1 in 14 people have normal cardio-metabolic health; are you that one?

Cardio-metabolic health is defined by the American College of Cardiology as the ability to switch seamlessly between burning fat and carbs as our primary fuel source.  If we are unable to do this then we are not metabolically healthy.

Research shows that when people graze all day long  (multiple small meals throughout the day), they damage their ability to switch from fat to carbs in a very easy way.  Grazing causes all sorts of metabolic dysfunction, leading to insulin resistance, weight gain, and poor digestion to name a few.

Recent research has shown that adding anthocyanins to your diet can have a profound affect on your metabolism.  Remember every disease is at its root a metabolic dysfunction.  To live a long healthy life, we must have a healthy lifestyle.  Here are some things that you can do to improve your metabolic health:

1. Restrict your meal window to 6-8 hours of the day. You may have heard this referred to as intermittent fasting, or time-restricted eating.
   1. This will give your body 16-18 hours in which to do the clearing of the metabolic wastes inside the cell. When the cells are functioning properly, then the body is healthy at the deepest level.
   2. This will help you more easily lose weight
   3. This will help reverse insulin resistance
2. Add anthocyanins to your diet. Purple/black foods provide this nutrient in your diet.
   1. Most people absorb 25 mg in their daily diet.
   2. Supplements are available to increase your intake by 215 mg daily
3. Learn to utilize your circadian rhythms to optimize cellular function.
4. Increase your vitamin D levels.
5. Avoid these nutrients if you suffer from autoimmune disease:
   1. Nightshade vegetables
   2. Foods that contain phytic acid
   3. Foods that contain oxalates
   4. Foods that contain lectins
   5. Foods that contain salicylates
   6. Foods that contain saponins
   7. Foods that are goitrogens
   8. Foods that contain phytoestrogens.
6. Deal with early emotional traumas. Research has shown that unresolved emotional trauma before the ages of 5-6 can predispose someone to autoimmune disease as an adult.

As you can see, metabolic healthy is within reach of everyone.  It is all about choices we make.

Until next time,

Dr. Polly