Health

What is Metabolic Health? Why Your Metabolic Health Should Be Your New Obsession.

What Does it Mean to be Metabolically Unhealthy?

Are you metabolically healthy? Learn the five markers of metabolic health and see how you compare For far too long, society has put an emphasis on body weight as the marker of true health. If your weight is within a healthy range, then for all intents and purposes, a person is automatically healthy. As we veer away from the toxicity of diet culture and new data on metabolism and hormones have come to light, we as a collective have learned the error of our ways in years past and are emerging with a renewed focus on achieving true, whole-body health.

Enter the era of metabolic health. While a rising trend and the talk of many popular wellness podcasts, eating metabolically is a new lifestyle that is likely here to stay. But what is metabolic health and how do we achieve it? Let’s break down the five markers of metabolic health and the steps we can take so we can feel and look our best. 

What is Good Metabolic Health? 

We can’t completely rule out the number on the scale, however, as we know that obesity is linked to many serious health conditions. Still, it is only one of several data points that can lend insight to whole-body health and as our favorite 90’s magazines made abundantly clear, thin doesn’t equate to healthy. 

In short, metabolic health is the term used to describe how we generate and process energy in the body. Therefore metabolic health has less to do with the body fat scale and is more related to
consistently making choices that keep glucose levels in a stable and healthy range. Conversely, poor metabolic health can result in decreased brain function, lower energy levels, memory issues, mood swings, infertility, and increasing your risk of chronic diseases. Metabolic syndrome diseases include risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Moreover, there are is now related evidence that metabolically unhealthy people are at a higher risk to get severely ill when infected with viruses like the flu.

The Five Markers of Metabolic Health

To gain a clearer understanding of how you fare metabolically, you have to take a look at the bigger picture. To do that, healthcare providers typically look at 5 different markers which not only show the state of your current health but can be predictive of future health as well.

• Blood sugar levels
• Waist circumference
• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Triglycerides

When your levels for each of these five things are within the desired range, you are considered metabolically healthy. You feel good, you look good, and energy levels are stable. Because 4 of the 5 markers rely heavily on blood sugar levels, keeping your glucose levels in a healthy range is key. And with research pointing to a link between blood sugar imbalances and anxiety and depression, keeping blood sugar regulated is more important than ever.  

Improving Metabolic Health in 3 Months

Metabolic health, or getting your numbers in each of the five aforementioned categories, can be improved by consistently making healthier choices that keep glucose levels in a normal range and minimize blood sugar spikes. Other choices to improve metabolic health range from getting quality sleep, exercising regularly, managing stress effectively, and avoiding exposure to environmental toxins.

Focusing on improving overall health is also referred to as a 'metabolic reset.' Many tips include cutting sugar completely, eating high protein meals, eating mineral rich foods, and getting your body moving at lease 3-4 times a week. See our article on short exercise intervals.

If you’re constantly feeling run down, experiencing acne breakouts in your thirties, or you can’t get a good night’s sleep to save your life, it might be time to take a look at your metabolic markers. 

Achieve Metabolic Health at Any Age

Being at your best both physically and mentally isn’t a superpower, but it sure feels like one. Our 100+ marker diagnostic lab panel not only gives us a clear picture of your overall health and wellness but drills down into the nitty gritty so we can customize a proactive plan for optimization both physically and mentally. 

After you get your lab results, your virtual Blokes provider will guide you through all the recommended changes to get you back to feeling like Superman. It doesn’t get any easier than this. Contact us today for a free consultation and see which of our personalized treatment plans can help you get back to feeling like Superman.