HEALTHY EATS

WESTERN EDITION

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Building metabolism through healthy snackingBy: Jackie Logdson

As a college student, snacking be-comes more of a habit than a choice. It is much easier to grab a small something to eat in between classes and before or after work than it is to sit down for an actual meal. While the recommended three meals a day is still important, there is a way to use an everyday habit as a healthy benefit. By eating more during the day metabolism can be built. “Your metabolism involves a complex network of hormones and enzymes that not only convert food into fuel but also affect how efficiently you burn that fuel,” said Co-lette Bouchez in an article for WebMD. In recent years it is becoming more necessary that people pay attention to small things that could help their general health.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008, 29.3 per-cent of adults in Warren County were over-weight, and the numbers have been grow-ing. And seeing as 48.1 percent of Bowling Green’s total population is in college, there are a number of students in that category. Cures for this epidemic, such as building metabolism, are easier than many think. Eating more throughout the day isn’t the answer. It is eating less food, more often and eating the right foods that will bring a healthier self. People’s bodies do not all burn calo-ries at the same rate. Metabolism is at its peak within one hour after eating. This is why it is important to eat more often. After that peak hour the metabolism begins to slow down. The lon-

Munching Metabolically

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ger time that is put in between snacks, the slower the body’s metabolism is burning the calorie intake. However, eating more often does not mean eating more over all. The amount of food that is taken in should be minimized. If the body takes in more calories than it can burn, it will slow rather than speed up the breaking down of those calories. It is for that reason that it is also important to eat lower calorie foods during the day. Most fruits such as oranges are low in calories but high in nutrients such as Vi-tamin C. Vegetables such as edamame are also low in calories. Though many of your daytime snacks should be lower calorie, they are not the only types of foods that can help boost your metabolism. High protein foods also help. “Pro-tein generally requires about 25 percent more energy to digest,” said Bouchez. According to Bouchez, though the theory is not completely proven, it is the added effort that the body is go-ing through to digest the protein that is thought to jump-start the metabolism. For this reason, it is generally recommended that high protein foods such as eggs be eaten in the morning.

The largest part of building metabo-lism is regulating diet, but it is not the only

part. Regular exercise is vital in helping maintain a good and fast metabolism as well as being healthy for the mind and body. People with a higher muscle percent-age tend to have higher metabolisms than people with a higher body fat percentage. The body can burn calories simply by being on a healthy diet, but healthy dieting does not build muscle. The more muscle mass, the more calories burned. This is because even at rest muscle burns more calories than fat. There-fore, even if the body is not in the process of exercising, bodies with a higher muscle percentage are still burning calories at a higher rate. Metabolism has a vital role in the body’s overall health. Eating smaller, low calorie and high protein portions through-out the day, as well as exercising regularly is important to maintain a fast and healthy metabolism.

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Oranges

107 Calories4 Calories from Fat

3mg Sodium 2g Protein

201% Vitamin C

Walnuts

765 Calories639 Calories from Fat

2mg Sodium18g Protein

19% Iron

Edamame

130 Calories47 Calories from Fat

7mg Sodium12g Protein

19% Vitamin C

Hard-Boiled Eggs

211 Calories130 Calories from Fat

169mg Sodium17g Protein

16% Vitamin A

Almonds

855 Calories601 Calories from Fat187mg Sodium26g Protein32% Calcium

Blueberries

84 Calories4 Calories from Fat1mg Sodium1g Protein24% Vitamin C

Apples

65 Calories2 Calories from Fat1mg Sodium0g Protein10% Vitamin C

Natural Peanut Butter

1520 Calories1078 Calories from Fat44mg Sodium62g Protein27% Iron

Nutritional Facts