What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is: How the Body uses Food

Turning fats and carbs into energyTurning protein into muscle and tissue

repair

Basal MetabolismBasal metabolism is the amount of energy

required to support the operation of all internal body systems except digestion.

Basal metabolism keeps your body alive when it is at rest. It includes the energy your

body uses for it’s many functions.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR)Basal metabolic rate is the rate at which the body uses energy for basal metabolism.BMR can be affected by: body structure, body composition, and gender.

Metabolism ProblemsX ‘Starvation Metabolism’ from dietingX StressX Nutrient deficiencies from poor quality food – eg.

ChromiumX Nutrient deficiencies from not eating enough foodX Prescription drugs

What is Thermogenesis?Thermogenesis is the process by which the

body generates heat in warm-blooded animals

This requires burning calories. One calorie is the amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of water one degree C at sea level

Thermogenesis is activated by supplements, food, exercise, and exposure to cold (shivering)

Thermic Effect of Food

• Your body needs food as energy to complete the processes of digestion, absorption, and metabolism.

• The thermic effect of food is the energy needed to extract energy from food.

Calories to Maintain WeightWomen Men

Weight (lb.) Calories Weight Calories

130-139 1750 130-149 2000 140-149 1800 150-169 2200150-159 1850 170-189 2400160-169 1900 190-209 2600170-179 1950 210-229 2800180-189 2000 230-249 3000190-199 2050 250-269 3200200-209 2100 270-289 3400210-219 2150 290-309 3600220-229 2200 310-329 3800230-239 2250

Eating more than this will cause you to gain more weight

Metabolism ProblemsX ‘Starvation Metabolism’ from dietingX StressX Nutrient deficiencies from poor quality food –

especially ChromiumX Nutrient deficiencies from not eating enough foodX Prescription drugs

What Affects Metabolism?Size of mealsFrequency of mealsType of food eatenAmount of muscleExercise / ActivityThermogenesisMicronutrientsStress

Why do People Gain Weight?Reason #1: You consume more calories than your body

needs in a day.

Reason #2: You do not get enough exercise.Reason #3: Your metabolism is malfunctioning, causing you

to store fat despite controlling your calorie intake. Usually as a result of yo-yo dieting and/ poor nutrition.

Calories consumed minus Calories burned = weight loss or gain

Weight is a Trick

Weight is a Trick

It’s not just about FATConstant Dieting will Destroy your Health

X Overall nutrition begins to suffer creating more illness and less energy as the body is trained to store fat, instead of burning it, making permanent weightloss almost impossible

X Body fat percentage increases each time you YO-YO. People go from a healthy range of between 15-25% bodyfat as teenagers, to 30, 40, 50% or more in middle-age

X 60 percent of cancer in women and 40 per cent of cancer in men is directly related to this excess bodyfat and the dietary choices which cause it

Dietary Reference Intakes• DRIs – are nutrient reference values.• DRIs purpose is to prevent diseases caused by nutrient

deficiencies. ie) heart disease and diabetes linked to nutrition – now many others such as cancer.

• RDA – Recommended Dietary Allowances are the suggested levels of nutrients to meet the needs of most healthy people.

• Not all RDAs are known for all nutrients.• Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)• Who uses these anyway??? Nutritionists, Doctors, other

healthcare professionals.• To evaluate your own diet look at the “big picture” –

Canada’s Food Guide or www.mypyramid.com