Building Up Your Metabolism for Wellness

Building up your metabolism is critical to living your best life!

How often do you think about your metabolism?

Do you consider how your food choices are fueling your body and mind?

Why are we talking about metabolism?

In early December, I began a series on my personal health plan for recovery and wellness. We’ve already talked about the power of mindset and the significance of taking care of our brains. Now, I want to focus on how strengthening metabolism plays a critical role in healing.

What is metabolism?

The cogs of a machine representing the metabolic functions that are key to our body functions
Photo Credit: Bill Oxford

Most of you have heard the word metabolism tossed around, but what does it mean? 

Metabolism is the way our body feels all the processes and functionality it performs.

It’s the conversion of food, drink and air into energy. It is so much more than diet, though what we put into our body directly impacts are metabolism and consequent wellness.

Fueling your metabolism

Like a car, our body runs as well as the quality of gas we put into it. If we put in  rocket fuel, like processed sugar, our bodies rev up and spin out for a short period before crashing because the fuel burns hot and fast. Conversely, if we put in premium high octane gas, like vegetables, we can expect our bodies to run stronger and smoother. Furthermore, our bodies will have greater longevity because the cleaner nature of  the whole food fuel prevents our internal parts from getting gummed up with sludge.

Numerous trays of vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables representing clean, Whole Foods that support healthy metabolism
Photo Credit: Dan Gold

For this reason, doctors, dieticians, nutritionists and health coaches around the world agree on the importance of food choice and food quality as a major part of anyone’s health plan. While losing weight is so often the advertised objective, it’s building up your metabolism that is at the heart of most dietary plans. 

How to optimize your metabolism

No single way to strengthen your metabolism

So what is the best way to optimize your metabolism? On this experts have not and cannot agree on a single answer.

Why not?

The reality is that we are individuals with different starting points, variables and objectives. A weight lifter is going to  end a different plan from a runner or a working mom. As an example, I am an overweight woman in her mid-forties with a brain injury, mystery illness and metabolism that has been damaged by severe calorie restriction while following a commercial diet program several years ago. 

My objectives in building up my metabolism

Now, my objectives are three-fold. First and foremost, I am trying to optimize my brain metabolism. I am working to give my brain a constant, high quality energy source that nourishes the neurons and my gray matter. Second, I’d like to reverse my insulin resistance and thereby heal many of my body’s internal processes. And yes, third, I’d like to lose about 80lbs.

Blueberries in the shape of a heart with a strawberry in the center. Clean, whole food eating for health brain and body
Photo Credit: Style Stock Society

One metabolic healing approach

The Ketogenic Diet

So how am I building up my metabolism? How am I healing it? I am learning how to make my body’s primary fuel source fat by eating very low carbohydrates, medium protein, and a ton of high quality fat as guided by the principals of a ketogenic diet. 

I was really resistant to give keto a try because it seemed so extreme to be cutting out so much of the Standard American Diet (SAD). As you know, I am a huge fan of living BETWEEN the extremes in thinking. So, this was a huge block.

Why I finally committed

I finally committed to Keto, with ongoing urging from my primary physician, when I learned how Keto was developed to treat Epilepsy in children. With all the misbehavior of my brain and neurons, the keto approach seemed like the best bet for healing my brain through food. Research has also found that Keto provides the body an alternate pathway for our mitochondria; our energy factories. Additionally, carbohydrates which convert into glucose are a primary contributor to insulin resistance. So, reducing carbs seems like common sense. Finally, nothing else has worked and, believe me, I’ve tried for over six years.

An image of a healthy brain lit up with the electric flow of neurons
Photo Credit: Alina Grubnyak

Therefore, I am applying the principles of the Ketogenic Diet and striving to get my body to switch from gas to electric; glucose to fat fueling. I’m still not there. Even though I’m still trying to figure it out, I have already seen some improvements in my energy, my stamina, and cognitive challenges. I am honing in on principles of Keto for women and maintaining patient persistence. And as part of the reframing, I have actually dramatically INCREASED my calorie intake. It blows my mind! I’ve increased my calories by a full 50% while losing a bit of weight rather than gaining. I’ll figure out how to get into and stay into ketosis; I have to. Rebuilding my metabolism is a major part of my health plan for recovery and wellness.

You and Your Metabolism

How does metabolism fit into your health plan?

Have you thought about how you fuel your body and brain recently?

Do you feel energized and clear minded?

What one change in food choice can you make today to strengthen your metabolism?