Several factors can affect an individual’s metabolic rate. These include age, height, weight, and genetics. The activity level of an individual is another factor that affects their metabolic rate. Physical activity uses calories to fuel bodily functions like breathing and circulation; therefore, people who exercise more tend to have faster metabolisms than those who do not engage in regular physical activity. Additionally, some health conditions may cause abnormal weight loss or gain and slow down the speed at which food is converted into energy within the body. Understanding how health conditions & your metabolism are connected can help you manage them better by changing your diet and lifestyle habits.
At this point, we all know we’re different. Some of us have medical conditions, and others don’t. However, there are some medical conditions that can greatly influence your metabolism—an important connection between health conditions & your metabolism—and things you should keep in your back pocket to discuss with your doctor at some point.
These medical conditions and even medications include insulin resistance, unhealthy thyroid function (untreated hypothyroidism), certain medications such as antidepressants, epilepsy medications, steroids, and blood pressure–reducing meds. Each of these factors has the potential to impact how your body processes energy, further proving that health conditions & your metabolism are closely linked.
Of course, some of these things are completely out of our control, but if we can live as holistically as possible, it might help reduce some of those nasty health conditions or the need for medication. For instance, eating well and exercising can increase endorphins and give you an overall better mood, potentially leading to getting off antidepressants or at least minimizing the dosage. Also, eating well could potentially help blood pressure and eliminate the need for medication if fully controlled by a holistic diet. This is something you may want to discuss with a healthcare professional to see if a holistic lifestyle may help in reducing some of these medical conditions and the need for meds.
I hope I’ve given you some food for thought about the importance of health conditions & your metabolism and how they affect your health. Remember, there is always hope!