Raina Kranz, C.P.T.
Guest
Thyroid Nation
Raina shares how to speed up your metabolism if you suffer with thyroid disease.
Metabolism is a complicated, ongoing process and a function that happens normally in all of us. This function is called homeostasis, the breakdown of nutrients we consume so that the body can use as fuel, to build and repair itself.
Building and repairing requires a lot of energy and if you add your physical activity to the mix, the body will require even more fuel. Simply, our metabolism is a combination of calories we intake from food and beverages and how much fuel is going to be needed to support every bodily function.
The biggest question I come across mostly, is how do you increase your metabolism? In order to truly understand the answer, you first have to comprehend what metabolism is and what it does.
Energy [Food] is transformed, converted, transported and stored. Each calorie we consume creates heat and increases temperature. This is called thermogenesis, the creation of heat. Calories from food sources are transformed into energy, stored or eliminated. The eliminated energy in bowel and urine cannot be counted. What is not lost through elimination will be available for energy metabolism. Thermic energy, cellular reproduction, growth, muscular work and movement, and then storage, are the natural process of all metabolisms.
Thermogenesis means the creation of heat. There are three types of thermogenesis:
- The first kind is work-induced from exercise. It is necessary for our muscles to create heat because warm muscles work much more effectively than cold muscles.
- The next form is called thermo-regulatory thermogenesis. This is involved with keeping the temperature of the human body regulated. The average body temperature is 98.7 degrees (F), which is quite a bit higher than the ambient (surrounding) temperature in most cases. There are two types of thermo-regulatory thermogenesis: shivering and non-shivering. Shivering helps the body creates heat. The skeletal muscles create the shivering. There’s a little muscle on each hair that helps to create a better blanket for us. The shivering heats up the body.
- The non-shivering thermogenesis fits into the third classification, which is called diet-induced thermogenesis. (DIT) is the increase of energy expenditure above basal metabolic rate. Where movement is increase without increasing calories or decreasing calories and increasing work.
Thermogenesis is the MAIN dysfunction with hypothyroidism and energy. Thyroid hormone controls thermogenesis and all energy balance within the body. It increases heat production and caloric expenditure for all body functions. It stimulates many metabolic pathways of energy and the use of that energy.
Simply, PROPER thyroid function is how our metabolism will work efficiently.
Furthermore, thyroid hormone gives power to sympathetic nervous system and its synergetic interactions between T3 and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate), a messenger for ATP (energy + oxygen) for muscle contraction. The conversion process of T4 to T3 (5’-deiodinase) plays a central role in controlling heat production and it stimulates brown adipose tissue (The good fat that burns calories). When this enzyme is stimulated by norepinephrine (neurotransmitter) in the euthyroid and hypothyroid condition, it provides high concentrations of T3 to brown adipose tissue increasing the calories used and burned
There is one way to increase heat ( Thermogenesis in the body) MCT oil (medium chain Triglycerides AKA coconut oil) and cayenne pepper.
Again, this may work for thyroid patients along with being on the right dose of thyroid hormone replacement and thyroid levels being optimal for you. The thyroid must be functioning well.
Metabolism and Weight Without a Metabolic Disease
Unfortunately, weight gain is complicated. It is likely a combination of genetic makeup, hormonal controls, diet composition, and the impact of environment on your lifestyle, including sleep, physical activity and stress. All of these factors result in an imbalance in the energy equation. You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn, or burn fewer calories than you eat.
Daily life is keeping us fat and it doesn’t take a metabolic disease to cause obesity. For many people, it’s their lack of activity and/or over-consumption of calories, that will cause a metabolic disease like type 2 diabetes, for example.
Losing weight and speeding up the metabolism in apparently healthy people, is a simple equation of more movement and balanced nutrition to fuel the body without over storing of excess calories. This needs to be a consistent lifestyle change balanced with decreases stress and plenty of sleep and recovery.
Hormonal Disorders and Metabolism
Hormones regulate the metabolism. The most common hormonal disorders are caused by the thyroid gland. The thyroid secretes hormones to regulate many metabolic processes which include energy expenditure (the heat needed to burn calories).
In Hypothyroidism (less hormones = less heat), the metabolism slows because the thyroid gland does not release enough thyroid hormones.
In hyperthyroidism (more hormones = more heat), the gland produces too much thyroid hormone than needed and this speeds up the metabolism.
This is why there is no supplement, no pill, no quick fix for anyone, especially those with a metabolic disease. The key to weight loss for those with thyroid disease is a step by step process.
9 Tips for Weight Loss (Metabolism Help)
- Getting on the right form of thyroid hormone replacement for you
- Getting of the right dose of thyroid hormone replacement for you
- Getting your levels optimal- for you
- Converting consistently T4 to T3
- When you are feeling better – start to move. Start slowly with an exercise program
- Balance your calories and find the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fat percentage intake so that you have the fuel you will need to increase activity, so you can speed up your metabolism and burn more calories.
- Rest and recovery
- Proper sleep
- Decreased stress
Increasing Thermogenesis of Brown Fat With A Supplement
- Uncoupling Protein 1 (Ucp1) Increases Energy Expenditure in Brown Adipose Tissue
- Possible Induction of Expression of Ucp1 With EGCG or Curcumin
Please note: EGCG is Green Tea and this will slow thyroid function in thyroid disease. So, Turmeric/Curcumin or Cayenne pepper is a good option.
About the Author
Raina Kranz, C.P.T. attended and is certified from the American College of Sports Medicine. She studied Kinesiology/Biomechanics. Living in Hollywood, Florida she is a full time personal trainer and coach. Find her at her website, Personal Fitness Training Florida and wonderful online Facebook Group, Thyroid Healing Journey. Click to schedule an appointment or to learn more about Raina’s Customized Thyroid Exercise Training Program at Thyroid Trainer.
Questions or anything to add about speeding up your metabolism? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please!
