Metabolic dysfunction is rampant in the United States. The majority of Americans have an underlying metabolic dysfunction. Obesity is usually blamed for many of the problems that Americans face such as stroke and heart attack, but obesity is just one of many symptoms of a greater problem. That problem is metabolic dysfunction.

To understand metabolic dysfunction and how to correct it, we first have to understand exactly what metabolism is. Metabolism is the way the body converts food into energy. There are 3 macronutrients that we consume; proteins, fats, and carbs. The body converts mostly fats and carbs for energy. Protein is generally used to build parts of the body and is not relevant for the rest of this blog post. The process of converting carbs into energy is called glycolysis, and the process of converting fats into energy is called ketosis. The ability of the body to readily take energy from both sources is called “metabolic flexibility”.

When we consume a diet that is primarily carbs, as we’ve been told to do for so many decades, our bodies learn to rely on glucose for energy. Then it becomes difficult to burn fats for energy. This is termed “metabolic inflexibility”. This becomes problematic for a number of reasons. First off, the body is only able to carry a small tank of carbs on the body. It gets stored in the liver and in muscle, and can circulate in the bloodstream. Roughly 2000 calories can be stored in this way. Once we use that up, we will get hungry, or rather hangry as we are low on energy. Especially if your body has not adapted to going into ketosis, or fat burning. We carry much more fat on the body, even if you are slim, than we do carbs.

When you eat a carb heavy meal, your pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin ushers the circulating glucose from the bloodstream into the liver and muscle tissue. If you have lived a life of constant carb consumption, and are spiking your insulin levels continually, you run the risk of becoming insulin resistant. This leads to type 2 diabetes. 

Insulin is a potent hormone that has many functions. One of its functions is to dictate which fuel source is being consumed for energy. When insulin is secreted, carbs are being used. When insulin is lower, fats can be utilized. So the key to burning fats is to keep insulin levels low. 

How do we do that? Prevent insulin spikes by eating a low or zero carb diet. Even if it's an intermittent strategy, most people will benefit because the majority of Americans are never in ketosis. In fact, the main reason people seem to do well with intermittent fasting is that they are giving their bodies a chance to use up their glucose, and trigger ketosis. If you have difficulty because you are getting hangry, you can just try avoiding foods that are high on glycemic load to start, and then eventually progress to a zero carb diet. The key is to avoid insulin spikes, to allow for fat burning with the end goal of metabolic flexibility. 

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