Protecting Our Metabolic Health

The most important way we can ensure a healthy quality of life is to protect our metabolic health from the major assalt of the enormous amount of added sugar we're eating.

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What's Driving Our Declining Health?

Sugar is everywhere in our modern diet, and it's silently driving a massive wave of chronic illness. From insulin resistance and fatty liver to cognitive decline, leading to Alzheimer's disease, the overconsumption of ultra-processed, sugar-laden foods has created a health crisis hiding in plain sight.

As we continue to find more and more connections between sugar, the way we eat, metabolism, and brain health, one thing stands out -

This isn't just about cutting calories - it's about changing the way we eat to protect our long-term well-being.

We all know that sugar can be a huge driver of weight gain and chronic disease especially when it comes with excess calorie consumption.

But, this is a nuanced truth and sugar is not the enemy!

The real problem is when we consume it in the form of the added sugars tucked into over 70% of ultra-processed foods that make up the Standard American Diet [SAD] that disease and decline happens.

Hiding In Plain Sight.

Eating cookies, ice cream and desserts will increase our sugar consumption, but what about all the added sugar hidden in the foods we regularly eat that don't actually taste sweet?

Consider these foods:

• Breads - sugar is added to improve flavor and texture.

• Cereal - even "healthy" cerals can be high in sugar.

• Yogurt - flavored yogurt often has high amounts of added sugar.

• Sauces/Condiments - ketchup, barbeque sauce, salad dressing, even salsa can contain sugar.

• Granola/ Energy/ Protein Bars - marketed as healthy, can be high in sugar.

• Canned Fruits - packed in syrup are high in sugar.

• Drinks - sport, energy and fruit juices can have high amounts of sugar.

What Can I Do?

1. Read the Ingredient List.

Look for names like; high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, fructose, lactose, and glucose.

2. Pay Attention to the Order of Ingredients.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so ingredients with sugar near the top of the list indicate a higher amount.

3. Choose Whole, Unprocessed Foods.

Prioritize vegetables, fruits, proteins, organic, full-fat dairy and legumes which naturally contain no added sugar.

4. Stop Drinking Liquid Sugars.

Choose water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea and coffee instead.

5. Be Cautious of "No Added Sugar".

Read the labels and check out how the product is actually sweetened. Added fruit juice is still added sugar.

6. Savory Foods Can be Sweetened.

Again, look at the ingredient list to see if your favorite cracker has added sugar.

7. Peanut, Almond and Nut Butters.

They should only contain nuts and salt, but many have added sugar too.

8. Healthy, Organic, Whole-grain.

These "buzz" words can omit the fact that they are also full of sugar.

These added sugars in so many of our foods are hard to avoid unless we become an informed consumer willing to take the time to actually read all labels before purchase.

Excess sugar consumption acts as a metabolic distruptor that damages our liver, disrupts hormonal signaling, and over time begins to errode our cognitive processes. To add insult to injury, our sedentary lifestyle compounds this heath decline that invites in many chronic issues.

Consequences of Sitting Too Much.

When we spend most of our day sitting, we are at increased risk of increasing the likelihood of many chronic diseases and premature death including;

• Cardiovascular Disease.

• Type 2 Diabetes.

• Weight Gain/Obesity.

• High Blood Pressure

• Cancers - colon, breast, ovarian and endometrial.

• Depression.

• Anxiety.

• Osteoporosis

• Impaired Immune System

• Reduced Muscle Strength

• Poor Blood Circulation

What Can I Do?

1. Increase Physical Activity.

2. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity.

3. Reduce Sitting Time.

4. Minimize prolonged sitting, especially for long periods at a time. Try breaking up long periods of sitting by stretching, walking around the block or some squats..

5. Include regular movement daily - walk, ride a bike, rebound or find something you enjoy and just do it!

When we make movement a regular part of our day, we will reduce our sitting time. This change significantly improves our overall health and well-being.

Good Night - Sleep Tight.

Just like babies, we will function best when well rested. The quality and quantity of sleep contributes to our improved metabolic health. This plays a significant role in regulating hormones, energy balance, and glucose metabolism.

Insufficient or poor sleep can disrupt our health which increases obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Keeping hormones regulated is a delicate dance of proper nutrition, adequate hydration, consistent daily movement and quality sleep.

Dialing in these four areas will help us to realize better health outcomes. We will have better energy throughout the day which will help to improve glucose metabolism and lessen sugar cravings. This is so important to our whole health lifestyle.

What Can I Do?

1. Make Bedtime Consistent. Work toward going to bed by 11 pm if you're a night owl. Move bedtime back by 15 minute increments until you can regularly get in bed by 11pm. Then consider a bit earlier for optimal results.

2. Cool Down The Bedroom. The ideal tempeture for a bedroom is between 60-67 degree. This cooler tempeture will promote better sleep quality by aligning with the natural drop in body temperature that occurs as you prepare for sleep.

3. Make it Dark. A dark bedroom helps regulate the body's natural sleep-wake cycle [circadian rhythm] and promotes the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Use light blocking curtains, or a sleep mask to get the room dark.

4. Close The Kitchen Early. Eating late at night keeps the body in digestion mode which can definitely disrupt sleep. Try eating earlier and give your body at least 3 hours before bedtime. Also, if sleep is a problem, consider limiting or eliminating alcohol for a month and see if your sleep improves.

   
   

   Metabolic Matrix.

   When we consider how we're eating, moving and sleeping and begin to make small changes in these areas, we can see huge improvements in our metabolic health.

   • Our gut health improves as our added sugar consumption diminishes.

   • Our liver is able to do it's many jobs in keeping us healthy.

   • Our cognitive health allows us to be active and engaged for the many years we have left.

   
   

   I Can Help.

   Navigating all the noise around weight management, disease prevention, and general lifestyle can be daunting. I can help you address what you'd like to improve in easy to understand ways.

   Consider a Nutrition Audit.

   This is a one-session opportunity to have your lifestyle and eating habits evalutated in light of what you'd like changed. By filling out a nutritional assessment and food journal I can then give you a protocol to follow that will help you realize better health.

   Sign-up here: https://www.janlindquistntp.com

   Thanks for reading,

   Jan