How to Rewire Your Metabolism

Anyone who tries to lose weight, lose fat or have a more efficient metabolism eventually finds that they hit a plateau. Even if they consume fewer calories and adopt healthy habits like exercising!

Today we are going to learn what situations can cause metabolic stagnation, the organs that are involved, and what practices help repair it so that it can be reactivated again.

How metabolism stagnates

• When you have done many diets, basically calorie restriction, or elimination diets for a very long time.

Low-calorie diets make you feel hungry and increase cravings, plus there is that feeling of “I’m going to get my revenge when I’m done and eat everything I like.”  The consequence of these “yo-yo” diets is that there comes a time when the body no longer responds to the stimuli you provide it and this goes hand in hand with the following reason:

• The age

• When you have been overweight for a long time.

The longer this condition goes untreated and untreated, the more complications will arise and the longer it will take to regain metabolic efficiency.

• Stress

For the body, losing weight is unnatural, because it means entering a state of survival and that stresses it out, so it wants, at all costs, to eat to calm down.  When stressed, which is the permanent state of many people, the hormone cortisol is produced and cortisol releases glucose.  When glucose is released as a result, insulin production increases.

• Estrogen

High levels of estrogen can manifest in heavy periods, or when women are on estrogen therapy, which is the case for women close to menopause. Men can also be affected by high estrogen concentrations and this will automatically be reflected in body weight and, above all, in the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area.

Which organs are involved in metabolic stagnation?

There are several factors that come together to slow down metabolism. At the body level, there are two organs that must be kept in check and ensure that they function perfectly to avoid a lag in metabolism.

The pancreas

In the pancreas (Beta cells) produce insulin that regulates or lowers blood sugar.  As soon as the pancreas releases insulin, the use of fat as fuel stops, or rather, you don't burn fat. Insulin stores sugar in little boxes called glycogen, which, if not used, converts sugar into fat. This is why non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs and affects overweight people who don't consume alcohol.

In short, insulin is the hormone that tells the body whether to burn fat or not.

The liver

More than 500 vital functions have been identified in the liver, including detoxification of the body.  When the liver is overloaded, it stops being efficient in carrying out its functions and if, for example, there are toxins wandering around, the liver encapsulates them to inhibit them, but it does not have enough strength to eliminate them since it itself is too overloaded.

Thyroid function is key to the performance of our metabolism and much of it is carried out in the liver (more than 80%).  The thyroid produces T4 hormone which is converted into T3, the hormone responsible for keeping us slim.

Actions that help repair a lagging metabolism

1. When was the last time you purged yourself?

Consult your health professional to prescribe a complete purgative.  Sometimes, this action alone can restore all of the lost dynamism to your body.

2. Liver and gallbladder detoxification

There are several types of treatment, some more intense than others, which you can find in my book “The Art of Healing.”

One of the safest practices is the use of coffee enemas, but, in addition, incorporating green extracts, avoiding the consumption of certain foods and consuming others that allow you to purify the liver will help you improve the functioning of this important organ.  At the end of the article I show you which nutrients to incorporate into your diet to achieve this.

3. Make food cycles:

It has been shown that when a kind of short shock therapy is applied to the body, it stimulates the metabolism immediately.

There are several food alternatives: normal day (low carb < high protein), complete fasting day ; intermittent fasting day ; ketogenic eating day ; or rest day where healthy carbohydrate consumption is increased.

Example of a week with cycles:

Fast completely on Monday.

On Tuesday, eat normal food at the usual times.

Wednesday does a ketogenic cycle (higher percentage of healthy fat, a little protein and very little or almost no carbohydrates).

On Thursday he eats normal food.

On Fridays and Saturdays, he does intermittent fasting by skipping one of his main meals and not snacking between meals.

Sunday is a day of rest and is the day when I would increase carbohydrate consumption.

4. Increase the production of the hormone leptin.

5. Do exercise. For beginners or those who have not exercised for a long time, adaptation sessions are ideal for stimulating the metabolism. For people who practice sports and those who train in a gym, it is a matter of varying their weekly practices.  In this case, something similar to food cycles applies.

6. Cryotherapy. Taking a cold shower (I recommend doing it immediately after a breathing session using the Wim Hof ​​method ( link )) forces you to convert white adipose tissue (which is difficult to use as fuel) into brown adipose tissue (which can be quickly used by the body as fuel) and consequently, helps you lose weight and stored fat.

What to do on a nutritional level to stimulate metabolism and control your body weight more efficiently

Here are some tips that will allow you to achieve what is known as metabolic flexibility, which is when your body can easily access both fat and glucose and use either as an energy source for your performance.

