What does metabolic health mean?
Have you ever heard the term"metabolic health" (aka metabolic health) and wondered what it actually means?
Because the concept of metabolic health is still fairly new, there is not yet an official definition.
However, this does not mean that there is not a separate understanding of it.
So what do the experts say?
Definition of metabolic health
Metabolic health is defined by experts as the absence of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, elevated blood lipids and blood sugar levels.
Simply put, metabolic health means your body can digest and absorb nutrients from food without unhealthy spikes in blood sugar, blood lipids, inflammation and insulin.
If we look at the opposite, "unhealthy metabolic function" or "metabolic unhealthiness," it becomes even clearer why we strive for healthy metabolism.
So when a body is metabolically unfit, it can show up in different reactions. Some people's bodies have more difficulty keeping blood glucose and insulin levels from spiking after eating, while others have high blood lipid levels for extended periods after eating. Other people have problems with both blood sugar and blood lipid levels.
Why is it important to have a healthy metabolism?
Moderate fluctuations in blood glucose, insulin, and blood fat levels after eating are normal and part of the way your body digests and responds to food.
An occasional spike in blood glucose or elevated blood lipid levels over time does no immediate harm. But over time, these events add up and cause an unhealthy metabolic response.
Gradually, these unhealthy responses to food can lead to chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, problems with insulin production, and possibly weight gain.
If your metabolism isn't healthy, you're likely to experience wild swings in blood lipid, blood sugar, and insulin levels, as well as diet-related inflammation after eating.
This is not good for your health and increases your risk for metabolic syndrome and metabolic diseases.
To help you achieve metabolic health, we want to explain a few more terms.
So let's start with metabolism.
Metabolism(also called metabolism)
Metabolism is a chemical process in your body that allows you to live, such as breaking down food and drink into fuel for your body.
With a healthy metabolism, the body is able to change the use of fuel sources and switch from fats to carbohydrates and vice versa. This is very helpful and necessary so that you don't run out of energy when you don't eat for a while. It also helps to exercise without eating a big portion of pasta every time beforehand.
This switching between energy resources gives rise to a new concept.
Metabolic flexibility
Metabolic flexibility describes how well your body is able to switch between energy sources and is highly dependent on the availability of carbohydrates in our bodies. In short, a healthy metabolism is able to switch fuel sources from fat to carbohydrates while maintaining a perfect balance between glucose and fat storage and utilization.
The first signs that metabolic flexibility is not ideal are energy slumps in the middle of the day, sleepiness after meals, and the urge to snack right after a meal.
How does our body choose its energy source?
This is a delicate and well-coordinated process. Most of the time (except during low and moderate exercise), your cells prefer available carbohydrates (glucose) as their preferred fuel source. Between meals or at night, for example, your cells begin to use fat as fuel because they realize that glucose is not being supplied, so they switch energy sources. This is often referred to as fasting.
If you've ever used a continuous glucose monitor, you may have noticed that your blood glucose levels remain fairly stable overnight - even without food. This is because your body switches its energy source to fat, so as not to completely empty the glucose stores.
How can you improve your metabolic health and flexibility?
You may have guessed it, as with many things that benefit your health: Diet and exercise are key to improving your metabolic flexibility and metabolic health.
A healthy, balanced diet with little to no snacks between meals has been shown to have a positive impact on your metabolism. We also recommend choosing healthy carbohydrates rather than avoiding them. And in addition to all that healthy eating, you should exercise daily. Ideally, you should rely on a combination of different exercise intensities and strength training.
If you want to know how flexible your body is in metabolism, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help you look inside your body.
With Hello Inside you can see how balanced your blood sugar is, even if you don't eat anything. You may be surprised at the blood sugar spike after your breakfast. We'll help you figure out which foods are best for you. That way, you'll be one step closer to your metabolic health and avoid all the unpleasant side effects of an unbalanced metabolism, like midday lows, weight gain, or cardiovascular disease. Are you ready?
