Metabolism is a word many of us are guilty of throwing around loosely without really understanding it’s meaning. As part of Lane Crawford’s (attempt) to treat our bodies as a temple, we go in search of determining exactly what is a metabolism - and how we can give ours the best shot at reaching its peak performance.

First things first. We ask American nutritionist and author of The Metabolism Plan, Lyn-Genet Recitas to explain ‘metabolism’ to us. “We tend to think of metabolism as our ability to lose weight but actually your metabolism is every metabolic and cellular process including your ability to heal,” says Recitas. While you feel your healthiest, your metabolism is probably performing at its optimal level, too. If you feel “sluggish, unwell, foggy in thought, have poor digestion or a poor mood,” these are all signs your metabolism might not be reaching its full potential, she explains.