5 Top Tips to Makeover Your Metabolism

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Metabolism is the process that turns the food you eat into fuel and powers everything you do. Boosting metabolism and cranking up your body’s fat-burning power is a primary goal of weight loss. But metabolism also controls all the chemical processes that keep you alive, including breathing, digestion, immune function, and cellular growth and repair. Therefore, a metabolic tune-up can improve overall function of pretty much every body system. Check out these 5 tips to makeover your metabolism.

What is Metabolic Disease?

A metabolic disorder occurs when abnormal chemical reactions in your body disrupt metabolism, resulting in either too much or too little of essential substances needed to stay healthy. This can lead to a slew of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, stroke, neurological disorders, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, thyroid dysfunction, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), infertility, Cushing’s disease, cancer, fatty liver disease, arthritis, chronic pain and more.

Some early signs you may have a metabolic disorder include:

  • Excess body fat, especially in the abdominal area.
  • Low body temperature or cold hands and feet
  • Food intolerances
  • Food cravings (especially sugar)
  • Sleep problems
  • Mood swings and brain fog
  • Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight
  • Excess belly fat
  • Frequent headaches
  • Hair loss or irregular hair growth
  • Skin problems
  • Excessive thirst

Prevention and Treatment

While conventional medicines offer some help to regulate symptoms of metabolic disease, they come with a slew of side effects. Most allopathic methods treat symptoms and do little to address the underlying causes of metabolic dysfunction. Through positive lifestyle modifications, you have the power to reduce your risk and treat metabolic disorders.

5 Top Tips to Makeover Your Metabolism

1. Improve Your Diet

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is high in fat, sugar, sodium, and ultra-processed foods. Aptly named, the SAD diet leads to insulin resistance, a large waistline, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (the good kind), high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Each of these contributes to metabolic syndrome. 

Adopt a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit intake of animal products, and opt for lean meats, skinless poultry and fish. Avoid processed foods, which are often high in saturated and trans fats, sodium and sugar.

Certain lifestyle diets can really help decrease the risk of metabolic disease.

2. Increase Physical Activity

Exercise is a key component of energy expenditure and balance. Physical activity also encourages healthy cells and slows aging by increasing the production of new tissues. 

The following guidelines are a great place to start when adopting a new exercise regime:

  • If you sit for prolonged periods of the day, set a timer and make sure to get up and move around for a few minutes every hour. Even just several 20-second bursts of micro exercise several times a day can improve metabolism.
  • Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate – vigorous intensity physical activity.
  • Brisk walking (3 mph or faster) is an example of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, but any activity that raises your heart rate is beneficial.

3. Minimize Stress

Stress takes its toll on your organs and inevitably slows metabolism. Both physical and emotional stress cause your body to release specific hormones. These hormones can alter metabolism and even break down muscle. Adopt a routine that includes practices to reduce your stress, such as journaling, meditation, exercise, time outdoors, and time with loved ones. Reducing stress is one of the easiest ways to makeover your metabolism, often with immediate results.

4. Get Quality Sleep

Lack of sleep has a range of short-term and long-term effects on our health and mental and physical performance. Because your body needs adequate rest to perform literally every metabolic and physical activity, it’s no wonder that so many things start to fall apart with prolonged exhaustion.

Poor sleep quality is a risk factor for the development of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. Click to learn more about The Importance of Sleep and How to Get More of it.

5. Give Up Bad Habits

Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death and illness in the United States. It dramatically increases your risk of heart disease and harms literally every organ in your body. If you smoke, stopping is the single best thing you can do for your body.

Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and liver disease. While low-to-moderate alcohol consumption may actually have a beneficial role in health, excessive intake poses many risks. 

Save the Date!

Do you ever feel like you just can’t get a handle on frequent health issues? Do you eat well, exercise, and take good care of yourself only to fall short of meeting your wellness goals?

The Metabolic Makeover Summit will address these concerns and more! Save the date for this free summit: August 30 – September 5, 2021.

You’ll learn how metabolic health plays a role in the function of every body system and process. During this 5-day summit, you’ll gain valuable knowledge from a panel of expert speakers:

  • Origins of metabolic disease
  • Managing toxin exposure and detoxification
  • How metabolic disease manifests in different body systems
  • How daily activities like diet, exercise, sleep, stress relief, etc. can prevent metabolic disease
  • Putting ideas into action to prevent disease daily

Join the email list to make sure you receive notification about when event registration opens!

Metabolic Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

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Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating trend that has once again gained popularity after being studied for its health benefits. Some people choose to fast for religious or spiritual reasons, and in fact can feel more natural than traditional eating practices. Compelling evidence on the health benefits of intermittent fasting reveals that fasting may be a viable option to help regulate metabolism and prevent and treat a variety of health concerns.

Intermittent fasting, or periods of voluntary abstinence from food and drink, guides your focus to when you’re eating as opposed to what you’re eating. A fast can vary in length, depending on your goals.

Types of Intermittent Fasting

  • Time restrictive eating. This method aims to align eating patterns with the natural circadian rhythm. In this method (16:8), you would fast for 16 hours, and eat over the course of eight. This is often the most sustainable way to practice fasting, and is definitely the most popular option.
  • Whole-day fasting. You may have heard of this as the 5:2 diet, where you eat your regular portions and at your regular times for five days, and then fast for two full 24-hour periods each week.
  • Alternate day fasting. This is the strictest form of fasting because you only eat every other day. 24 hours of eating is followed by 24 hours of fasting.

What happens during fasting phases? 

After hours without food, your body begins to run out of sugar to use for energy to keep you going. At this point, your body will look to other sources for energy and begin burning fat. Some refer to this change from using glucose as energy to using fatty acids for energy as metabolic switching.

Intermittent fasting induces a temporary ketogenic state. This promotes weight loss, as processing ketones requires greater energy. Intermittent fasting contains elements of the ketogenic diet, benefitting from increased fat metabolism, but it may actually be more beneficial than the ketogenic diet. The typical keto diet involves high consumption of animal fats, which is associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

By prolonging the fasting period, your body switches to fat burning more quickly. When choosing the right fast for you, you want to make sure your preferred method will fit into your lifestyle and daily routine. The key to any ‘diet’ is consistency, so be sure to choose a method to which you can adhere for an extended period of time. 

Metabolic Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

During periods of fasting, several things happen in your body. For example, your body initiates cellular repair processes and alters hormone levels to release body fat. Giving your body a rest from calorie intake helps regulate metabolism in the following ways.

Reduce Insulin Resistance

Intermittent fasting has promising value for people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetics. Studies show that IF helps decrease glucose levels in the blood and insulin resistance. For those with diabetes, IF may even eliminate the need for insulin.

Weight Loss

Many people adapt intermittent fasting for weight loss benefits. It works not only because of lowered calorie intake, but also because of hormonal changes that take place during IF. Fasting enhances the production of human growth hormone, which facilitates fat burning and muscle gain.

Lower insulin levels and higher growth hormone levels increase the breakdown of body fat. In this way, short-term fasting actually increases metabolic rate, helping you burn even more calories. Importantly, intermittent fasting increases the loss of belly fat, which plays a role in the risk of metabolic disease.

Decrease Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress contributes to premature aging and many chronic diseases. Free radical damage to cells like protein and DNA can lead to cancer and other diseases. Oxidation also causes widespread inflammation in the body, as an immune system response to the damage.

Studies show that intermittent fasting helps protect against oxidative stress on the body and decreases the immune system’s inflammatory response. Other studies show that cellular repair is improved during fasting periods, thereby further protecting the body from the effects of cellular damage.

Sleep Better

A shortened eating window helps to regulate the natural circadian rhythm. Most people who fast stop eating earlier in the evening. Late dinners cause higher glucose levels than daytime meals, increasing the risk of diabetes and disrupting sleep. Nighttime eating decreases both quality and quantity of sleep.

