How to eat for metabolic health

Even small, subtle changes can profoundly impact how your body generates and uses energy at the cellular level, helping to strengthen the core foundations of your metabolic health. From balancing blood sugar and switching up the order in which you eat different foods to supplementing with specific nutrients—learn about the ins-and-outs of eating for metabolic health to optimize your energy levels and support your longevity journey.

The importance of balancing your blood sugar

The carbohydrates from the food we eat are broken down into glucose, which raises our blood sugar levels. The pancreas then produces insulin to move glucose into cells for energy or storage. This process helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels. However, since carbohydrates release the most glucose, they require more insulin. If there's more glucose than insulin, the body struggles to manage the excess, affecting energy use and storage. The goal is to keep blood sugar levels steady.

What happens when blood sugar levels are imbalanced?

While it’s true that this blood sugar feedback loop is responsible for maintaining blood sugar balance, the food we eat can affect this clever mechanism. Out of all macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat), carbohydrates release the largest amount of glucose into the bloodstream, which naturally requires more insulin to help move the glucose into our cells.

The goal is to have steady, stable blood sugar levels, but if there is more glucose than there is insulin—the body won’t be able to effectively manage the glucose that enters the bloodstream. When cells are saturated in glucose–the body is not able to convert glucose into energy fast enough, which can impact the way the body utilizes and stores energy.

Blood sugar spikes

If there isn't enough insulin to move glucose into cells or effectively store it for later use – it can accumulate and cause a blood sugar spike. A blood sugar spike will usually happen after we eat food that is rich in carbohydrates or simple sugars – but we can also experience the same spike at other times (e.g. when we’re stressed, or after a cup of coffee).

After any spike, blood sugar levels will drop dramatically, leaving us with the familiar ‘sugar crash’ feeling that often follows a carbohydrate/sugar-heavy meal. The body is wired with hundreds of feedback mechanisms to keep things balanced, so when blood sugar levels drop after a spike - the body will encourage you to crave energy-dense foods to help bring your blood sugar levels back up. Many of us ride this blood sugar roller-coaster each day without even realizing it – and our cells are forced to keep up.

Specific nutrients for metabolic health

• Zinc, Chromium and Cinnamon have been shown to support normal blood sugar balance by managing the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

• Vitamin D: playing an essential role in bone health, vitamin D also aids in the regulation of glucose by stimulating insulin secretion.

• Magnesium: as a cofactor in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, magnesium plays a critical role in regulating many physiological processes – supporting the nervous system, immune function, bone health and so much more. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, supports carbohydrate metabolism and may help cells use insulin more effectively.

• Omega-3 fatty acids: fats are essential to every structure in the body. They make up our cell membranes, support the communication between cells and therefore play a crucial role in health and longevity.

• Curcumin: Supplementing with curcumin has been shown to help sustain the lining of your blood vessels, known as the endothelium, which is essential for supporting circulation. Curcumin has also been shown to support healthy insulin levels, aid in protecting the body from free radicals and enhance antioxidant activity within the body.

How to eat for metabolic health

Increase your fiber intake

Most Americans only get around half (15g) of the recommended daily intake of fiber. Naturally present in the plant foods we eat, fiber is a hero ingredient when it comes to maintaining metabolic health. Research shows that fiber aids in reducing the body’s absorption of cholesterol, supports weight management by slowing the digestion and encouraging satiety and promotes blood sugar balance.

Best high fiber foods:

• Chia seeds are not only rich in fiber (sitting at over 34g of fiber per 100g serving!), but they’re packed full of polyphenols, antioxidants, omega‐3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

• Avocados are packed-full of fiber, containing 6.7 grams of fiber per 100g serving.

• Lentils contain 10.7 grams per 100g serving.

Build a metabolically balanced plate

Glucose spikes occur when increased amounts of glucose enter the bloodstream too quickly, which can happen when there are no other macronutrients present to ‘buffer’ the increase in glucose from carbohydrates. Studies show that carbohydrates eaten on their own are a cause of blood sugar spikes and to counter this, it can help to prioritize pairing carbs with other macronutrients.

One study found that adding 2Tbsp of peanut butter to a high carbohydrate meal (in this case, two slices of white bread with a glass of apple juice) significantly reduced post-meal blood glucose levels in comparison to eating the carbohydrates alone.

Eat your food in the ‘right’ order

Research shows that ‘meal sequencing’ or the order that you eat your food can hugely influence your blood sugar balance, which in turn can support metabolic health. Since protein, fats and fiber have a minimal impact on blood sugar, studies show that if we eat either of these nutrients before we consume the carb-heavy options on our plate, it can significantly reduce a post-meal spike in blood sugar. One study found that this organized approach to eating reduced a post-meal spike in blood sugar by almost 30%.

Focus on micronutrient content rather than calories

Not all calories are equal and when we shift the focus from calories to nutrient-intake, markers of health tend to generally improve. Whole food fuels the body with high quality nutrients, and all nutrients perform different functions in the body. If we aren’t providing the body with the right fuel to perform these basic functions, the body may struggle to perform on a foundational level–impacting the way you use and produce energy.

Research suggests that on average we consume too many calories relative to our requirements, but for many people, the intake of certain vitamins, minerals and fiber sit below recommended levels. How? The over-consumption of highly-processed foods. One study has shown that people who focus on eating a diet high in nutrients generally need to worry less about the amount of calories they are consuming because of the quality of their food. This is because wholefoods contain slow releasing fiber and other important phytonutrients that induce less of an impact on blood sugar levels and therefore less of an insulin response.