Metabolism is the process by which our bodies use food for energy. For those of you that have a high metabolic rate, this means that the rate at which your body burns calories is faster than a person with a slow metabolic rate.

Your bodys metabolic rate is based on numerous factors including genes, physical activity and an over or under active thyroid gland. With hyperthyroidism, it can cause the body's metabolism to speed up resulting in characteristic symptoms. In contrast, hypothyroidism results when the thyroid is under active and produces too little thyroid hormone. This slows down the body's metabolism.

The big question that most have is how you boost your metabolism. Doctors and dieticians agree that the best way is through exercise. Physical activity reduces body fat and increases our lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle we have the higher our metabolic rate.

To get the most calorie burn, a combination of exercise and possibly an effective metabolism booster can be that added nudge to get you over the hump and help to restart your metabolic process.