Metabolism is a tricky subject, mired in so many myths and contradictory facts. We challenge and update some of these, and give you some food for thought on what and when to eat, which exercise is best, and how stress can mess up everything…
We've had Paleo, Banting, the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Diet, now there's even the locally spawned eat-once-a-day 'Wolf diet'. For every piece of research that comes out, sure as eggs, there will be an equal and opposite bit of contradictory data to follow swiftly. How is a girl to know what works best to keep her metabolism ticking over nicely, to maintain a healthy weight and stay healthy?
As with all things in life, balance is everything, and we give you some latest findings and thought so you can decide what makes sense and works best for you.
But first, let's establish what exactly we mean by metabolism …
The dictionary definition is the biochemical processes that keep all cells alive.
What we generally mean regarding metabolism is 'the complex biochemical process that converts everything we eat and drink into energy. During this process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.' That’s the Mayo Clinic take.
And now to the meat of the story...