The reason that you cannot budge that extra weight might be your metabolism, rather than your willpower. People often unknowingly damage their metabolism through extremely unhealthy lifestyle habits. Luckily all is not lost; you can boost your metabolism back to normal by becoming aware of how your body works and making a few simple changes to your routine.

Metabolism is the process within the body that converts food into energy. It is an intricate process which utilizes certain chemical reactions, hormones and cellular cooperation. At the end of the process energy is used up or stored as fat. Body fat is very interesting because it actually releases hormones that are supposed to lower the appetite. If you have a lot of body fat, it is supposed to release these hormones causing you to lose the excess stored fat. This process is designed to regulate your weight, appetite, and energy in perfect levels for optimum health.

In order for this process to work effectively, your cells and hormones must work together and have the tools to do so. Natural whole foods work perfectly in this capacity. However, many processed foods in our diet contain chemically synthesized ingredients which do not help the cells and hormones to work together. Our bodies have no idea how to deal with MSG, artificial colors, and high sugar foods. Consumption of these substances orchestrates a metabolic catastrophe within the body. If you add stress, lack of exercise, and poor hydration to the mix, it is a recipe for weight gain and low energy.

All of these negative factors actually create a low-grade chronic inflammation in the body, which, in turn, completely messes up the body’s capacity to regulate calories. This means that our metabolism never goes up and down in a normal manner. Other toxins in our daily life—such as indoor air pollution, pesticides, carcinogens and contaminated water—can also cause inflammation which increases the toxins in the blood. This in turn contributes to the inability of our bodies to lose weight.

So what can you do to reverse this trend? There are several steps you can take to normalize your metabolism. The first step is to reduce your stress by participating in activities such as yoga and other relaxation techniques. Also follow an exercise plan that introduces different variations in movement and alters the intensity of the workout. This keeps your body from falling into a rut. Step two is to eat healthy nutrient-packed meals and sensible portion sizes. Never yo-yo diet or fall into a pattern of losing and gaining weight constantly. This will completely wreck your metabolism and make it harder to maintain a healthy weight. With these simple changes your body will start to work better, your energy levels will rise, and your metabolism will do the job that it’s supposed to do.