How to Improve Metabolic Health in 4 Steps

metabolic health midlife Sep 09, 2024

Metabolic health is a term that refers to your likelihood of developing diabetes and heart disease. And most people in the world, especially in the United States, have poor metabolic health. But is this some unavoidable epidemic? Are we all just destined to succumb to high blood sugar, fatty liver, and heart attacks?

I’m here to tell you — emphatically no.

You are 100% in control of your metabolic health. And if yours is falling off the rails, I’ve got some even better news for you. You can start to turn it all around in 4 basic steps. I’m not going to say these are easy steps. But they are simple. The hardest part is changing your mindset, stepping into your power, and embracing the fact that you’re in control. Plus, you will probably have to set aside some long-held beliefs that have been drilled into your head since childhood. 

Ready to get to work?

Let’s go.

Grab my FREE guide to quickly assessing your own metabolic health level HERE. 

What Is Metabolic Health?

First off, let’s define metabolic health. Metabolic health essentially refers to how efficiently your body functions when converting food into energy.

Metabolic health encompasses your blood sugar, blood pressure, waist circumference, triglycerides, cholesterol, and insulin levels. When your metabolic health is in order, your body efficiently uses energy, maintains a healthy weight, and minimizes inflammation. 

When your metabolic health is busted, your body inefficiently converts food into energy. You develop high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and you gain weight. Busted metabolic health ultimately leads to chronic fatigue, difficulty losing weight, and a higher risk of developing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and stroke. 

Insulin resistance and pre-diabetes are conditions associated with poor metabolic health, which I often refer to colloquially as a 'busted metabolism.

How Is Metabolic Health Measured?

The key indicators of good metabolic health include the following metabolic health markers:

  • Stable blood sugar levels: Your body effectively regulates glucose without spikes or crashes. 
  • Healthy cholesterol levels: your cholesterol levels are in balance, suggesting strong cardiovascular health
  • Normal blood pressure: Proper circulation and heart function without excessive strain.
  • Low levels of inflammation: The absence of chronic inflammation, which contributes to many metabolic disorders.
  • Healthy waist circumference: Abdominal fat is a critical indicator of metabolic dysfunction, with excessive belly fat in particular linked to insulin resistance.

And yes, you can have busted metabolic health, even if you are not overweight. While weight is linked to metabolic health, (1) it’s not the only indicator of a properly functioning metabolism.

How You’re Sabotaging Your Metabolic Health

Here’s what no one has probably ever told you before — your metabolic health is 100% contingent on your diet and lifestyle habits. 

According to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 40% of adults in the U.S. are insulin resistant and have cardiovascular risk factors! (2,3) 

And if you don’t want to be like everyone else, you’ve got to take a look at how everyone else is eating. How they structure their day. How they sleep. And then do the opposite.

Most people just go through life on autopilot, not realizing how their daily choices affect their metabolic health. Which makes sense. You’ve got a job, a family, and mortgage payments to make. BUT. If you want to turn the ship around (or stop it from capsizing in the first place) — you’ve got to realize that poor diet, lack of exercise, chronic stress, and inadequate sleep all play major roles in metabolic dysfunction, leading to long-term health complications.

You’re not like most people. You want to do better. You want to FEEL better. You want to look better. Right?

Then it’s time to take a look at some of these habits that are probably sabotaging your metabolic health. 

Poor Diet 

What are you eating 90% of the time? Are you hitting the drive-through on the way to and from work? Snacking on empty calories in 100-calorie snack packs? 

Consuming processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats can disrupt your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to weight gain and increased risk of busted metabolic health.

Sedentary Lifestyle 

How much exercise are you really getting? If you’re normal is less than 5,000 steps per day — that’s considered sedentary. And if you aren’t lifting, you’re missing out on the best metabolic health tool of them all. 

Lack of physical activity slows down the metabolism and leads to reduced muscle mass. This, in turn, makes it harder for the body to burn calories efficiently, which can lead to obesity and insulin resistance. 

Chronic Stress 

How is your stress level? Do you constantly answer emails well into the night? Are you a caregiver for your kids or your parents? Do you stay up late, scrolling on your phone? All of these things qualify as stress. And if you don’t have a good stress management practice in place, it can wreak havoc on your metabolic health. 

When your body is under constant stress, it produces cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with your body’s ability to manage blood sugar levels and fat storage, particularly around the waistline. 

Sleep Deprivation 

Everyone overlooks sleep. Our culture glorifies staying productive 24 hours a day. But, you can’t be metabolically healthy unless you’re getting plenty of shut-eye. 

Not getting enough quality sleep disrupts hormones like leptin and ghrelin that regulate hunger and metabolism. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, and increased appetite for unhealthy foods.

7 Signs You Need To Improve Metabolic Health 

Your body is constantly communicating with you.

We’re just trained to ignore the signs and signals it sends. And, often, the signs of metabolic dysfunction are subtle. Pay attention to any of these seven dead giveaways that your metabolic health is in trouble.

1. Unexplained Weight Gain

If you’re gaining weight — especially around your abdomen…without significant changes in your diet or exercise routine, it may be a sign of metabolic dysfunction. Abdominal fat is particularly concerning as it’s closely linked to insulin resistance, which can lead to more serious metabolic issues.

