She also notes that our relationship with light—seeing very little sunlight during the day and lots of blue light from our devices at night—has disrupted our circadian rhythms, which define our metabolic pathways during the day and night. , subsequently confusing our bodies. And finally, there’s our relationship with temperature: beneficial metabolic activity is stimulated by temperature variations, but most of us end up spending our time in rooms that are always the same temperature, central heating care. “These are the things that bodies are dealing with today – 50 years ago they just weren’t there,” says Dr. Means.

Phew. There’s no doubt that it’s an exhaustive list of lifestyle circumstances that can—if you let them—feel overwhelming. Unfortunately, many of us will suffer from some form of metabolic dysfunction, but when I point out how terrifying this is, Dr. Means is nothing but positive. “This is actually very optimistic news, because if we can understand that there is a central factor underlying most of the health problems we face, it gives us an area to focus our efforts on,” she explains. “Part of what makes people feel overwhelmed on their health and wellness journey is that they feel like there are endless things to do, but understanding and working with our metabolism will give us the best results.”

How to improve your metabolic health

Measure your biomarkers

The first step, according to Dr. Means, is to really know the basics of your health. asking your doctor for a blood test to measure a basic set of biomarkers. Some of the key things to know are blood sugar, hemoglobin, triglycerides, total/HDL cholesterol ratio and blood pressure, as well as waist circumference, which you can do at home (look for under 88cm for women or under 102cm for women ). men). “These are all fundamental values ​​of health, and they’re not expensive to do either. I recommend testing every trimester.”

Once you have them, you can track and see how they improve based on simple lifestyle habits you make that can pay dividends within a month. “If you’re tracking them over time and they’re moving in the right direction, then you know you’re doing the right things for your health.”

Start with your diet

Most of us are already aware that food is fuel, but it’s also worth remembering that it’s what our cells need to rebuild, regenerate and do their job well. “Eliminate ultra-processed foods from your kitchen—that means processed white flour, added sugars, industrial seed oils…anything that’s made in a factory and subsequently doesn’t help keep us healthy,” she says. “Then it’s about incorporating the five elements of metabolically healthy meals into every meal, which I discuss in the book.” These include fiber, probiotics, omega fats, antioxidants and healthy proteins. If you can commit to six weeks of ditching UPF in favor of these foods, she says you’ll feel “drastically different.”

Sleep

Sleep it is of critical importance to our cellular health because it is at night when our bodies remove metabolic waste and repair all the damage that occurs during the day. When we don’t get enough sleep, these regenerative processes don’t happen as well, so we experience poor health that can worsen over time. Prioritize sleep by making sure you dim the lights in your home a few hours before bed to signal your body that it’s time to rest. Also, try to make sure get enough light in the first 30 minutes after waking to improve sleep later – during the winter months, a SAD lamp can help replicate sunlight.

Take care of your emotional well-being

Our emotional health matters a lot more than we think, which is why it’s essential to find ways to nourish our minds and souls as much as our bodies. A lot of that starts with community and finding people to spend time with, regardless of that ability. Feeling isolated “generates inflammation and can also directly injure our mitochondria, the energy center of the cell that is responsible for metabolic processes,” says Dr. Means. With our phones constantly in our hands, news apps firing on all cylinders (especially recently), we sometimes think we’re more connected than we are—actually, it’s worth seeing people in real life. Your cells will thank you.

Connect with yourself and understand the symptoms

Our ability to connect with ourselves and understand – and listen to – our bodies implicitly is something that Dr. Means. She wants us to slow down and spend time connecting with the body and what it is trying to tell us. “Reflect on the miraculousness of life, on the fact that we are here and alive,” she says. “The female body connects to other natural cycles, including the tides, the moon and the seasons, so start your health journey from a place of admiration and appreciation. It helps us make decisions about our health.”

While this might sound a little woo-woo to some, it is essential to understand that any symptom you are experiencing is a conversation the body is trying to have with us about its needs that are not being met in some way. While many of us automatically try to suppress our symptoms with drugs or other habits, Dr. Means says it’s about considering what can be done to meet the body’s needs. “Go through a simple checklist: How was my food? how was my sleep Did I get enough light? How are my emotions? And so on.”