Making Sense Of Metabolic Health
A short but impactful guide to stay Insulin Sensitive.
It is not just about weight loss but about ideal body composition and long-term metabolic health.
As we get older, three things happen:
We lose muscle (3% a year)
Our metabolism slows down (one reason why we get fat)
We become insulin resistant (the cause of type 2 diabetes and multiple related diseases)
That combined with our unhealthy lifestyles constitutes the root cause of almost all chronic diseases - type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and thyroid issues. So, if you want to prevent the diseases mentioned above and enjoy a life of health and strength, you want to
Speed up your metabolism
Stay insulin sensitive
To do so, you need to become metabolically healthy.
What does it mean to be metabolically healthy?
Metabolic health is driven by body composition. It’s having enough lean mass and low enough fat mass so you can handle any incoming energy (macronutrients). If you eat fat you have plenty of room to store it in your fat cells. If you eat glucose you have plenty of room to store it in your skeletal muscle which is your main disposal site for glucose. Fat cells just suck the triglycerides right out of your bloodstream on the very first pass because they’re fairly small and your muscles just suck the glucose right out of your bloodstream because they are large and have plenty of storage space. In other words, you are insulin sensitive.
What’s the easiest way to measure metabolic health?
Waist-to-height ratio. Measure your waist circumference. Your waist circumference must be less than half your height. If your waist circumference is greater than half your height, you are overweight and insulin resistant. That could indicate metabolic syndrome and a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
How to stay metabolically healthy?
Avoid sugar, sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates, convenience foods and junk foods
Eat low-carbohydrate but high-protein animal-based foods
Do strength training Practice intermittent fasting
Get between 7 and 8 hours of good-quality sleep
Avoid chronic stress