). Make your hormones work with you, not against you. We often suggest that people list what causes them stress and what brings them joy. Review the items and determine what is needed to eliminate the stress inducers and increase the opportunity for the joy providers. –Keith Dorsette is the developer and senior trainer for the SAAF CAMP NCD Prevention and Health and Wellness Program. He is also the Health And Wellness correspondent for the SAAF CAMP TV Show. Visit Us At: saafcamp.org