A metabolism boost
Keeping your different organs active and efficient is the key to revving up your metabolism. Here are some routes:...Dr Shikha Sharma suggests some tips...
Metabolism is the process by which what we eat is converted into life-giving energy. There are various steps before food turns into energy and many organs play a vital role in this process, including the mouth, the liver and associated systems like the endocrinal system and the kidneys.
Keeping your different organs active and efficient is the key to revving up your metabolism. Here are some routes:
* To keep your intestines working well, avoid foods that burden them. Non-vegetarian food makes the intestine acidic and places a load on the liver. Maida sticks to the intestine and prevents the nutrition from what you eat being absorbed by the intestinal lining. Over years, the lining of your gut gets covered with fermenting waste products, bacteria and trapped dead tissue – these lead to digestive upsets, nutritional deficiencies and water retention. Infections of the body also occur due to the digestive tract being clogged.
* To ensure intestinal health, do a light detox once a fortnight. Avoid non-vegetarian food, eggs, paneer, dals, pickles, colas, churan, etc. Instead, drink lukewarm water, vegetable juices, herb infusions and soups, eat a lot of fruit, and have a light vegetable dalia or khichdi for lunch.
* Keep the liver lively, clean and charged. The liver is the seat of digestion and a sluggish liver results in low metabolism, rapid fat gain, low energy, skin problems, swelling in the body and feet. The liver is partially detoxified by detoxification and completely by the panchkarma process.
* Eat fibre. It is slowly digested and insoluble fibre helps the body control weight, sugar and insulin levels. Fibre is present in the peel of fruits, in oats and brown rice and whole dals (moong and channa dal).
* Eat frequent small meals. Finish eating by 7 pm.
* Exercise is essential. For women, walking and yoga are musts, but depending on your inclination, you can do other kinds of exercise. Men must jog and weight train.