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2) Energy Metabolism

How many glucose molecules could be made from one 57-carbon triglyceride? I’m just kidding. This short article will not get quite that scientific.

I think a good analogy is to think of food to our body like fuel is to a car. It’s just a complex topic and much of the information that works is counter-intuitive. That’s why it’s very possible for someone to eat very little, be hungry, and yet still be overweight.

One of the most important jobs that your body does is to maintain normal ranges of blood glucose. Too little or too much can cause problems in the brain, kidneys, and smooth muscles. Except for rare circumstances, the brain only uses glucose for energy. The rest of the organs and tissues use a combination of other fuels such as glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids.

When an excessive amount of simple sugar is consumed (that extra candy bar), the body releases insulin, which instructs the liver and muscles to absorb glucose from the blood. This causes a cascade of events, which ultimately reduce the burning of fatty acids.

One of the benefits of consuming supportive carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, and veggies) is that they are protein sparing. They allow the protein to be used for what it’s supposed to. That is maintaining and building lean muscle tissue, and pretty much building everything in your body that’s interesting.

Another important point to keep in mind is the impact that water can have on metabolism. You should make it a priority to have things running as smoothly as possible. A lack of water can cause problems that may negatively affect energy metabolism and fat loss.

Here are some things you can do to optimize fat burning ability:

1) Eat breakfast- Eating dinner at 8 PM and then not eating again until 1 PM the following day is one of the worst things you can do to your metabolism. That only leaves a few hours to get your daily calories in for the day, a sure-fire way to store some extra body fat.

2) Stay hydrated- Again, staying hydrated will allow your body to complete some of the complicated processes it needs to burn fat. Staying hydrated means limiting coffee consumption, salt intake, and drinking plenty of clean water

3) Eat enough- Although it’s counter-intuitive, it’s the actual truth. The human body is very serious about holding onto its energy reserves. If it thinks it’s being starved, it starts to slow down. Heat and metabolism are lowered and things work less efficiently.