Have you ever heard the term “metabolic health” and wondered what it really means?

Since the concept of metabolic health is still pretty new, no official definition exists yet.
But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a unique understanding of it.

So what do experts say? 

Experts understand metabolic health as the absence of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, elevated lipids and blood glucose.
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.

When we look at the opposite, “metabolic unhealth” it becomes even more clear why we strive for metabolic health.
Some people’s bodies have more difficulties keeping their 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.

Moderate fluctuations in blood sugar, insulin and blood fat levels after eating are normal and are part of the way your body digests and responds to food.

An occasional spike in blood sugar or a blood fat level that has been elevated for a long time does not do much immediate harm. But over time, these events add up and cause an unhealthy metabolic response. 

Gradually, these unhealthy reactions to food can lead to chronic inflammation, arteriosclerosis, problems producing enough insulin, and possibly weight gain.

If your metabolism is not healthy, you are likely to experience major fluctuations in blood lipid, blood sugar, and insulin levels after eating, as well as diet-related inflammation.

This is not good for your health and increases your risk for metabolic syndrome and metabolic diseases.

To help you achieve your metabolic health, we think it’s necessary to explain a few more terms.
Let’s start with 

Metabolism is chemical processes in your body that make it possible to live, such as breaking down the foods and drinks into fuel for your body. 

When you have a healthy metabolism, your body is able to change the utilization of fuel sources, switching from fats to carbohydrates and vice versa. This is super helpful and necessary, so you don’t run out of energy when you’re not eating for some time. It also helps to perform exercise without eating a big portion of pasta every time before. 

This switching between energy resources brings up a new term. 

Metabolic flexibility describes how good your body is in switching between energy sources, and depends heavily on the availability of carbohydrates in our body. In short, a healthy metabolism is able to switch the fuel source from fat to carbohydrate while maintaining a perfect balance between glucose and fat storage and utilization.
The first signs that your metabolic flexibility is not ideal are energy slumps in the middle of the day, drowsiness after eating and the urge to snack right after the meal.

This is a delicate and well-coordinated process. Most of the time (with the exception of low and moderate exercise) your cells will prefer available carbohydrates (glucose) as its preferable fuel source. For example, between meals or at night, your cells start using fat as fuel because they perceive that no glucose is coming in, so they switch fuel sources. This is often referred to as fasting.
If you’ve ever used a continuous glucose monitor you may have noticed that your blood sugar levels stay pretty stable overnight  – even without eating. This is because your body switches its energy source to fat so that it doesn’t deplete the glucose stores fully. 

You may have guessed it, as with many things improving your health: Diet and exercise are key to improving your metabolic flexibility and metabolic health.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet, with little to no snacks is shown to be beneficial for your metabolic health. Additionally, we recommend choosing smart carbs over avoiding carbs. And besides all the healthy food, opt for daily movement. Ideally, you aim for a combination of different exercise intensities and strength training.

If you’re curious to see how metabolically flexible your body is, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help you look inside.

With Hello Inside, you’ll be able to see how balanced your blood sugar is, when you’re not eating. You may be surprised about the glucose spike after your breakfast. With our guidance we’ll help you to understand which foods work best for you, so you get a step closer to your metabolic health, and avoid all the unpleasant side effects of metabolic inflexibility such as afternoon slumps, weight gain, or cardiovascular diseases.