Despite looking good on the outside, most people do not function optimally well on the inside. In fact, as many as 20 percent of people who are thin are metabolically unhealthy. Only one in eight Americans is metabolically healthy, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This is serious, but can and should be addressed with lifestyle changes.

For example, one fifth of young people in their 20s have developed fatty liver, something that only older alcoholics used to have. High intake of soft drinks (fructose) and sugary foods cause this and therefore this can also be changed (improved, cured) by changing dietary habits and lifestyle (see below).

Metabolic ill health is serious and risky for several reasons. One is that those who are metabolically unhealthy are at risk of becoming more seriously ill from infections. Functional medicine doctors have therefore put together this list of markers of metabolic ill health to watch out for! (Link is at the bottom)

6 primary markers of metabolic health:

1. Waist circumference – is more important than your weight, says Professor Robert Lustig. For men, a waist circumference greater than 100 cm would be considered a risk factor for metabolic disease, and for women it is 88 cm.

2. Blood sugar levels – One of the most important markers of metabolism is blood sugar levels before and after eating, says Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., the father of functional medicine.

3. triglyceride levels – the end product of digesting and breaking down fats in food. Blood triglyceride levels are crucial for the evaluation of fat metabolism.

4. LDL cholesterol levels – keep this “bad” cholesterol level as low as possible, recommends pediatrician David A. Kessler, M.D. But levels are individual, so keep an eye on your own LDL levels.

5. Blood pressure – although there is no exact standard, 135/80 indicates a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

6. uric acid – is a waste product found in the blood, and it is created when the body breaks down purines. High levels of uric acid are associated with gout – a form of arthritis, but it is also related to sugar consumption. High uric acid means that your energy-producing mitochondria are not working well, which is a warning sign.

Improve your metabolic health

The article gives suggestions on how to improve your metabolic health – and in short, it’s a healthy lifestyle with low carbohydrate intake and a diet cooked from whole ingredients. Eat only natural fats and oils – especially increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Regular exercise, good sleep and rest. Stress-reducing activities play a big role.

My comment: To that I add intermittent fasting, preferably every day. Fasting changes everything very quickly, especially blood sugar and insulin levels. If you have a healthy lifestyle, it’s good to do longer periods of fasting, preferably with low calorie intake and at least for three days. Start with a weekend fast with freshly squeezed juices. I write about different fasts and what they do in the upcoming “Sannas fasting book” (released in January 2021) and there will be blogs about fasting in October.

I completely agree with the waist measurement as the first and easiest way to keep track of your health. I’ve always lived by the pants rule: if I can’t button my pants, I hold back on food until it’s slimmed down. Moving more also helps, too much sitting is harmful.

I know it’s easy to put on a couple of pounds, but it’s possible in most cases to lose by removing all fast carbs (fighting cravings) and eating smaller portions. My hot tip after 45 years, with all the hormone adjustments etc. is to halve the portions, chew twice as long and not drink with your food. Just by reducing the amount of food you eat to 70 percent, you can get a real difference, overeating is stressful for our system and contributes greatly to metabolic health.

In the last year, I’ve also started doing Saltwater Flush, because for me it’s an effective way to empty the bowel and help with sluggish stomach and constipation. But we are all different. Try it out and listen to your body!

The power to change rests with us!

• summary of the article: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/markers-of-metabolic-health
• Neuroendocrinologist Robert Lustig, M.D., will soon release the book: Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine.