Metabolism in Spanish is called metabolismo!
Just What is Metabolism?
There is probably no more commonly
used term when discussing weight loss (and weight gain) than this. Indeed, it
is quite common to hear people discussing their struggles with – or victories
over – the extra weight gained on their most recent vacation, or their despised
"love handles" and unsightly bulges in terms of whether or not their
metabolism is working.
Doctors and nutritionists frequently
use the term metabolism to explain why starvation/deprivation and water-loss
diets are not scientifically or medically responsible because they do not account
for or positively influence your metabolism (there we go again!).
Read: Are Covid-19 Shots Still Free
So, for all of the ways that this
quite intimidating and biologically charged word is discussed when discussing
weight loss or weight gain, you'd think that people understand it, wouldn't
you? Or, at the very least, you'd think they'd have a basic understanding of
how to speed up their metabolism.
Wrong!
Understanding Metabolism
Unfortunately, many people do not
understand metabolism and metabolic change. Regrettably, this is not entirely
their fault.
There is so much information out
there, much of it accessed via the internet or a "friend of a friend who
has a personal trainer," that there will undoubtedly be some conflicting
messages and confusion.
Many people, understandably, mistakenly
attribute their own weight gain and loss episodes to metabolic change.
Read: Does Cucumber Contain Folic Acid?
This is sometimes true and sometimes
not. There are, for example, scientifically sound ways to increase the rate of
metabolic change, allowing the body to burn more calories and thus fatter.
Eating certain foods more frequently is one way to accomplish this.
Another way to lose weight visibly –
at least temporarily – is to spend a few hours in a steam room or sauna.
Whereas the former (eating the right
foods) is a real and proven weight loss method through increased metabolic
change, the latter (the steam room) is only temporary because the lost weight
is just fluid loss, and will return as quickly as it "melted away" as
soon as you have your next glass of water.
What you must keep in mind here is
that some people misinterpret their own weight loss attempts as being related
to metabolic change, but as the steam room example shows, this is not always
the case.
Read: What is Jamie Oliver's most famous dish?
Exactly What is Metabolism?
Some people believe that "the
metabolism" refers to an organ or another body part that influences
digestion. Actually, metabolism isn't a specific body part. It is the process
by which the body turns food into energy.
As a result, you've probably heard
the terms metabolic process and metabolism used interchangeably because they
both mean the same thing.
However, without delving too deeply
into medical details, which are unnecessary for general understanding, it is
useful to look briefly at the biological mechanisms underlying metabolism.
Metabolism is the process of
converting food (i.e., nutrients) into fuel (i.e. energy.) The body can then
use this energy to perform a wide range of essential functions. In fact, your
metabolism is responsible for your ability to read this post.
Read: What Is The Folic Acid Role In The Body?
You wouldn't be able to move if you
didn't have a metabolism, or if your body didn't use metabolic processes to
convert food into energy.
In fact, your internal bodily
functions would have stopped long before you realized you couldn't lift your
foot or move a finger.
This is because your metabolism is
responsible for all of the basic functions of life, such as circulating blood,
converting oxygen into carbon dioxide, expelling toxic wastes through the
kidneys, and so on.
