Metabolism vs.


By Jessica Elsner M


y metabolism isn’t what it used to be.” “I could eat any- thing I wanted to when I was young, but I got older and my metabolism slowed down.”


In the fitness industry statements like these are heard often.


However, it is often that the statement is not actually referring to metabolism but rather digestion, two different things that are commonly confused. Understanding how your body actually uses food can help you make thoughtful nutritional choices for a long and healthy life.


In a nutshell, metabolism refers to every single biochemical reaction happening inside your body in order to maintain life. For example, your body uses complex molecules from food in order to produce energy, whereas the digestive process involves breaking down the food that we eat and processing it so that it can be used by the body.


$ 40.00 first visit


Green Amber Healing Love Made Visible


Live the life you love! Homeopathy


erapeutic Energy Work Limited Touch


Endrocine System Protocols


Reminding the body and spirit of its ability to HEAL.


Joan Elizabeth GREEN AMBER HEALING


Portland, Maine • 207-671-0899 greenamberattunement.com


16 Essential Living Maine ~ July/August 2017


Let’s take Sarah, for example. She’s about to enjoy lunch at her desk. She packed a turkey sandwich with arugula, tomato, and cheese, all on a roll. The digestive process starts the moment she takes her first bite. As soon as that sweet bite hits her lips the chewing process is initiated. Her salivary glands begin producing saliva which contain amylase, an enzyme that helps to digest the roll from her sandwich.


When she swallows the food it travels down the esophagus and into her stomach. Contractions of her stomach cause the food to move around as her stomach releases hydrochloric acid. This and an enzyme called pepsin break the food down into a soft, almost liquid-like substance called chyme. Once soft enough the stomach releases the food into the first portion of her small intes- tine where it comes into contact with pancreatic juices, digestive enzymes, and bile. Her body is now releasing amylase, the same enzyme found in saliva, which again is necessary in the digestion of the roll; lipase which digests fats from the cheese; and protease which digests proteins from the turkey.


Once the food is thoroughly mixed, it travels into the second and third portions of the small intestine where additional nutrient absorption occurs. At this point, any part of the food that cannot be absorbed by the body passes through the ileum and into the first portion of the large intestine. Here her large intestine will ab- sorb any water and solutes (i.e. fatty acids) and anything that can- not be absorbed will begin to concentrate in order to form stool.


Here’s where the digestive process gets…personal. The mat- ter that cannot be used in the body is pushed through the large intestine, into the colon, and ultimately the stool will eventually be passed as feces, effectively ending the digestive process and leav- ing Sarah with an extra skip in her step.


It’s important to distinguish that the rate of one’s digestion var- ies from person to person and is dependent on factors like diet and activity level. Whereas, the speed of one’s digestion is measured by the complete transit time between when food enters the mouth until the time its excreted as feces. Of course, there are ways to speed up the rate of digestion. For example, consuming foods rich in fiber allow food to pass through the GI tract quickly, however high-fiber foods will not speed up one’s metabolism.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36