The good news and the bad news
In the previous articles we have learned the basics of metabolism and what happens when metabolic health starts breaking. In this article we'll discuss how you can improve your own metabolic health. Before I dispense that advice, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the steps required to improve your metabolic health are surprisingly simple. The bad news is that a big challenge lies in committing to it and following through.
Here's what you can do
Without further a do, here's the magic formula:
1. Learn about your personal glucose response to foods by wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Seeing the data with your own eyes can make a huge difference.
2. Get yourself tested. You could undergo a DEXA scan to learn about your body composition and take a simple lab test with fasting insulin measurement and calculation of the HOMAR, or a slightly more complex oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with glucose + insulin measurements to evaluate your insulin sensitivity. An ultrasound of your liver could be used to assess whether you have MASLD.
3. Avoid processed foods and search out whole foods instead. Cut down in carbohydrate rich foods (avoid too much fructose especially) and replace them with foods rich in healthy fats, proteins and/or more complex carbohydrates (with high fibre content).
4. Introduce longer periods of not eating. You can try out a fasting protocol like intermittent fasting or prolonged fasting to see if this works for you.
5. Start exercising (more). Exercising increases your basal metabolic rate, even after your exercise, which means you'll burn more calories with a short time investment. Furthermore, exercise (especially strength training) creates more muscle mass which acts as a sink for your blood glucose, and increases insulin sensitivity. To be honest, you really can't afford not to exercise. In my opinion a hybrid training protocol, combining aerobic exercise with strength training is optimal.
6. Make sure you get sufficient (7-9 hours) of high quality sleep. Sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance, makes you crave unhealthy food choices and robs you of your motivation to exercise.
7. Reduce stress! Chronic stress results in elevated blood cortisol levels, which inhibits lipolysis. That means you can't burn fat. Breathing exercises, meditation and/or yoga should be part of your daily routine to combat stress.
You can do it!
It's certainly doable, but it can be tough to do this all on your own. I am building out Metaboliq to help guide you through the process. Once you are well underway, you will see that it's much more pleasant to eat healthy and be active.
If you have any questions, reach out to me through the contact form.
