Is Your Metabolism Healthy? – Part I

So, I just finished reading the 85,200,000 results from Google on “metabolism” and this article is my synopsis. Seriously, over 85 million search results on the internet for this topic! That’s how important it is.  And let me tell you just how much conflicting evidence and opinions there are on this subject, which I imagine are at the heart of why so many people are confused and simply fed up about how to lose weight and what metabolism even is.

I have read some absolutely awesome articles rooted in science and real-life populations, and then some seriously horrific ones from people trying to sell fat loss products and other total gimmicks. Gotta love the internet.

• Part I – What is metabolism and why is it important?
• Part II – What does a healthy metabolism look like and The H2 Metabolic Reset Program.
• Part III – What is the healthiest way to lose fat FAST?
• Part IV – How to restore your health naturally,
  phase by phase.

If I were to write my personal story about metabolism, it would start like this…

Oh metabolism, where did I go wrong? I exercised my whole life, ate like an animal, looked like an animal, and now I find out you’re not as healthy as I thought you were….what is wrong with you, or me? Oh wait, what’s that you say? I wasn’t supposed to swim over 45 miles per week (yes I did) when I was young? And I wasn’t supposed to take so many antibiotics at such a young age that eventually ruined my ability to assimilate nutrients and kill bad bacteria? What do you mean the reason I got addicted to coffee was because I drained my adrenal glands from overtraining and stress?  Wait, no way! Doritos are bad and cause inflammation? Geez, why didn’t anyone tell me??

Now, it’s not like I’ve got serious health problems or anything. In fact I look and feel great 99% of the time; BUT what the future holds for my health is totally iffy based on some of my current health stats, such as low body temperature and low resting heart rate. Both of which are essential to optimum health and preventing disease, not to mention cold hands frequently and some other subtle symptoms that are signs of a low metabolism.

Ok, enough about me, let’s get down to business.

 What is Metabolism?

Here are some of the “definitions” I read;

• Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories)
  your body burns to maintain itself.
• Webster’s Dictionary: the sum of the processes in the buildup and
  destruction of protoplasm; specifically: the chemical changes in
  living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated.
• Metabolism is the physical process of changing the nutrients in food into the body’s cells and tissues and into energy.
• Wikipedia; Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in living organisms to maintain life. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories: Catabolism breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellularrespiration. Anabolism uses energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids.
• The chemical changes that take place in a cell or an organism
  that produce energy and basic materials needed for important life processes.

I like all of those, but let’s try to simplify and specify a little more, while keeping all of those in mind and just say that;

**METABOLISM
is the process by which your body creates and releases energy, and is best done when body temperature is between 97.8-98.6° F (armpit) and pulse rate is between 70-85 beats per minute.**

Why is a Healthy Metabolism Important?

There are plenty of reasons why a finely tuned metabolism is desirable, so I will just name a few. But take my word for it, good metabolism is quickly being recognized as an essential factor in optimal health and disease prevention.

Here are 10 reasons why you want your metabolism to rev like a Ferrari;

1. The human body gets energy and vitality from food through metabolism.
2. If metabolism is sluggish, then waste products and toxins build up and accelerate the aging process.
3. Without proper metabolism, the body cannot break down all of its food into nutrients and therefore ends up with deficiencies in mineral, vitamins and more, all of which lead to poor health and eventually disease.
4. An apt metabolism promotes healthy sleep quality, sex life, digestion, mood and attitude, blood sugar regulation, hypertension, skin health, hair quality, and many more desirable qualities in life.
5. A strong metabolism makes you virtually invincible to little things, such as changes in weather, being around sick people, travel, etc.
6.  Good metabolism keeps you at a healthy weight and fights or reduces obesity.
7. Boosting your metabolism can improve many diseases and dysfunctions you may already have, such as type II diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, hypothyroidism, and many more.
8. Healthy metabolism promotes a normal body temperature, which helps to fight off disease and infections.
9. A proper metabolism helps fight and prevent allergies and inflammation.
10. One of my favorite benefits of a good metabolism is the fact that you can eat a lot of good, healthy foods, maintain ideal body weight and energy, and not have to go hungry doing it.

PART II

 What does a Healthy Metabolism Look Like and How do I Increase or Decrease it?

Here is a sneak preview at some of the things you will learn from the next article….

• Proteins have important enzymes that are catalysts for your metabolism, and eating too little protein is one of the most common mistakes I see with people trying to lose weight or just be healthy.
• Fructose(which is in fruits, table sugar, agave, sweeteners, sodas, Vitamin Water,etc.) inhibits the hormone leptin, which tells your brain that you are full, and therefore makes you eat more than you need. Fructose also promotes fat synthesis and storage, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, all of which are characteristic of a condition known as metabolic syndrome. This does not mean that you shouldn’t eat fruit, but it does mean if your body is not balanced and you are trying to boost your metabolism, then fruit should not be a main ingredient in your diet. Once you are more balanced you can tolerate more fruit.
• Chronic inflammation in the body is considered one of the main causes of leptin resistance, which leads to excessive eating and fat storage, and to make things worse, being overweight has a chronic inflammation effect in the body ( I will explain all of this in Part II; hint, it happens in the brain.)
• Since chronic inflammation causes an increase in appetite and fat storage, it makes sense to believe that prolonged eating of ANY type of foods that create inflammation will cause obesity and many degenerative diseases. This also points to the treatment of inflammation as being a great start for obesity control and weight loss goals.
• The adrenal glands can be our friend, until we act like warriors living in a constant state of fight or flight or trauma occurs, i.e. stress, drugs, excessive exercise, emotional trauma, toxins, infections, excessive caffeine, poor sleep patterns, etc. Normally, the adrenal glands release cortisol to help regulate inflammation, blood sugar and metabolism. But ironically, when levels of cortisol are chronically elevated (warrior mode), it has an opposite and harmful effect, such as suppressed immune system and metabolism, along with increased inflammation and fatigue to name a few.
• Extensive endurance/fitness training tends to decrease metabolism, and therefore health, while resistance and interval training increase it.
• Hypothyroidism is essentially a slow metabolism with a long list of un-fun symptoms. Often times changing your diet and stress (emotional and physical) habits can lead your body back to homeostasis and health.
• There are a few foods that most of us have been told to avoid which actually help boost our metabolism and prevent diseases. I will explain them in detail in Part II.