2. Constant Fatigue

Feeling tired all the time is NOT normal. Feeling tired all the time, even after a full night’s sleep, can indicate that your body isn’t efficiently converting food into energy. Poor metabolic health can cause sluggishness, making it harder for you to complete daily tasks or feel motivated to stay active. 

3. Difficulty Losing Weight

If no amount of diet or exercise seems to help you shed excess weight, an underlying metabolic issue may be to blame. When your metabolic health is compromised, it’s more difficult to burn calories and fat, even with regular physical activity.

4. Cravings for Sugary or High-Carb Foods

Frequent cravings for sugary snacks or refined carbs could signal unstable blood sugar levels. When your metabolism isn’t functioning properly, your body craves quick energy sources…which leads to poor eating habits and further metabolic decline.

5. High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is often linked to metabolic problems, especially when combined with insulin resistance and weight gain. If your blood pressure is consistently high, it’s an indication that your metabolic health needs improvement.

6. Elevated Blood Sugar Levels

If your fasting blood sugar levels are higher than normal, it’s a sign that your body may not be effectively managing insulin. This is one of the earliest indicators of metabolic dysfunction, which, if left unchecked, can lead to type 2 diabetes.

7. Poor Sleep Quality

Difficulty falling or staying asleep can also be a sign of metabolic imbalance. Sleep is critical for regulating hormones like insulin and cortisol. Sleep deprivation disrupts this balance and exacerbates metabolic issues over time.

If you’re experiencing any combination of these symptoms, it’s time to focus on improving your metabolic health. By making targeted changes to your lifestyle — including diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management…you can restore balance and prevent more serious health problems down the line.

How To Improve Metabolic Health

So now that we know what metabolic dysfunction looks like, how do we reverse or prevent it from happening in the first place?

First, you have to remember — there isn’t a whole lot the allopathic system can offer you to help. This is a system that normalizes conditions that are the result of metabolic dysfunction like fatty liver and high blood pressure because it's become the NEW normal for most humans.

Your doctor won’t offer you a prescription or anything to help improve metabolic health. They will just wait until you officially become diabetic or have a heart attack to get involved.

You’re going to have to take matters into your own hands here if you really want to experience vibrant midlife health. Here’s how to do it.

4 Steps To Improve Metabolic Health

These are my tried and true methods for improving your metabolic health. These are the four things I’ve helped thousands of people dial in and turn their health around as a result. 

I go into each of these areas way more in-depth in my Metabolic Revamp Toolkit + Masterclass. It’s a complete guide to turning your metabolic health around, broken down into simple and doable steps. Grab it here if you’re really serious about becoming resilient and staving off metabolic lifestyle diseases.

1. Diet

What you eat has a profound impact on your metabolic health. The right foods can help regulate your blood sugar levels, support metabolism, and boost energy, while the wrong foods can slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and inflammation.

While I would never tell you what to eat, chances are good that you’re not getting enough protein. When you eat protein, your body uses more energy to digest it compared to fats and carbohydrates — a phenomenon known as the thermic effect of food. This means that protein-rich meals can boost your metabolism for several hours after eating.

Additionally, protein supports lean muscle mass, which is metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest, helping you maintain a healthy weight and metabolism over time. That’s why combining regular exercise, particularly strength training, with a protein-rich diet is vital for improving metabolic health.

It’s also important to limit:

  • Processed sugars: Foods high in added sugars, like candy, sugary drinks, and pastries, cause rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes, which over time can lead to insulin resistance.
  • Refined carbohydrates: White bread, pasta, and other refined carbs can spike blood sugar levels and contribute to weight gain and metabolic issues.
  • Trans fats: Found in many processed and fried foods, trans fats promote inflammation and have been linked to obesity and heart disease.

2. Exercise

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve your metabolic health. Regular physical activity helps regulate blood sugar, supports metabolism, and enhances your body’s ability to convert food into energy. 

To improve your metabolic health, you likely need to increase your overall activity levels. That means more walking, more standing. More moving in general. 

And you also need to start picking up some weights. 

Building muscle through resistance training (using weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises) increases your resting metabolic rate. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, even when you're at rest, making strength training crucial for long-term metabolic health. 

Muscle is the biggest user of glucose in your body. So the more you have, the more efficient your insulin response. 

I can’t stress this enough! Adding a big slab of muscle to your body is the best way to keep your metabolic health on track. 

3. Sleep

Sleep is a critical yet often overlooked component of metabolic health. 

Without adequate, quality sleep, your body’s ability to regulate important hormones, like insulin, cortisol, and hunger-regulating hormones — becomes compromised. Over time, poor sleep habits can lead to metabolic dysfunction, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight, keep your muscle mass, and balance blood sugar levels.

