HCP, or Patient with a referral code?

Sign Up

BioCeuticals
Home
Chevron Icon Horizontal
health hub
Chevron Icon Horizontal
articles
Articles

Metabolic health from the inside out

Metabolic health HH.jpg

Table of Contents

  1. Food
  2. Exercise and sleep

Metabolic health can be puzzling in essence, however in a nutshell it is simply a cluster of markers that may occur together, and it is these that are a measure of an individual’s overall health.1

There are five markers to consider:

  1. Weight 1
  2. Triglyceride levels 1
  3. HDL and LDL levels 1
  4. Blood pressure 1
  5. Blood glucose 1

With a focus on our daily habits and choices; food, exercise and sleep, we can play an active role in our metabolic health. Supporting this with a positive approach of consciously choosing what is going to help us be the best we can be. When our body is healthy, we experience energy throughout the day, sharper cognition, better sleep, a robust immune system, our mood is lighter, and even our skin is improved.2

Food

  • Include nutrient dense foods e.g. vegetables3 that naturally contain key nutrients for metabolic health and glucose metabolism: chromium and alpha lipoic acid found naturally in these foods’ broccoli, apples, oranges, spinach and peas.3
  • Limit nutrient poor food choices 3
  • Adequate protein e.g. at breakfast 4
  • Fibre 30g a day for men and 25g for women and adolescents 5
  • Consciously not overeating and timing when you eat 6
  • Limit the sugary snacks 7
  • Include healthy fats; fatty fish, olive oil, chia seeds and avocados 8
  • Limiting dairy, exploring a variety of non-dairy milk products e.g. oat, nut and rice milks 9
  • Studies repeatedly show dietary choices and certain components e.g. cereals, wholegrains, seeds, fish, fruit and vegetables are associated with a healthier metabolic profile 10

Exercise and sleep

  • Regular and what works for you beats not moving enough 11
  • Early research to suggest exercise timing in metabolic health, are you an evening or a morning person? Studies have shown that aerobic exercise in the evening is better at managing blood pressure, 12 when compared with morning training 13
  • Sleep can be a catch twenty-two, sleep is important for metabolic health, so fixing one or more aspects of the five markers may in turn improve your sleep 14

Nutrition and physical activity are paramount in health, however the importance of attention to sleep may provide additional support in metabolic health. Understanding the markers that affect our day-to-day health provide the individual with the knowledge to proactively seek positive health. Working alongside a practitioner to improve these outcomes with a plan tailored to their unique requirements.

References

1. Ambroselli D, Masciulli F, Romano E, Catanzaro G, Besharat ZM, Massari MC, Ferretti E, Migliaccio S, Izzo L, Ritieni A, Grosso M. New advances in metabolic syndrome, from prevention to treatment: the role of diet and food. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 26;15(3):640.

2. De Amicis R, Menichetti F, Leone A. The Effect of the Mediterranean Diet on Metabolic Health. Nutrients. 2023;15(15):1-3.

3. Nicklas TA, Drewnowski A, O’Neil CE. The nutrient density approach to healthy eating: challenges and opportunities. Public health nutrition. 2014 Dec;17(12):2626-36.

4. Li B, Tang X, Le G. Dietary Habits and Metabolic Health. Nutrients. 2023 Sep 14;15(18):3975.

5. Carlson JJ, Eisenmann JC, Norman GJ, Ortiz KA, Young PC. Dietary fiber and nutrient density are inversely associated with the metabolic syndrome in US adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2011 Nov 1;111(11):1688-95.

6. Taetzsch A, Roberts SB, Bukhari A, Lichtenstein AH, Gilhooly CH, Martin E, Krauss AJ, Hatch-McChesney A, Das SK. Eating timing: associations with dietary intake and metabolic health. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2021 Apr 1;121(4):738-48.

7. Almoraie NM, Saqaan R, Alharthi R, Alamoudi A, Badh L, Shatwan IM. Snacking patterns throughout the life span: potential implications on health. Nutrition Research. 2021 Jul 1;91:81-94.

8. Papadaki A, Nolen-Doerr E, Mantzoros CS. The effect of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials in adults. Nutrients. 2020 Oct 30;12(11):3342.

9. Timon CM, O’Connor A, Bhargava N, Gibney ER, Feeney EL. Dairy consumption and metabolic health. Nutrients. 2020 Oct 3;12(10):3040.

10. Bell LK, Edwards S, Grieger JA. The relationship between dietary patterns and metabolic health in a representative sample of adult Australians. Nutrients. 2015 Aug 5;7(8):6491-505.

11. Thyfault JP, Bergouignan A. Exercise and metabolic health: beyond skeletal muscle. Diabetologia. 2020 Aug;63(8):1464-74.

12. Brito LC, Marin TC, Azevêdo L, Rosa-Silva JM, Shea SA, Thosar SS. Chronobiology of exercise: Evaluating the best time to exercise for greater cardiovascular and metabolic benefits. Comprehensive Physiology. 2022 Jun 6;12(3):3621.

13. Brito LC, Peçanha T, Fecchio RY, Pio-Abreu A, Silva G, Mion-Junior D, Halliwill JR, Forjaz CL. Comparison of morning versus evening aerobic-exercise training on heart rate recovery in treated hypertensive men: a randomized controlled trial. Blood Pressure Monitoring. 2021 Oct 1;26(5):388-92.

14. Chaput JP, McHill AW, Cox RC, Broussard JL, Dutil C, da Costa BG, Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Wright Jr KP. The role of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment in obesity. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 2023 Feb;19(2):82-97.

Topics

Healthy lifestyle