• Fasting: It doesn't matter if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced in this practice, just try to take it a step further. Example, if you are fasting for 12 hours and have a 12-hour fueling window or what they call 12/12, try fasting for 16 hours and have your fueling window during 8 hours.

• Stay hydrated: The body depends on good hydration for any function and fat burning is no exception. The metabolic process that breaks down fat is called lipolysis, which in its first stage requires water molecules, meaning our body metabolizes fat with water. Drink water consciously: here is the link to the filtered water that I recommend.

• Reduce consumption of caffeinated beverages: The adrenohypothalamic-pituitary axis communicates the brain with the adrenal glands in order to produce more cortisol, epinephrine and adrenaline.

My advice is this: in the morning drink decaffeinated coffee or Matcha tea, which contains antioxidant properties and less caffeine than regular coffee.  At midday, if you wish, have a caffeinated coffee to give you a boost to get through the afternoon, but be aware of your limits.

• Consume good quality salt and Potassium : consume good quality salt. If you do not consume enough salt, your metabolism starts to lag. The brain begins to send a message that the body has little sodium, so what is called the adreno-hypothalamic-pituitary AXIS is alerted and sends signals to the adrenal glands that begin to produce aldosterone and this causes the kidneys to retain water and sodium.  The result is that cortisol production increases. Aldosterone increases = Cortisol increases.

If your potassium levels are too low, your body may produce less insulin. This can cause your blood sugar to rise. Studies show that people with low potassium levels release less insulin, have higher blood sugar levels, and are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with normal potassium levels. Spinach, broccoli, and avocado are all potassium-rich foods.

• Apple cider vinegar: dissolve 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar plus 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and the juice of half a lemon in 250 or 350 ml of water. This has several interesting effects on metabolism: acetic acid stimulates the oxidation of fatty acids so it improves the utilization of fats and produces body heat.  In addition, it increases your dopamine levels.

• Eat more protein and healthy fats : Protein has a natural thermogenic effect. Eating healthy fats allows you to feel satisfied for longer between meals and does not affect insulin.

• Consume fermented foods and fiber since intestinal bacteria can affect body weight regulation.

1. The acetic acid produced in the fermentation process has been shown to reduce body fat when consumed. Acetic acid is what makes up apple cider vinegar.
2. Fermented foods are nutrient-dense, with a high volume of fiber per calorie ingested. (Fiber regulates insulin)
3. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strains has been shown to reduce body fat.
4. Digestion is more efficient when our gut has a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria.

• Include Turmeric, Cinnamon and Black Pepper: Several studies suggest positive effects of turmeric for weight loss and other disorders related to metabolic syndrome ( study ). Because the human body has difficulty absorbing turmeric, when it is consumed together with black pepper, piperine, which is its active ingredient, helps the body to better absorb turmeric. Cinnamon, for its part, reduces blood sugar levels, which helps reduce fat storage in the body.

• Key Supplements: B Complex, Iodine and Chromium:

1. B-Complex: Fermented foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They are enriched with B vitamins, B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. Nutritional yeast (not synthetic) contains vitamin B. If you are unsure if you are getting the right concentration, you may want to opt for a quality supplement.

2. For an active metabolism, it is necessary to take into account our thyroid function, since this can be a cause of metabolic lag. Make sure your thyroid is functioning properly and eat foods containing iodine such as spirulina, nori seaweed and other sea vegetables.  If you plan to consume sea salt for this purpose, make sure that iodine has been added to it, since sea salt sold on the market assumes that it contains iodine, but the truth is that once it is extracted and left to dry in the sun, it loses its iodine.

3. It is important to include chromium in your diet. This mineral is responsible for helping the receptors in the cells to get closer to the cell walls so that it is easier for them to capture glucose that wanders through the body and use it.

If you feel like your metabolism is not responding despite changes in your diet, activity level, and other lifestyle habits, consider talking to your health care provider about restoring your metabolic efficiency and achieving a better quality of life.

REFERENCES

[1] Nogueiras, R., Wilson, H., Rohner-Jeanrenaud, F., & Tschöp, MH (2008). Central nervous system regulation of adipocyte metabolism. Regulatory peptides , 149 (1-3), 26-31.

[2] Saad, MF, Khan, A., Sharma, A., Michael, R., Riad-Gabriel, MG, Boyadjian, R., ... & Kamdar, V. (1998). Physiological insulinemia acutely modulates plasma leptin. Diabetes , 47 (4), 544-549.