Sleep impacts your metabolic health in several big ways:

  • Insulin sensitivity: During deep sleep, your body improves its sensitivity to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. However, sleep deprivation can impair this process, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and an increased risk of insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
  • Hunger hormones: Lack of sleep affects two key hormones—ghrelin and leptin—which control hunger and satiety. Ghrelin, known as the "hunger hormone," increases with sleep deprivation, causing you to feel hungrier and crave high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich foods. Meanwhile, leptin, which signals to your brain when you're full, decreases, making it harder to feel satisfied after eating.
  • Cortisol levels: Sleep deprivation also elevates cortisol, the stress hormone. Chronically high cortisol levels promote fat storage, especially around the abdomen, and interfere with your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently.

In other words, when you don’t get enough sleep, your metabolism slows down, making it harder to process food and maintain energy levels throughout the day. This means that over time, chronic poor sleep can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and other metabolic issues. Studies have shown that people who sleep fewer than 7 hours a night are more likely to develop obesity and metabolic syndrome than those who get sufficient rest. (4,5)

Improving your sleep quality is a key factor in boosting your metabolic health

Here are some quick and easy ways to get better sleep:

  • Establish a sleep routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to help regulate your body’s internal clock.
  • Create a relaxing bedtime environment: Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool to promote restful sleep. Limit screen time in the hour before bed, as the blue light from devices can interfere with melatonin production.
  • Limit caffeine and heavy meals: Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and large, heavy meals close to bedtime, as these can disrupt your sleep.
  • Prioritize 7-9 hours of sleep: Aim for at least 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night to support hormone regulation and optimal metabolic function.
  • Protect your circadian rhythm by getting plenty of sunlight, using an infrared therapy light, or hopping in the sauna. Save 10% OFF my favorite Sauna Space lamps and saunas using this link and code "DRTYNA" at checkout.

4. Stress 

Our society glorifies stress. We wear our stress like a badge of honor. And it’s time to stop because it’s contributing to this whole metabolic health crisis.

When you experience stress over long periods, your body produces elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that, when imbalanced, can wreak havoc on your metabolism. 

Stress affects your metabolic health in several ways:

  • Cortisol and fat storage: When cortisol levels remain high due to chronic stress, your body holds onto fat, particularly in the abdominal area. This is because cortisol triggers your body’s “fight or flight” response, telling it to conserve energy, which results in increased fat storage. High abdominal fat is closely linked to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
  • Blood sugar spikes: Cortisol can also lead to elevated blood sugar levels by signaling the liver to release more glucose into the bloodstream. This process is helpful during short-term stress, but if stress becomes chronic, the repeated spikes in blood sugar can lead to insulin resistance, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Increased cravings: When under stress, many people experience intense cravings for sugary, high-fat, or processed foods, which provide temporary comfort but also contribute to poor metabolic health. Over time, these stress-induced eating habits can result in weight gain and metabolic imbalances.

Taking steps to reduce stress can have a profound effect on both your mental and metabolic health. Here are some of my proven strategies for stress management:

  • Physical activity: Exercise for the win, again! Exercise is one of the best natural stress relievers. It reduces cortisol levels and increases the production of endorphins, your body’s feel-good chemicals. Lift those heavy weights and feel your stress melt away. Deadlifts really do fix everything. 
  • Adequate sleep: As I talked about in the previous section, sleep is a crucial factor in stress management. Prioritizing good sleep hygiene will allow your body to better regulate cortisol levels and enhance your metabolic health.
  • Enjoy your life: Hang out with friends. Have great sex. Boost your oxytocin whenever you can. Human connection helps buffer the negative effects of chronic stress on your body.
  • Cook yourself a bit: Again, this is where a sauna really shines. Saunas are incredible stress relievers, and they help protect your circadian rhythm. Win-win. Save 10% OFF my favorite Sauna Space lamps and saunas using this link and code "DRTYNA" at checkout. 

 

Bottom Line: You Are In Control Of Your Metabolic Health

I hope the fact that you are in control of your metabolic health — and as a result, your likelihood of developing lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke…makes you feel empowered.

It’s not easy to go against the habits and beliefs you’ve held for your entire life. It’s not an easy task to break away from the flock and forge a path that’s different. But you can do it. Your life literally depends on it. 

Don’t forget! Grab my in-depth, complete guide to rebuilding your metabolic health HERE. 

 

Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog/podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While Dr. Tyna Moore is a licensed doctor, she is not the reader’s or listener’s personal doctor. Individuals should always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about treatments, supplements, sauna use, or significant changes to their exercise routine. The benefits of strength training and other exercise interventions can vary among individuals, so personalized advice is essential to avoid potential injury. Professional medical advice should not be disregarded or delayed because of something read or heard in this content.

This blog/podcast may contain affiliate links, meaning Dr. Moore may earn a small commission if purchases are made through these links, at no additional cost to the consumer. Links to Dr. Moore’s courses and supplements are provided for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Statements about supplements and products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Individual results may vary.

Use of this content does not establish a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Tyna Moore. Readers and listeners are advised to consult a licensed healthcare professional for personalized medical guidance.

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572145/ 
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507839/ 
  3. https://www.uab.edu/news/research/item/12289-uab-researchers-find-that-40-percent-of-young-american-adults-have-insulin-resistance-and-cardiovascular-risk-factors?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/

      5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6196958/

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