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Hi Reader!

This is part two of our discussion on metabolic health. If you missed part one, here it is. Your metabolism constantly adapts to changes in diet, activity, and environment, and it works best when you are metabolically flexible.

Your body's ability to use energy efficiently—whether it's burning fuel or storing it—depends on how well your metabolic systems work together. Energy production happens within each cell, but cells within an organ need to work in unison. How would a cell in your calf muscle know whether you just ate or you are fasting? Are you running on an empty stomach or an hour after you ate? Organs and tissues coordinate with each other and work as one organism. This coordination involves enzymes, genes, mitochondria, and hormones, which are, in turn, influenced by environmental factors like diet, exercise, stress, etc.

Hormones and Metabolic Flexibility

Hormones are key players in coordinating metabolic processes in the body as a whole, as well as cells' and organs' efforts to balance energy use and storage. Here are some hormones released by the organs in your digestive system:

• Insulin and glucagon are key hormones that control nutrient storage and burning and how your body manages blood sugar, especially after eating or during fasting.
• GLP-1 is released by the gut after meals. It boosts insulin release and lowers sugar production in the liver. Too much GLP-1 slows down stomach emptying (think Ozempic and Wegovy) from 2 hours to 6 hours, making you feel full for much longer. However, it also interferes with the normal digestion process.
• Bile acids not only help digest fats but also improve insulin sensitivity and energy use.
• Ghrelin, often called the "hunger hormone," decreases after eating, reducing liver sugar production and encouraging muscles to take up glucose.

Together, these hormones help your body adjust fuel use depending on whether you've just eaten or not eaten for a while.

Your muscles and fat tissue actively communicate with the rest of your body to regulate metabolism:

• Adiponectin (from fat cells) helps muscles burn fat and lowers sugar production in the liver.
• Leptin (from fat cells) signals your brain about your energy reserves and helps regulate appetite.
• Myokines (from muscles) are released during exercise and improve your body's ability to burn fat, process sugar, and respond to insulin.

The point is that your body is always sensing the internal environment and adjusting the cocktail of hormonal messages, striving to maintain homeostasis or balance. For example, after eating, your body senses the macronutrients in your meal, and the pancreas releases insulin according to what you eat. Eating a bowl of oatmeal or an egg and cheese will require different amounts of insulin. If you go for a walk soon after eating, less insulin is needed versus if you sit down to work or watch TV.

Mitochondria: Your Cell's Energy Factories

Mitochondria, the tiny energy factories inside cells, play a central role in your cells' metabolic flexibility. They take nutrients and convert them into a usable form of energy called ATP. In healthy individuals, mitochondria can efficiently switch between fuel sources.

When mitochondria work efficiently, they adapt based on what you eat and how much energy your body needs. For example:

• Too much food can fragment mitochondria, reducing their efficiency. At the same time, mitochondria protect cells from the adverse effects of overeating, specifically excess oxidative stress. Long-term poor mitochondrial function can make it harder for the body to switch between burning carbohydrates or fats, negatively affecting metabolic flexibility.
• Calorie restriction or fasting helps mitochondria become more interconnected and efficient, producing energy with fewer resources.
• Exercise increases the number of mitochondria in muscle cells, making them more energy-efficient and improving metabolic rate.

In summary

• Many hormones and communicating molecules regulate metabolic processes in the body as a whole.
• The body continuously senses the internal environment and adjusts the cocktail of hormonal messages, striving to maintain homeostasis or balance. In addition, metabolism is regulated within each cell, reducing or increasing mitochondrial efficiency.
• Interfering in this complex coordination with medications typically has negative side effects.

Next, we'll discuss how we become metabolically inflexible and the conventional methods used to assess metabolic health. We'll also explore the new, more comprehensive approaches that are emerging in this field so you can stay on top of your game and make informed decisions about your health.

I'll be in touch in two weeks, take care!

Olga

P.S. Winter Reset Sugar Detox is a step toward improving metabolic flexibility!