How Does Stress Affect My Metabolic System?

Metabolism is the efficiency rate at which your body transforms the carbohydrates and glucose in foods you eat into energy. When our ancestors faced periods of famine, they stored fat in their bellies with an organ called the omentum. We do the same thing: when we experience chronic stress, we eat more food than we need, and we store it in our omentum because our body believes that energy supplies are being drained. As a result, energy is converted into long-term storage, such as glycogen and fat. This process proves damaging because the toxins from our omentum fat are pumped directly into surrounding organs. Long-term stress causes more fat to accumulate around your abdomen. Too much fat around the middle is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. But it also offers a tangible way to gauge our stress level: The bigger our bellies, the bigger our burden.

Today diabetes, currently the leading metabolic disease in the United States, is the result of a fundamental mismatch between our ancestral insides and our modern world outside. Why is this a problem? Because the excess sugar we consume today bands together into a sugary mixture that coats our organs and creates glasslike shards that can cut up the blood vessels and tissues of our body. The constant wounds of these sugar surges lead to chronic inflammation. As a result, we are prone to infections and arterial damage and less able to cope with common stresses we could normally fend off – like hypertension or high cholesterol.

What Blood/Biometric Tests Were Included in the Metabolic System?

P1-P2 Level Metabolic Tests

Glucose – Glucose is one of the most important carbohydrates in the body. It’s most important function is to provide energy by transporting sugar in your blood. Abnormally high levels of glucose could point to serious health problems, including diabetes.

Hemoglobin A1C - The A1C Test is a test that measures your average blood glucose level over the last three months.

Total Cholesterol - Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in the lipids (fats) of your bloodstream and in all of your body’s cells. It’s an important part of a healthy body, but a high level of cholesterol is a major risk factor for serious health problems. There are several kinds of cholesterol in your body.

HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol – HDL is the good cholesterol. Medical experts believe that HDL helps to lower the amount of bad cholesterol in your body. High levels of HDL could lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Triglycerides - Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body and are a major source of energy. Similar to other fats, a high level may indicate a health problem like high cholesterol, weight concerns, or diabetes.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio – Waist-hip ratio or Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. WHR has been found to be a more efficient predictor of diabetes and heart disease in people than waist circumference or body mass index (BMI) because it measures the omentum fat.

How Do I Improve My Metabolic System?

• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grain carbohydrates and beans, low-fat milk and cheese.  It is very beneficial to overall metabolic health.
• Keep your waist thin, exercise (thirty minutes daily), and keep your blood pressure under control. These are the most important things you can do to lower your risk of diabetes.
• Decrease your intake of sugared or diet soft drinks to one or less a day. A recent study found that having one or more soft drinks, even diet versions, increased the risk of metabolic syndrome by 44 percent.
• Drink more ginseng and cinnamon in your tea. All have been shown to help increase insulin receptivity, which can lower help lower the risk of aging from diabetes.
• Research shows that coffee can decrease insulin resistance and decrease the development of diabetes by 25 percent. But watch the sugar!
• Drink two cups a day of Oolong tea. Oolong contains polyphenols, which have been shown to help control body fat by improving the metabolism of nutritional fat. Oolong tea, a Chinese tea, doesn’t have the bitter taste of typical green tea. Drink two cups and ha day and have 2 1/2 times the calorie burning rate of traditional green tea.
• Add more fiber to your diet….about 35 grams a day for women and 25 grams a day for men.
• Shower your insides with water – just enough so that your urine is clear.
• Avoid eating foods that have high fat, sugar or salt content and eating smaller portions of meats, poultry and carbohydrates.
• Exercise regularly. It increases your metabolism and muscle mass, which burns more sugar for fuel. Exercising also increases your Resting Metabolic Rate so that you burn more calories even when you’re not exercising.
• Sleep 7-8 hours every night. It is crucial to maintain your glucose tolerance and keep your hormones in balance. Poor sleep habits are linked to stress-eating, which stores fat around the mid-section, increasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The effects of less than one week of poor sleep resemble those of advanced aging, including the onset of diabetes, hypertension and obesity. 
• Adopt simple stress management techniques, such as watching your favorite TV show and engaging in activities like golf or racquetball, can help you better manage stress. Excessive stress can trigger hormones that slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain.