Understanding metabolism is crucial for all ages as most of us still think that this is related to weight loss and gain. An imbalance in metabolism leads to fatigue, weight problems, digestive trouble, and hormonal issues. It is incredible how many problems can be associated with metabolic chaos while we usually resort to looking at it as a weight-related problem.

Many people misunderstand the word metabolism because they think that it’s only related to:

·       weight loss or gain

·       body mass index

·       belly fat

·       menopause belly fat

But the truth is that the concept of metabolism and metabolic health is deeper and requires nuanced understanding.

Understanding metabolism becomes easy when we look at it like a combination of all the biochemical processes that occur in the body.

What we are talking about here is hormonal impact. So, when hormone combinations come together in the body and work to either create metabolic chaos or metabolic health, it reflects through metabolism.

A lot of the time when our metabolism is off, we can feel chaotic. We feel like nothing is changing or getting better. Metabolic health can be difficult to obtain, but holds the key to our quality of life.

What Do Hormones Have to Do with It?

Biochemical processes are combined to create metabolic health and reflect how insulin is being controlled and produced. Consider thyroid function, sex hormones, hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and growth hormones, all are correlated to the functioning of metabolism. All of our hormones come together to either create a level of synthesis or metabolic chaos. 

How metabolism works

While thyroid is an organ, it is responsible for the speed of our metabolism. It helps us process insulin, so it is an anchor for metabolism. We also know that thyroid is dependent on how our sex hormones are balancing the adrenal hormones.

Insulin resistance is when the cells of the body become numb to insulin. Insulin helps the body bring down blood sugar levels. When our body becomes numb to insulin, thyroid stops functioning appropriately, leading to a greater decline in our metabolic health. 

Metabolism is much more than regular belly fat or menopausal belly fat. It is a combination of hormonal synthesis and biochemical processes in the body that allow metabolism to function.

Metabolism has a downstream effect in regards to our health. We take in food as fuel and the fuel is broken down to create energy. When metabolism works properly, we have feelings of vitality and a better quality of life. These feelings include regular bowel movements, maintaining a healthy weight, urinating with ease, etc.

Exercise Smarter, Not Harder

Another important element associated with metabolism that gets overlooked is exercise. When we practice the right type of exercise for the body, we are able to channel better metabolism.

The popular philosophy of eating less and working out more works great for the male body, but it doesn’t work for women. This idea comes from conventional medicine which is based on men’s health. For this reason, women need to make sure that we’re looking at the nuanced parts associated only with women’s health. There are so many complexities to being a woman that plays out in every aspect of our health.

And it’s not that men aren’t complex, but we’re complex in a different way. We are so much more driven by our hormonal balances, and imbalances, that it plays a bigger role in our metabolic health over time.

Metabolism determines what our health is going to be in the future, as well as determining how we feel day to day. It also plays a role in how we’re going to age over the next several decades. It reflects what types of chronic diseases we may develop. Over time our tendency towards pre-diabetes or diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even cancer is all related to our metabolic health.

Right way to move the body

How we exercise has a big impact on whether we have metabolic health or metabolic chaos. So, as women we really need to befriend the type of exercise that works for us.

We need to hone the skill that mingles with us and fuels our energy levels. And if we’re pushing exercise because we think we have to do it, the process leads to fatigue. This is a sign that the type of exercise you choose isn’t the best for you.

Keep in mind that not all exercise is created equally. We need to find an exercise that is strengthening and muscle building while aiding the breakdown of excess fat.

Muscle building

We as a culture have put so much emphasis on fat being a problem that we haven’t put enough emphasis on muscle deficiency. Muscles are what we feed to use up the fuel we add to our body. So, if we don’t have muscles to feed it will create chaos in our metabolic health.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon constantly sheds light on muscle health. She explains how focusing on being stronger is much more important than being skinny. Also, how the opposite mindset has led to metabolic diseases in our culture. If someone is skinny, overweight, or obese that it has nothing to do with their metabolic health. A skinny person can have horrible metabolic health and vice versa.

Conclusion

After years of working with women of all different shapes and sizes I have learned that weight does not signify metabolic health. It is so much more to do with how much balance and strength the body has. Also, how the body can turn fuel into good metabolic health.Understanding metabolism has so many nuances that make it unique. And when we can tap into metabolic health through the right diet and exercise for our individual body, a spark is lit. If you are interested in learning how to light the spark of metabolic health, please reach out to us to learn about the monitoring we do at HerHeartCo. Please join our waitlist for our premier women’s health platform.