When you break it down to its most basic definition, metabolism is the system that powers everything in your body. But what are the fundamentals when it comes to what you eat and how it affects your metabolic health?
Here are the five essentials you should know about retraining your metabolism — starting at the table.
Prioritize Protein
Protein is a hardworking macronutrient in the body. It plays a key role in many body processes. However, in the United States alone, adults — especially older adults — might not be including enough protein in their diets. According to a 2019 study, up to 46% of the oldest study participants didn’t consume enough protein daily.
Keeping up with protein intake is important as we age to protect our lean body mass, which is the weight of the body without body fat, and to optimize our wellbeing. Proteins minimally impact glucose levels and could potentially help with controlling metabolism when the right amount is consumed each day.
Protecting lean body mass by consuming protein is also connected to muscle maintenance, so you can continue to do physical activities. Muscles are a major consumer of glucose, especially during exercise, and they’re the main tissue that helps provide insulin sensitivity. Protein builds up your muscles, and it’s the muscles that help keep you metabolically healthy.
So, how does glucose play a role? When you eat a meal, your glucose levels will spike, or increase. What you eat can determine how large the spike is, so being intentional about your diet can help you control your glucose levels, which in turn can give you more control over your metabolic health. And when it comes to muscles, the more you have, the more efficient glucose utilization becomes in your body.
Those glucose spikes are one reason why prioritizing protein is important. Protein doesn’t usually cause a large increase in glucose, and it helps you feel full for longer while also providing the body with the amino acids it needs to build and repair body tissue.