Sue's metabolic health journey
Apr 02, 2023
I began my metabolic health journey by being curious about my bodies reactions to things like food choices, timing of food, my weight fluctuations, and exercise. What worked for me in the past wasn’t working now. So what’s the deal?
What we know, is our body isn’t as resilient as we age. So aging does affects us, along with our food and lifestyle choices.
In the early days, I used to have coffee and a plain bagel for breakfast (heaven forbid I put something on top of the bagel in the 80’s and the fat free crazy days)! Then of course within an hour or two I’m starving, so I grab another cup of coffee and a donut! As a fit pro back in the day, I could eat anything as long as it didn’t have fat in it.
Do you remember?
So what this did to my body was make it really good at using the sugar and simple carbohydrates I ate for fuel, and not great at using the fat. I then adopted the belief at the time that eating 4-6 mini meals a day to “keep your glucose and energy levels up” was best. Well now we know that was really bad advice, and set us all up for having metabolic inflexibility.
This left me running on a never ending treadmill of needing to constantly feed my body and never giving it time to rest and digest!
So what is metabolic health or metabolic flexibility?
Metabolic flexibility is our body’s ability to have real, sustainable energy. It means our body can efficiently and effectively switch between using carbs and fats for fuel based on availability and need.
Our body uses stored glucose known as glycogen for short quick bursts like running up the steps and fat stores known as ketones for longer activities like walking.
Normally, when we eat a balanced food plan, we burn a combination of fats and carbs to meet our body’s energy demands. Metabolic inflexible individuals are usually fueled mostly by glucose (sugar) and their bodies are not able to adequately tap into their fat stores and adapt to metabolic needs.
There are many factors that affect our metabolic health. Along with our lifestyle and our food, researchers believe our mitochondria number and function play a crucial role in determining metabolic flexibility.
Our mitochondria is in every cell in our body. Mitochondria, when functioning optimally, will produce ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), our energy source needed for all functions. But mitochondria can become unhealthy, even die off, leaving us with limited fuel sources and a condition called ICE or Insufficient Cellular Energy.
This can lead to metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dementia, and much more.
Every disease and almost all biological aging can be tied back to mitochondrial health.
What does this mean to you?
It can mean that you lack sufficient energy, have brain fog, have cravings and hunger, have difficulty managing your weight, and most importantly struggle to manage blood sugar levels.
What we know is that if you have unstable blood sugar, it may not show up on your lab work and can go on for decades before detected. This will lead to increased fat cells and accelerated aging!
What can you do to improve your mitochondria health and metabolic flexibility?
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Build healthy muscle - you can at any age! You know who can help you with that - ME!
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Food is medicine - food choices will either make you sick or make you well. The research shows you need ample protein, fat, and fiber for optimal blood sugar levels, carbs last.
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Meal spacing (what Ayurveda calls intermittent fasting) - research has shown that fasting between meals can support healthy glucose levels. This type of eating is very supportive to our mitochondrial health and metabolic flexibility for a balanced healthy state of sustained energy.
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Detoxing - periodic cleanses and detoxes can reset your system, allowing not only your digestion to reset but your metabolism to optimize your food for fuel and energy.
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Lastly, a simple act of taking a short walk (10 minutes) after dinner can greatly support your metabolic function. This walk is leisurely, not a power walk, which helps to keep you in a calm nervous system response, our “rest and digest” and help our body utilize the food we just ate properly.
Back to my story……
So I began researching ways to monitor my own glucose levels, as I became confused with what and how to eat. Morning protein smoothies weren’t working, exercise left me exhausted, good carbs made me crash…I needed a way to monitor my actions to determine what was happening in real time.
This is why I purchased a Continuous Glucose Monitor or CGM. This simple device attached to the back of my arm, hooked up the the app on my phone, allowed me to eat, exercise, walk after meals, to see what was happening.
I’ve been wearing it for 10 days, and I have learned so much already!
What I have learned to date –
First, everyone is an individual, so what works for me most likely may not work for you - which is why it’s so important to monitor your own behavior.
I learned I NEED protein at every meal, in the way of animal protein, not the protein in yogurt or cheese or beans. When I don’t have this, my glucose spikes way up, I get a warning from the app (what happened?), and I need to go for walk to move the needle down.
Walking after a meal really does move the number down to a more optimal range. Only 10-20 minutes is needed to make a huge impact.
I learned that heavy exercise on an empty stomach (something I used to do all the time) does not work. Post workout I am exhausted, have brain fog, and basically feel lousy. So now I eat, wait an hour or so, then exercise….and I keep my exercise at a moderate level.
I learned that I need to keep my muscle mass healthy, that I feel better when I strength train, not crazy hard workouts, but specific training as muscle is considered the organ of longevity. And it only takes 20-30 minutes, the long hour long workouts aren’t optimal for me (or for most people actually).
I learned I need supports for my body, like supplements that target metabolic health. It was a total coincidence that doTERRA (you know I love their products) released a new product line called MetaPWR. These products are designed to help you keep even glucose levels, decrease the acceleration of aging, improve sleep, brain fog, energy, and weight management.
I share my story with you because if you’re not feeling great, metabolic health may be a factor, and what you’re doing isn’t working. And if you don't figure it out now, it will be harder later on.
I share my story to connect….we know that we connect through our stories more than through information.
I’ll keep you posted on my journey. To date I feel so much better, have lost a few pounds, don’t have my huge mood swings, and have sustained energy and focus throughout the day!
Be well my friends ~ Namaste
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