Metabolic Health: Saboteurs and Saviors

I see you.

You’ve tried every diet and you’ve done everything right. You’ve read all the previous posts in this series looking for help. But you’re still cursing your metabolism. Why won’t it just do what you want it to do? Let’s discover some hidden blocks that may be stalling your progress.

Metabolic Saboteurs

Sleeplessness

Your late-night tossing and turning did more than make you cranky; our metabolism needs sleep. We digest meals, convert glucose into energy, and repair tissues while we slumber. There is a lot going on under the surface while you’re dreaming!

Lack of restful sleep disrupts metabolic processes, causing several health issues.

For example, studies have shown that poor sleep impairs insulin regulation, causing blood sugar levels to fluctuate and run high. Sleep deprivation also alters hunger hormones, making you snacky and prone to poor food choices.

Skimping on quality Zzz’s signals a state of stress and trauma; your body reacts by locking down fat stores. We often talk to frustrated women who can’t get their weight to budge. More often than not, they also report terrible sleep patterns. We have to break the hard news: if you’re losing sleep, you won’t lose weight.

Stress

When you experience stress (and who doesn’t?!), your body releases the hormone cortisol, which can raise blood sugar levels (your body thinks you need the energy to fight or run!). This increases insulin production and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic problems.

Stress can also lead to changes in appetite and food preferences. Who among us is not guilty of stressful eating?  Stress makes us seek sugary, fatty comfort foods which can lead to weight gain. Additionally, high stress levels can disrupt sleep, which…well you know. It’s a terrible cycle.

Chronic stress undermines even our best weight loss efforts. We discuss this in our programs and encourage techniques that work with the body, rather than against it. A weight loss regimen that stresses you out is simply counterproductive.

Toxins

If you’ve “tried everything” and the weight just won’t budge, don’t curse your slow metabolism. There’s a chance your body is clinging to that fat as a protective measure! Why would it do that?

Toxins. We live in a toxic environment of epic and unprecedented proportion. Chemicals and toxins constantly assault our bodies. What it can’t safely pass our body wraps in fat and stores as far away from our more vulnerable organs as it can. It locks it away in our fat for safety.

What’s more, toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates, mycotoxins and others can interfere with metabolic processes in the body. This can lead to weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Other issues follow. Toxins can disrupt hormonal balance and lead to insulin resistance, further impairing metabolism.

To make matters worse, hidden food sensitivities and infections can induce a toxic response in the body, inciting inflammation and a lock down on fat stores.

To maintain a healthy metabolism, reduce pollutants and promote the body's natural detoxification processes—sweat and elimination. Supporting your detoxification systems can help your body safely process any threatening substances.

We also use functional testing to identify toxins, foods, imbalances and infections that may be hijacking your metabolism.

Bonus: Age & Genetics

We’re lumping these two together because it’s tempting to think they are fixed and beyond your control.

It’s true, your metabolism tends to slow with age and there’s no turning the clock back.

Your age and genetic makeup influences your metabolism—how fast you burn calories, how you absorb nutrients, how you regulate hormones, and even appetite control. 

Knowing the risks associated with age and the tendencies your genetics dictate empower you to overcome obstacles and strike proactively.

 And here’s a hint: eating healthy, whole food and incorporating healthy movement goes a long way to compensating for any age or genetic disadvantages you have!

When working with a nutritional therapist (like us!), all these factors are considered and addressed in your personalized strategy.

We discussed some of the hidden factors working against you. How about some inside tricks to optimize your metabolism?

Spoiler alert: it isn’t a magic pill or a little-known berry from the Andes. It isn’t sitting in a hot box sweating or drinking an elixir of mushrooms.

Everyone seems to be selling the latest and greatest in metabolism boosters that burn, rev, jumpstart, ignite or otherwise make calories and muffin tops disappear. 

The reality is a lot less glamorous and blissfully undramatic. But these methods work.

Metabolic Saviors

Eat REAL food.

The secret code to health really isn’t found in high tech scientific formulations or cutting-edge culinary developments. It’s in the original recipe: food. Food your great great grandma would recognize. Foods with short ingredient lists that you can pronounce.

Whole foods have more essential nutrients in fewer calories than processed foods, meaning you can run your body efficiently without consuming excess that has to be shuttled to fat stores.

Additionally, real, whole foods aren’t processed with additives and chemicals that can interfere with the body's natural metabolic processes. A diet rich in wholesome foods also helps regulate blood sugar levels, further supporting a robust metabolism. Simply put, your metabolism LOVES real food.

Build Muscle.

We’re not talking Arnold level musculature. But most of us could stand a little more strength. Muscles boost metabolic health and minimize the incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and early mortality.

How? Well, muscles process lots of glucose.

 “Larger muscles process more glucose, and when you use your muscles, insulin sensitivity is increased through a cascade of events,” says Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, and metabolic expert.

Even just two strength-training sessions a week can help develop muscle and enhance disease prevention. Furthermore, the motion and sweat involved in exercise increases detoxification which we learned also helps us metabolize stored fat.

Strength training for the win!  (and a special shout out to my friend and exercise trainer, Patti who has preached strength training to me for over 20 years!)

Play Detective

Learn to decipher your body’s signals. What is it crying out for? Sort through your symptoms. Recognize your rhythms, your habits, your cravings.

When a new client comes to us, this is exactly what we do. We dive into the entire story of what got you to where you are now. Why is your metabolism sluggish? Why are the extra pounds so stubborn? Why is your energy crashing? What’s at the root of your issues?

Spend some time digging into this.

Your self-study can go even deeper thanks to modern technology. A Fit Bit or Apple watch can track your movement and sleep so you can watch for trends and measure goals. New trackers are emerging all the time.

There are also apps to help you track your food, a temporary practice often helpful to find patterns and nutrient deficiencies. You can now buy devices for home use that do everything from measure blood pressure to ketones to body fat percentage. It’s an exciting age to be a health detective!

What’s Next

These past 4 posts have been my best effort to arm you with education. You are in control of your body. You have the power to change course and chart a healthy one, no matter your age or stage.

I hope the one conclusion you can take from this series is that you can hack your own metabolism.

And I’m here to help.

To Your Health!