The food that you eat also requires energy to digest this food. The thermic effect of food is the amount of energy expenditure due to food processing for storage and use. The thermic effect of food requires about 10% of your daily caloric intake. Certain foods have a different thermic effect. Foods that have a larger thermic effect mean that more energy is required to digest these foods such as proteins and high fiber foods. High thermic foods take longer to digest thus leaving a feeling of fullness. Foods that have a thermic effect that is small require very little energy for digestion. Also, these foods digest rather quickly. Foods that have a small thermic effect include fats and simple sugars.

The body’s metabolism is affected by many factors such as age, amount of lean muscle, height, dieting, pregnancy, and the healthy function of one’s thyroid gland. The body’s rate of metabolism naturally decreases with age due to the decrease in physical activity and amount of lean muscle tissue. Muscle tissue is metabolically active requiring more energy to sustain it. Taller individuals have a higher rate of metabolism than shorter individuals. Pregnancy increases the body’s rate of metabolism.

The body’s rate of metabolism can decrease in response to a diet without the incorporation of regular exercise. A strict diet can cause a sudden decrease in one’s metabolism. The body will only burn calories that are necessary for bodily functions. Incorporating a diet and exercise program together can offset the negative effect of dieting on the body’s metabolism, thus increasing your metabolism.

Bodily processes such as metabolism rely heavily on antioxidants such as vitamin C and the B vitamins. This is an important reason for maintaining ideal nutrition through a well balanced diet and a quality liquid multivitamin supplement. Dehydration causes a decrease in the body’s temperature. In response the body stores fat to increase the body’s temperature. Make sure to drink plenty of water to avoid this weight loss trap.