We hear all the time that changing your metabolism can change your life in many positive ways. If you haven’t heard that, you’re likely not talking with the right people. Metabolism is certainly a game changer on many health fronts.

So what is metabolism? Metabolism in humans is a chemical process and reaction by which your body breaks down the nutrients you consume and turns it into energy. The actual process is very complicated, using the calories in food and drink, then combining with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to maintain and fuel your daily activity.

Metabolism has two well-balanced functions. The first is catabolism, where your body breaks down chemical bonds from nutrients to release the energy your body needs. The second essential part of metabolism is anabolism, which consumes enzymes, sugars and nutrients for cell growth, system support and tissue repair. It is important to note that if catabolism is producing more energy than anabolism needs to support your body, there will be excess energy. Our bodies are very good at storing this excess energy as fat or glycogen within the body.

Your metabolism is always at work during the day and also when you sleep, helping to maintain all your body functions. Metabolism is not just about burning fat; a healthy metabolism is key to a healthy heart, organ function, proper hormone levels, immune response and helping with tissue repair. It is also important to understand we all have our own unique metabolic rate — this is the baseline of calories your body must have to properly support the body, which is called your basal metabolic rate. Too few calories and your body cannot support itself, too many and the excess calories are stored.

The factors that make up our basal metabolic rate consists of your gender, age, height, weight and lean muscle mass. This basal metabolic rate totals more than 60 percent of your body’s daily fuel requirements from calories. For example, the older you get the more difficult it is to keep your metabolism running at peak levels, requiring you to be active and watch what you eat.

The bottom line is your body’s daily physiological functions establishes your caloric intake requirements that in turn sets the stage for burning stored energy from carbs, protein and fat. Having a so-called slow metabolic rate is not the cause of obesity or body weight gain that is caused by over eating and too little physical activity. There are many aspects on how your metabolism influences your health. Weight gain or loss is just one piece to the puzzle. Metabolism also helps with mood, libido, immune response and blood glucose levels to name a few. Proper sleep and metabolism are powerful partners, which pair up nicely to help control your hormone response resulting in better appetite control and calorie burn.

The big question is how to rev-up your metabolism to maximize your health and wellness? Here are few areas to work on that will successfully enhance your metabolism.

1. Walking is something most can do unless they have health limitation. Walking should be your “Aha!” moment in driving your metabolism. It is simple, easy to establish and can be scaled up or down based on your physical condition. Setting a goal to walk 10,000 steps a day would be a huge boost to your metabolism.

2. Lifting weights. There have been many studies that support the fact that weight training that builds and maintains muscle drives your resting metabolism for hours after your exercise. The other point is muscles’ favorite food is fat. Sugar is a short-term delivery of energy for your muscles and a revved up metabolism will deliver fat on demand much better.

3. Move more. Being sedentary kills your metabolism. Make a daily effort to stand more than sit. Take stairs over elevators and keep active as much as possible. It sounds simple and it is, just keep yourself in motion!

4. Eat enough of the right type of calories. If you eat too few calories, it can send a stress signal to your body affecting proper metabolic processes. If you eat too much sugar and empty carbohydrates, your body will store this quickly as fat. Eating high-fiber veggies and other foods along with cultured foods will turn your digestive tract into additional support for driving your metabolic rate. It takes energy to process what you eat.

5. Up your protein consumption. There are a number of reasons to eat plenty of protein. If you’re older, you need more to properly support your body. If you’re working out and building muscle, you need more to support muscle growth. Keep in mind that protein has a very high thermogenic effect meaning it takes more calories to digest, resulting in a higher metabolic demand.

6. Get the proper amount of sleep and have a regular eating schedule. As mentioned, sleep and your metabolism make for great bedfellows. You burn calories while you sleep and if you’re well rested, your hormone balance and metabolic processes team up efficiently to help supercharge your health footprint. Having an irregular eating schedule can depress your metabolism. Since the human body likes to be nourished at specific times of the day, it is important to eat around a specific schedule. Studies have shown a lower energy expenditure and thermogenic effect in overweight people who eat erratically.

There are a number of ways to keep your metabolism high and I have only touched on a few. The important take away on this is to consider all aspects of health and wellness. The daily message of exercise, eat well and so on also includes areas you may not be thinking about. Your metabolism is often overlooked and a great metabolism can add a beneficial boost to your overall wellness.

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Judd Jones is a director for The Hagadone Corporation in Coeur d’Alene.