Quality sleep does more than just help us feel good and function more effectively during the day. Adequate sleep duration and quality is also important for the normal functioning of daily metabolic and hormonal processes and appetite regulation.

Improve Heart Health

Studies show that intermittent fasting improves numerous cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Even after a cardiovascular event, intermittent fasting may confer cardiac protection. People who engage in IF post-heart attack have a lower risk for coronary heart disease.

The Bottom Line

Given the known benefits for metabolism and other health markers, intermittent fasting is a viable method for weight loss, managing blood glucose, and preventing metabolic disease.

As with any lifestyle change, it’s always a good idea to consult with a physician. IF may not be recommended for children under 18, women who are pregnant or nursing, or people with a history of eating disorders. Listen to your body, and remember that change does not happen overnight. It takes consistency and trial and error to figure out what is going to work best for your own body.

Natural Solutions for Heavy Periods

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Picture this: You’re sitting at your desk quietly working, when suddenly you feel the dreaded GUSH. You rush to the bathroom as quickly and discreetly as possible. By the time you get to the restroom, you have soaked through your panties. You’re bleeding so heavily that you can’t leave the bathroom. This is just the beginning of your period, and in the days ahead, you’ll soak through a slew of feminine products in no time and potentially ruin several pairs of pants in the process. If this sounds like you, come learn some natural solutions for heavy periods.

What is Normal?

If you’ve always had lengthy, heavy bleeding, you may not know what a normal period is even supposed to look like. A normal period occurs approximately every 28 days and lasts 3-7 days. Normal menstrual flow of blood is bright red without discoloration or clots.

The average flow rate is anywhere up to 80 mL over the duration of your period. (One soaked regular pad or tampon holds 5 mL, while a super tampon holds 10 mL. So a normal flow would mean 8-16 soaked tampons over the course of your period.) If you suffer from a heavy flow, I know you just rolled your eyes as you read that. And for those of you who, like me, do not use tampons, kudos to you. If you wear Thinx period undies, you should be able to get by with one pair a day during most of your period. You may need two pairs on the heaviest days, but if you need to change more often, you probably have an unusually heavy flow.

Causes of Heavy Menstrual Periods

Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding. The reasons behind abnormal periods vary from hormonal to emotional to energetic. Let’s have a look at some explanations and possible solutions.

The Allopathic Answer

Western practitioners’ first line of defense is typically medications that treat symptoms or help regulate the menstrual cycle. Often, underlying disorders go undiagnosed or under-treated. Many gynecologists even tell patients that their irregular periods, including extreme PMS and a heavy flow, are normal. 

If you’ve visited your OBGYN about your heavy periods, chances are you’ve heard one or more of the following likely explanations.

  • Hormone imbalance, specifically between estrogen and progesterone, can cause an excessive development of the endometrium, resulting in a heavy flow. A number of conditions can cause hormone imbalances, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, insulin resistance and thyroid problems.
  • Uterine fibroids or polyps
  • Endometriosis
  • Uterine or cervical cancer
  • Bleeding disorders
  • Intrauterine devices (IUD) is a non-hormonal birth control device with a well-known side effect of menorrhagia.
  • Medications such as anti-inflammatories, hormone replacement therapy, and anticoagulants, can contribute to heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
  • Other medical conditions, such as liver or kidney disease, may be associated with menorrhagia.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Answer

Ancient medicine practices use a more holistic approach. Traditional Chinese Medicine seeks to re-balance organ systems and remove blockages causing symptoms. These practices address deficiencies among the body’s delicate interrelationships to restore proper function. According to TCM, energy stagnation may be the root cause of menorrhagia.

  • Blood stagnation: In Chinese medicine, Qi is the vital life force responsible for the flow of energy in our bodies. It is the source of all movement of the body: ascending, descending, entering and leaving. Stagnated blood causes a blockage of this flow. This results in cramping, blood clots, and irregular bleeding.
  • An imbalance in the liver: The liver is responsible for the flow of blood throughout the body. Liver Qi moves blood and must be balanced for regular menstruation to occur. Clotting factors produced in the liver are critical for normal blood clotting, and a disturbance in them can result in heavy bleeding. Additionally, a liver issue can cause an accumulation of histamine in the body. This makes the womb more leaky, thereby increasing the flow of blood and fluid.
  • Energetic imbalance: The ancient Chinese developed the Five Element Theory to understand the various energetic cycles and how we can apply it to achieve optimum health.
    • The Wood element corresponds to the function of the liver and affects menstruation. An excess of the Wood element produces a heavy flow. Incidentally, this element is also responsible for many period complaints (moodiness, irritability, depression, anger, gas, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, cramps, breast tenderness).
    • The Earth Element corresponds to the secretory stage of the cycle just before your period. A deficiency of this element can also cause heavy prolonged periods, as well as bloating, fatigue, and food cravings.

The Role of Stress

The HPA axis coordinates our body’s stress response. This involves a series of events that signal the adrenals to secrete hormones like epinephrine and cortisol in response to stressors. However, prolonged or chronic stress disrupts this pattern, resulting in adrenal hormone dysfunction.

Prolonged elevated cortisol levels brought on by stress suppress the secretion of several hormones that play a role in the menstrual cycle. Among these, GnRH, FSH and LH signal the ovaries to decrease their production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. This can disrupt ovulation and the entire menstrual cycle. To learn more, come check out this post about Adrenal Overdrive.

Natural Solutions for Heavy Periods

Okay, so now that you have an idea of some of the likely causes of your heavy periods, it’s time to do something about it.

Reduce Stress

Let’s start with the most basic solution. Guys, stress not only affects your period, but also literally every body system. But telling you to simply stress less seems a bit unrealistic. Stress is a normal expected part of our lives. So instead of trying to avoid stress altogether, look at ways you can manage your stress and help your body cope. These methods can help change the physiological response to stress and limit its effects.

Let’s get one thing straight. Self care is not selfish. Taking time to decrease your stress symptoms is vital to your health and happiness. This makes you a better employee, parent, friend, spouse, and person in general. So here are some of my favorite ways to manage my stress load.

  • Meditation: Deep physical, mental, and emotional relaxation produces a state of inner awareness and releases stress, muscle tension, and anxiety. In fact, studies show the regular practice of yoga nidra meditation effectively reduces both cognitive and physiological symptoms of anxiety. Learn more about Yoga nidra here.
  • Yoga combines intentional movement, deep breathing, and mental imagery. Studies show that practicing yoga as little as once a week can significantly decrease stress and anxiety.
  • Exercise: Other forms of exercise promote the release of endorphins and can help release stress.
  • Reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.
  • Vacate: Though it may seem like a luxury, a day off from work may be the medicine you need. Take time away from work (home and career) to simply enjoy friends, family and down time.
  • Nutritional supplements: Many essential oils and nutritional supplements can relieve stress and help your body cope. Check out this post: Nutraceuticals for Stress and Anxiety.

Balance Your Energies

Not surprisingly, stress plays a major role in creating imbalances in our bodies energy. In fact, it is the number one contributor to an imbalance of the Wood element. The typical overly-connected, busy, scheduled lifestyle coupled with relationship and work stress can quickly throw us out of balance. The answer? Find ways to release that stress. (Are you getting the message here?)

In addition to reducing and managing stress, other strategies can help restore harmony to your energies.

  • Spend time outdoors, particularly “earthing”, or walking barefooted outside
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Detoxify the body
  • Stretch
  • Get adequate sleep
  • Limit the use of electronics as much as possible
  • Breathe deeply
  • Practice regular gratitude (Get a free Gratitude Journal here!)
  • Anger is also a pretty big culprit when it comes to an imbalance of the Wood element. Practice the deliberate release of anger and extending forgiveness.
  • Try acupuncture.

