7 STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR METABOLIC HEALTH
TRANSCRIPT
Metabolically, the vast majority of people are not in good shape. Only approximately 12% of the population is considered metabolically healthy. This recent pandemic is just further proof that this is important and we need to take it seriously.
Having poor metabolic health leaves us susceptible to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, dementia and Alzheimer’s, and even certain types of cancer.
Metabolic syndrome is the official diagnosis for poor metabolic health and in order to be diagnosed you just have to have 3 of the following symptoms.
Excess body fat around the waist
High blood pressure
High blood sugar
High triglycerides
Low HDL
In today’s video, I’m going to share 7 simple things you can do right away to begin to improve your metabolic health.
Hi and welcome to my channel. I’m Ginger, a holistic nutrition coach and I focus on how to improve metabolic health, and reverse insulin resistance using the power of a healthy whole-food diet. If this is a subject you’re interested in be sure and hit subscribe so you won’t miss upcoming videos!
Another term for metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance happens when we eat a diet with too many sugary, processed, or starchy foods. Eating this way leads to fluctuations in blood glucose throughout the day. Every time your blood glucose goes up, your pancreas releases insulin whose job it is to lower blood sugar back down. Over time, as you continue to eat this way, your body has to pump out more and more insulin to try and take care of the circulating glucose. Just as your body can become resistant to a medication, you can also become resistant to insulin and this is how insulin resistance happens. This leads to a vicious cycle because your body’s response is to pump out more and more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas gets worn out and slows down on insulin production and this is when you’ll start seeing your blood sugar numbers go up on your blood work and this is one step away from a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Let’s look at 8 different things you can do to start improving your metabolic health today.
Drink apple cider vinegar before your meal. Mix 1 tbsp with a tall glass of water and drink it for up to 30 minutes before you eat. This works because the vinegar allows the muscles to readily absorb the glucose in your meal.
Get some movement within 90 minutes of finishing your meal. It doesn’t matter what you do, but try and move your body for at least 15 minutes. Go for a walk, dance around the kitchen, and even vacuum the house. This encourages your muscles to use up the energy from your meal without a need for insulin.
Next is to change the order you eat your food. Here’s the order. You want to start your meal with the fiber of the vegetable kind. Follow that with your protein and fat, and finish off your meal with anything starchy or sweet. This includes root vegetables, grains, fruit, and any kind of dessert you have. This has been shown to be incredibly impactful in flattening the glucose curve. The body doesn’t digest fiber, so it travels through the system relatively unchanged. Eating it first creates a nice thick mesh where the stomach meets the small intestines and slows down the digestion of everything that follows.
Start your morning right with protein and veggies and leave out typical high-carb breakfast favorites. This includes cereal, toast, oatmeal, pastries, and fruit juice. Starting out your day with any of these popular options will immediately spike your blood sugar level to scary heights, and this is for everyone, not just diabetics. Not only is this terrible for your metabolic health, but it’s also terrible for how you’ll feel all day long. That spike first thing in the morning will lead to a crash. You’re going to be tired, you’re going to be hungry and your mood will be all over the place. And it’s hard to get off that train when you start your day that way. Instead, focus on eating a breakfast of healthy protein and fat such as bacon and eggs.
Never eat your carbs alone! Carbs on their own very quickly spike blood sugar causing that rush of insulin. However, if you combine fiber, fat, or protein with your carbs, you flatten out that curve. Your blood sugar will still go up, but it will go up slower and it won’t spike. A couple of good examples would be having avocado with your toast, having a handful of nuts with a pastry, or try some nut butter on an apple.
Incorporate a practice of intermittent fasting. We tend to eat not only too much, but we also eat too often and for too many hours during the day. Shortening your eating window is an incredibly powerful way to improve your metabolic health. If you’re not eating, you’re not spiking your blood sugar and there is no reason for insulin. This one can feel scary when you get started, so go gentle if this is new to you. Start with 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, when that feels easy, try going 14 then 16, and maybe even up to 18 hours.
And my final tip for improving metabolic health is to eat a low-carb diet, such as the keto diet. This is the ultimate tip as minimizing the carbs altogether means no glucose spikes which then keeps insulin low all the time.
If you really want to supercharge your metabolic health and have the biggest impact, combine the last two, eat a low-carb diet, and add in some intermittent fasting. You will be surprised how quickly your metabolic health improves and you’ll not only start seeing it in your blood work but you’ll feel it in your day-to-day life.
Ok, let’s recap:
Drink apple cider vinegar before your meals
Get some sort of movement following your meals
Change the order you eat, start with fiber, follow with fat and protein, and end with starchy and sweet foods
Avoid carbs in the morning and instead, focus on protein and fat
Never eat your carbs alone
Incorporate a practice of intermittent fasting
Eat a low-carb diet
Ok, that’s what I have for you today. If you know anyone who needs this information, please share, and thanks again for checking out my channel.
Ready to give intermittent fasting a try? Download my free guide for my best tips to get the most out of your fast! 👇🏻
If you’d like to give the keto diet a try, download my free ebook and get my best tips for getting the most out of a ketogenic lifestyle! 👇🏻