The Benefits of Metabolic Flexibility and How You Can Achieve It
Being metabolically flexible means that your body’s metabolism can use whatever fuel is available, either from food or fuel that has already been stored in your body. For example, if you just ate say a banana, your body will metabolize it quickly and use it for energy production. However, if it’s been a few hours or even more than a few hours, and your metabolism is flexible, then it can use stored fat or sugar for fuel. Sugar is the ultimate quick hit of energy, but fat is a much more efficient and clean fuel source for your metabolism. With sugar, you get a temporary burst of energy, then a not so great crash shortly after. On the other hand, fat provides sustainable, stable long-term energy for not only your body but clean and focused energy for your mind.
Metabolic flexibility allows people to go days without eating and feel fine. Benefits include:
sustained energy
fewer blood sugar highs and lows
fewer cravings
improved ability to burn fat and maintain a healthy weight
When you’re metabolically flexible, your body doesn’t have to keep your food-seeking mechanisms constantly “on.” Instead, your body is able to burn whatever fuel is available, seamlessly shifting from one fuel source to another—without you even noticing. So ask yourself this :
Do you have regular insatiable cravings that you just can’t kick? And/or unstable energy without having some form of carb?
So how exactly can we start to become more metabolically flexible then?
Firs things first, unlearn what you’ve always been told to do - eat three meals a day and two snacks. This way of eating causes your body to constantly be relying on carbs for energy. When carbs aren’t available, you’ll find yourself feeling tired, unmotivated, headaches or feeling light-headed, intense cravings and distraction until you can refuel on whatever carb/sugar is in sight. It’s just not a good way to fuel your body.
I would suggest starting by reducing the amount of carbs (grains, breads, pastas -even the healthy gluten-free kinds-, quinoa, starchy veg) and add in more quality proteins and healthy fats. This will tell your body to burn fat for energy and produce ketones, rather than sugar. My tip: start slow. Don’t just cut out all carbs and expect to see a change right away. Start with small changes so your body can adjust properly and make sure. The main thing I see go wrong when people try to do this is the underestimate the amount of fat and electrolytes they’re consuming. Since you’re reducing the amount of sugar, you need to replace that with good fats and minerals such as good quality salt (pink Himalayan sea salt is my favourite), potassium and magnesium. I like to add pink Himalayan sea salt to my warm lemon water in the mornings and take half a pack of LMNT electrolytes daily. I also use pink salt on my food throughout the day and love having a good quality coconut water here and there! King Island is one of my favourite brands.
You’ve probably heard the term ‘Insulin resistance’, which is what happens when you eat carbs and your cells don’t open up to receive the sugar as fuel, leading to insulin resistance. Being insulin-resistant, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, is something that is a huge problem in our world today. The good news though, it can be overcome by eating a low-carb diet or incorporate longer periods of 12-16 hours of not eating, aka a mini intermittent fast. Like anything, intermittent fasting should be done in balance and with the help of a professional as it may not be effective for everyone, especially women in their child bearing years. Most of us tend to go only 8 hours without eating, which doesn’t allow our digestive systems enough time to rest and reset. If you are looking for somewhere to start, I suggest starting with a 12 hour of not eating (ex: breakfast at 7am and dinner no later than 7pm) then move to 13, 14 and 15 hours of not eating to see how you respond.
Focus on eating these foods:
Avocados + avocado oil
Coconut cream, milk + oil
Olives + extra virgin olive oil (castelverano are my favourite!)
Sea vegetables (nori sheets, dulse flakes)
Dark leafy vegetables (spinach, kale)
Sulfur-rich vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, and asparagus)
Nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, and macadamias)
Low-fructose fruits (berries, kiwis)
Organic eggs
Grass-fed ghee (butter with the lactose removed)
Wild fish
Grass-fed organic beef
While these foods are the foundation, an 80/20 approach to intuitive eating is critical, especially for the health of our cycles and our mental health. What I mean by this, is that periodically consuming clean carbs like rice, higher sugar fruits like pineapple and sweet potatoes a few times a week or a month is a great lifestyle for many people. For women, we tend to do very well when adding in healthy sources of carbs around our periods. Of course it’s about listening to our bodies and what it needs and when, but by focusing on the foods above and giving ourself an average of 12-15 hours of not eating, we can become more metabolically flexible, allowing our bodies to adapt to using the right amount of fuel.