In addition to the habits listed above, certain dietary modifications can help heal stagnant Liver Qi. Changing your diet may be one of the simplest natural solutions for heavy periods.

Foods to Avoid

  • Foods high in saturated fat
  • Processed foods
  • Excessive nuts/seeds
  • Alcohol and other intoxicants
  • Hot peppers

Foods to Enjoy

  • Pungent foods, spices, and herbs, such as onions, turmeric, basil, fennel, black pepper, ginger, rosemary, mint, etc.
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables; especially beets, strawberries, peaches, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts
  • Complex carbohydrates, like legumes and whole grains
  • Warming sweeteners, such as honey, stevia, molasses, and rice syrup
  • Bitter and sour foods, especially unrefined apple cider vinegar
  • Detoxifying foods: mung beans, celery, kelp, lettuce, cucumber, etc.

For an extensive look at balancing the body’s energetic elements, check out Healing with Whole Foods.

Let it Flow

Did you know that using tampons can actually block the flow of your period and actually cause it to last longer? Free bleeding, or allowing your period blood to flow unrestricted, can reduce many discomforts. Women who free bleed claim their periods are markedly shorter and often lighter over time. They also report less period pain and cramping.

If the idea of free bleeding is new to you, I encourage you to give it a try during your next cycle. You’ll be surprised at how natural it feels. I was a skeptic at first, but I am totally in favor of free bleeding now. You can read about my first experience here.

Ready to give free bleeding a try as a means to shorter, less painful periods? Come try Thinx period underwear. They are totally comfortable and completely sanitary. (I promise!) With a multitude of styles and absorbencies, it’s easy to find the perfect fit for every person. Plus, you’ve got nothing to lose with Thinx’s 60-day money back guarantee. Snag your first pair with this $10 off coupon.

The Low Down on Spray Supplements

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Many people turn to nutritional supplements to fill in nutritional gaps in their diet or to address specific health needs. But this can mean swallowing handfuls of pills with little guarantee that your body actually absorbs and utilizes the vitamins, minerals, and herbs in them. Fortunately, a growing number of brands are making it easier to swallow your daily supplements…by eliminating the swallowing part altogether. Spray supplements (or buccal sprays) are a convenient, and possibly more effective, way to take your daily vitamins.

Benefits of Spray Supplements

Better Absorption

Bioavailability refers to the percentage of a substance that absorbs into the bloodstream. A huge benefit to sprayable supplements is that they actually tend to be more bioavailable than oral tablets and capsules. This is because a swallowed pill first passes through the harsh environment of the stomach and must be metabolized through the liver or kidneys. Stomach acid can destroy a portion of the nutrients in supplements, and any toxic build up in the liver also impedes absorption.

When you use a buccal spray, it gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the vascular tissue in your mouth. The result is your body absorbs the substance faster and more efficiently.

Easier to Take

Say goodbye to capsules lodged in your throat and vitamin burps. Sprayable supplements could increase regular usage and make taking your supplements a more pleasant experience. With young children, the elderly, and others who struggle to swallow pills, a spray option may be the only way to administer certain supplements effectively.

Cleaner Ingredients

Capsules and tablets usually contain fillers, binding agents, and artificial coloring, as well as gelatin and the other ingredients that make up the capsule itself. Most spray supplements contain fewer and cleaner ingredients that include the vitamin, water, and natural flavoring. (However, some do contain artificial flavors and questionable preservatives, so be sure to check the label.)

Easier on the Stomach

Many people also avoid taking supplements because they tend to upset their stomach. Buccal sprays bypass the stomach for better absorption without the worry of stomach discomfort.

The Bottom Line

Whatever method you choose to get your vital nutrients, just make sure you get them. The standard American diet leaves numerous nutritional gaps, and many people are deficient in more than one essential nutrient. Whether you choose a spray, tablet, capsule, liquid, or powder, do your research and select quality products with effective delivery.

Want to check out some of my favorite spray supplements? Head here and go to the shop.