Why your 2021 health goal should include ‘Metabolic Flexibility’
Weekly health insights, trends and information
For health, diet, and fitness information delivered to your inbox, hit the subscribe button.
Metabolic Flexibility is a term used to describe our body’s ability to utilize various food sources for energy. This approach to health and wellness frees us from the constraints of strict diet protocols. If you are seeking long-term health, becoming Metabolically Flexible should be your number one priority.
Metabolic Flexibility is not an overnight change and will typically take an individual anywhere from 2-4 weeks. For this adaptation to occur, you will need to make specific dietary changes. These initial changes are necessary for the body to activate its ability to become Metabolically Flexible.
Here are three tips on how to begin:
Start a time-restricted eating protocol (Intermittent Fasting).
Most people are good with a 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating period. You might need to tweak the hours to fit your schedule. I recommend a minimum of a 12 hour fast to start unlocking the benefits.
Adopt a ketogenic, animal-based, or carnivore diet.
These dietary approaches will give your body rest from carbohydrate digestion and subsequent insulin responses. When our bodies begin combusting fat as a fuel source instead of glucose, we activate hundreds of dormant enzymes. These enzymes come alive and instantly start enhancing the mitochondria in our cells through mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial efficiency.
Eat fewer carbohydrates.
A critical step for the body to reach Metabolic Flexibility is limiting carbohydrates in your diet. Your body cannot even begin to combust stored fat, dietary fat, and glycogen (stored sugar) when glucose is the constant source of energy. Our bodies are not designed to rely on carbohydrates for energy. Our carbohydrate dependency is a product of the broken food system. Don’t be a victim to it.
Implementing the above steps is a sure-fire way to long-lasting health and unlocking Metabolic Flexibility within the body. After you have stuck with the above protocol for a while, start experimenting with foods you enjoy.
The central theme of this approach is enabling the body to use all types of foods for fuel. There will be some initial leg work, but the payoff is worth it. Health is your greatest asset.
If you have questions or tried this approach in the past and got stuck along the way, let me know. I’m here to help!
Take care of yourself and each other,
- Zach Winfield
If you learned something new or insightful, please share this with someone you think might also enjoy