Who has the objective of lose weight But what is it? Does accelerating the metabolism really help you lose weight? Understand all about it:

What is metabolism?

According to nutritionist Mariana Nacif, metabolism is all the set of chemical transformations and reactions that take place in our body. In them, manufacturing processes or degradation of some cells and compounds take place. Metabolism can be divided in two:

• Anabolism (synthesis): Constructive chemical reactions, that is, when new organic matter is produced. For example: the formation of muscle from amino acids ;
• Catabolism (degradation): chemical reactions that "break" substances. For example: the "breaking" of the molecule glucose to be transformed into energy and water.

All these processes require calories to be burned to happen. testosterone more expressive, they consume more calories than women - that is why, most of the time, they manage to lose weight more quickly", explains the specialist.

This also happens according to the age group of the person. Children burn more calories than adults because they are in the developmental stage. And when we pass the age of 50, the body decreases the calories burned even more.

What does it mean to "speed up the metabolism"?

Mariana Nacif explains that to maintain some vital functions (breathing, heartbeat, body temperature ...), the body expends a certain amount of energy. This is called basal metabolism.

"When a person says that he 'needs to speed up his metabolism' he means that he would like the body to use more energy to do the same work," he says.

Does speeding up the metabolism really help you lose weight?

Theoretically it helps, because by "speeding up" our metabolism, we are causing the basal caloric expenditure That is, we burn more calories at rest than before.

However, it is worth remembering that in order for weight loss to occur, there must be caloric deficit - That is why a proper diet is also an important point in the weight loss process.

Read also: Habits that slow the metabolism

How to speed up the metabolism to lose weight?

"There are some foods that we call natural thermogenics For this reason, they require the body to expend a greater amount of energy to complete this process," says the nutritionist.

She cites some examples:

• Ginger;
• Cinnamon;
• Green tea;
• Coffee.

"In addition, it is important to remember that the consumption of vitamins and minerals Iron, B-complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, and selenium must be prioritized, but other nutrients cannot be left aside either.

Finally, the regular practice of physical activity And when we have a greater amount of muscle mass, our basal metabolic rate also increases, thus improving our caloric expenditure," concludes the expert.

Source: Mariana Nacif a nutritionist specialized in women's health, intestinal microbiota, vegetarian and integrative nutrition, eating behavior and nutritional coaching, is a member of the clinical staff of Remind (SP) and LANAI (RJ).