Metabolic health is essential to living a long, healthy life where you feel good in your skin. Metabolic health encompasses everything from your age, sex, genes, exercise habits, sleep patterns, gut health, food choices, and mental health.
In her book, Good Energy, Casey Means, MD describes metabolic health as “the core underlying physiological function that, more than any other process in your body, determines your [predisposition] to great mental and physical health or to poor health and disease” Metabolism is the chemical reaction of turning food into energy (glucose) to fuel our cells, along with our ability to efficiently turn the stored fat into glucose as needed to fuel those cells. It is the power button of our bodies and allows us to do everything from walking to talking to thinking to resting.
Poor metabolic health interrupts this process when glucose levels spike due to the excessive fats that we introduce into our systems. When this happens continuously over time, the pancreas must create more insulin. When your muscles, fat and liver are constantly overstressed, we suffer from insulin resistance. It increases the risk of developing diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and organ damage, not to mention a host of other conditions such as Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disorders, erectile dysfunction and so much more.
Why Are We Concerned about Metabolic Health Now?
In Canada, nearly 1 in 5 people have metabolic syndrome and don’t even know it. Feelings of sluggishness, fatigue, or inability to lose weight are often attributed to by-products of a long day or not having time for yourself.
More recently, the pandemic highlighted more than ever how those who suffer from metabolic syndrome were at risk. With over 117 million infections and deaths from COVID-19, research studies determined many of these casualties were people with poor metabolic health.
People are paying closer attention to their health and taking a more hands on approach to healthy living. Instead of looking for a band-aid, people are asking the very important question “why do I feel this way?” and making changes in their lifestyle to fix it.
How to Measure our Metabolic Health and Metabolic Syndrome
There are five key criteria used to measure your metabolic health: blood pressure, blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), blood fat, and waist circumference. When these markers are optimal without the use of medication, you are in good metabolic health.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, poor metabolic health or metabolic syndrome occurs if you have three or more of the following criteria:
- Elevated blood sugar >100 mg/dL
- Low levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol that helps remove other forms of cholesterol from your bloodstream) >40 mg/dL in men; >50mg/dL in women
- High blood pressure >130 mmHg systolic (top number) and/or >than 85 mmHg diastolic (lower number)
- High blood fat (triglycerides) >150mg/dL
- Large waist circumference >40 inches in men; >35 inches in women
Strategies that Contribute to Good Metabolic Health
Genetics plays a part in determining your risk for developing certain conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol and unfortunately, you can’t change your DNA.
The good news is you can improve your metabolic health and prevent metabolic syndrome by implementing some changes in your daily lifestyle. Think of it as exercise for your metabolism.
Sleep
We live in a world that never closes and many people are consistently sleep deprived. You need a full seven to eight hours of sleep a night for optimal metabolic balance. The body needs proper sleep to heal and repair nightly. Naps, though refreshing, don’t count.
Sleep quality should also be uninterrupted. As The Health Insider wrote, “People with sleep apnea do not get good quality sleep since their body is constantly waking them up to re-engage their muscles to resume normal breathing.”
Curious to learn more? Read: The Hazard of Ignoring Sleep Apnea: How it Can Trigger Alzheimer’s
Creating a consistent bedtime/wake time routine is another important strategy for improving metabolic health. Set up a sleep schedule you can adhere to and make sure you turn off all devices an hour before going to bed.
Wearing a sleep tracker or smart watch is an easy way to ensure you are getting the sleep you require.
Reducing Stress
Life is stressful and how you manage this stress directly affects your metabolic health. When under stress, the body senses a threatening situation and releases cortisol. Prolonged stress and the constant increase in cortisol levels slows down the metabolism. This can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
Find time to meditate, practice mindfulness and deep breathing, take a walk in nature, participate in a yoga class, or turn off your phone — your metabolic health will thank you.
There are many free guided meditation apps available to help us relieve stress. Journaling is another useful tool to reduce stress.
Gut Health and Metabolic Syndrome
With how busy life has become coupled with the abundance of fast-food restaurants out there and grab-and-go snacks, eating well has become a challenge. Gut bacteria influence metabolism and overall health. When your gut microbiome is stressed, it impacts how your body turns food into energy.
A heart-healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, keeps your gut microbiome stress-free. It focuses on eating more whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, healthy fats, and lean meats. The key is to stay away from processed foods, red meat, and unhealthy fats.
Avoiding Environmental Toxins
Toxins are anything that negatively affect your health. From what you eat, to the air you breathe, to the products you lather on your skin, you are exposed to toxins every day. Environmental toxins, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), disrupt your body’s hormonal system and can eventually lead to metabolic syndrome in the future.
Try to avoid some common EDCs like parabens which are often found in hair products, BPAs in plastics, and heavy metals like copper.
Simple ways to limit your toxin exposure are:
- Use an air filter
- Use a water filter
- Minimize use of plastic containers/packaging (microplastics – drink tap water instead of bottled)
- Read labels and choose your personal care products carefully
Trying Intermittent Fasting for Metabolic Syndrome
Intermittent fasting divides the hours or days into times for eating and times for fasting. This could entail selecting specific days for fasting or eating only during a specific window every day (i.e. fasting for 18 hours, eating for 6). How you implement this is up to you and your lifestyle.
When you fast a metabolic switch happens, triggering the body to use energy from ketones, which are stored in fat, instead of glucose. This is known as ketogenesis. The National Institute on Aging says this process influences metabolic health and aging by increasing stress resistance and suppressing inflammation.
Lifestyle and Exercise
Maintaining a healthy weight and staying active is important. Exercising ensures that the five key criteria used to measure metabolic health are at healthy levels. Strength training, cardio, and HIIT training all contribute to lowering your risk of metabolic disease. Mobility and stretching keeps joints limber, which is important as we age.
Smart watches and trackers are a great way to set exercise goals and keep track of our movement. Some even keep track of our daily water consumption. A healthy body is a body that moves.
To understand more about your metabolic health, you can:
- Your doctor can order a basic metabolic panel or run individual blood tests such as glucose as part of a regular health exam. If you don’t have a family doctor, try visiting a walk-in clinic for a referral to a nearby lab.
- Naturopathic doctors can order a blood panel, however there is a cost for a visit (approximately $160 – $240). Some insurance providers cover naturopathic visits.
- At-home metabolism tests (costing around $100) provide a snapshot of how your body converts food to energy. These at-home tests are a great way to start understanding your metabolic health. However, they shouldn’t replace being seen by a medical practitioner if you are experiencing concerns.
- Smart devices and metabolic trackers (FitBit/apple watch) to track activity, sleep, heart rate.
Quickly check in with your metabolic health at this moment in time with Casey Means.
Metabolic syndrome plays an important role in longevity. Remember, maintaining good metabolic health requires effort and consistency. By implementing these strategies, you can improve your metabolic health and overall well-being by ensuring you create a healthy environment for your cells to fuel your body properly. When each cell is doing the job it is supposed to do, then the risk of developing metabolic diseases decreases.
The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
