Metabolism is the rate at which your body breaks food (fats, carbs and protein) down into energy. Many factors influence your metabolism including body size, muscle mass, fat percentage and genetics. However, genetics only plays a 5% role in calorie burning!!! This means you have no excuse :) Though conditions that cause slow metabolism are rare, it’s possible that slower metabolism is related to thyroid problems, aging and rare genetic disorders, such as Prader-Willi syndrome. If you are concerned that your metabolism is reduced – you should get a body composition test performed to measure the various types of tissues in your body.
What causes slow metabolism?
While most people believe that their metabolism is slow because they’re overweight or getting older- it’s actually because they have less muscle mass than normal. In fact, your metabolism is not slow because you’re fat, you’re fat because you’re metabolism is slow! When you have less muscle mass, you will burn less calories. This explains why, as you age, your metabolism slows; or when you’re overweight (less muscle) your metabolism slows. Medical conditions that can slow metabolism include thyroid disorders, hormone imbalances and diabetes.
What are the symptoms of a slow metabolism?
Symptoms of a slow metabolism include obesity, sluggishness & fatigue, lack of muscle mass and poor circulation.
What are the common treatments of slow metabolism?
Medical treatment of slow metabolism always includes some form of medication therapy. Specifically, doctors tend to offer medications used to treat depression in an attempt to help people feel more energetic.
Prior to any form of medical therapy, it’s advised that you get the proper testing performed to determine the “cause” of your slow metabolism. Most likely you will need to incorporate strength-training exercises into your lifestyle on a routine basis. Examples of strength-training activities include sit-ups, push-ups, dips, lunges and squats; use of dumb bells or weight machines; yoga and pilates. For best results, seek guidance from a qualified fitness professional who can guide you toward proper exercises and ensure that you partake in such exercises properly.
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Family Health Chiropractic is a full time natural medicine doctor’s office. We have successfully treated all of the conditions we write about. The difference is in the care, technique, and experience you get with Dr. Daniel and his team at Family Health Chiropractic.