With all the talk of metabolic health these days, how do we even KNOW if things are a bit funky at a cellular level?
Most people know that being overweight tends to tie in with metabolism and things having gone slightly awry down there (it's not necessarily gluttony that leads to excess bodyfat) but that's definitely not the be all/end all of the story. Plenty of people are not thriving on the inside with much less 'visible' symptoms.
You might be one of them.
Do you experience any of the below?
Your energy is in the toilet. You suffer peaks & crashes, almost constant fatigue, or both. Basically live on coffee.
Your immune system is weak. If there's something going around, you'll get it.
You get 'hangry', shaky, or light-headed when you're without food for too long.
You experience brain fog. Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly.
You get uncontrollable cravings. For sugar/carbs. Like you're brain has been hijacked.
You struggle with sleep - quality, quantity, or both.
Your appetite is insatiable. Seemingly always hungry and a constant need to graze/scavenge.
You suffer joint pain, bloating, any kind of GI distress (IBS, cramps, excessive gas) or an autoimmune condition.
You struggle losing weight, seem to gain it very easily, or both.
You've been told you're pre-diabetic (hopefully this is a no-brainer but it's lifestyle driven and can be completely reversed).
Before we go further, let’s talk about what the metabolism actually is.
It's the system of the body that decides how fuel is used. The process of making energy out of the food we eat OR the fuel stored in our body.
People usually declare their metabolism is 'fast' or 'slow'.
Either way, the way our metabolism functions is a direct indicator of what is termed our 'Metabolic Health' and it affects sooo much more than our body weight!
Poor Metabolic Health (aka a metabolism that needs to be reset) ties in AT BEST with low/unstable energy, brain fog, uncontrollable cravings, joint pain, appetite deregulation, obesity, accelerated aging, adrenal fatigue, oxidative damage, nervous system issues, glycation and numerous other fairly gnarly outcomes.
AT WORST, poor metabolic health leads to Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, Autoimmune conditions, Cardiovascular disease, Cancer and poor outcomes for multiple other disease states…
Not awesome.
To negate the above and optimise our Metabolic Health we instead want an anti-inflammatory foundation first, and a then metabolism that's both efficient & flexible - a low stress metabolic environment able to use any fuel that’s present with ease.
This is turn means we can regulate our blood glucose like a boss, end a chronic overproduction of insulin, and enable our immune system to be fully functional.
It also means that the cholesterol levels in our body are not problematic for a number of reasons...but to super-simplify it, there will be less oxidative damage in the body for the cholesterol molecules to go around and need to 'repair'.
A modern diet and lifestyle comprising way too many processed foods, refined grain & cereal based meals, refined sugars, inflammatory oils, alcohol, chronic stress, inadequate movement and poor quality & quantity of sleep has reached fever pitch in our society as a whole and the results are clear:
Complete metabolic derangement. En masse!
Lets be honest - it's now the minority who are metabolically healthy ☹️
The majority have a metabolism that's highly inefficient, highly inflexible, with a strong side of inflammation to boot.
The dangerous combo above results in seriously compromised Metabolic Health overall which - whaddya know! - is the biggest player in almost every disease state and compromised health outcome known to man.
It’s a co-morbidity! We’ve all heard that term more then ever before in the last few years right?
And the answer is NOT more drugs to mask more symptoms.
So what to do? How can we turn things around? Where do we begin when wanting to make these changes for our health?
I’m gonna condense this into 4 easy steps.
And they’re alllll in some way tied to the management of inflammation & insulin!
1. Remove the Inflamers
The most problematic sources of inflammation in the body are ingested by choice: seed/vegetable oils, refined grains/cereals, refined sugars and alcohol. Reduce if you cant eliminate.
2. Eat Smarter not Harder
Get your metabolism working for you not against you by shifting the balance of macronutrient ratios AWAY from a carbohydrate dominant diet. Prioritise protein. De-emphasise carbs. Be 'friendly' with fat.
3. Build metabolically active tissue
Muscle tissue is your insurance policy. The more muscle you have the higher your resting metabolic rate, the more food you can eat, and the more carbohydrates your can store before risk of conversion to body fat. You'll also look better, feel better and perform better. Age like a boss.
4. Sleep More & Stress Less
Sounds simple but cannot be overstated. Inadequate sleep and chronic stress impact everything from the ease of fat storage, to blood glucose regulation, hunger hormone deregulation, cravings and inflammation.
The above tips are obviously just a simplified glimpse of the path to changing metabolic health for the better...but lets not over-complicate it too much either.
Focus on your 'why'. Get crystal clear on why this is a priority for you and commit to making small achievable changes - consistently.
Need more direction?
In addition to working 1:1 with people to turn their health around, I run a 30 Day program twice a year that gets people on the right path with this stuff - coincidentally called The Metabolic Reset.
It's a great way to start exploring the complexities of metabolism and which particular aspects of re-calibration might be most applicable to you as an individual. You might like to check it out!
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