The Metabolism: What it is and why it’s Important.
The concept of metabolism is often reduced to simply how many calories we burn and how much we weigh. However, the metabolism is very complex, and its functions are much more crucial to our overall health than just aesthetics. Our metabolism encompasses every single biochemical process that occurs within the body to maintain life and vitality. This includes converting food into energy, constructing our cells, regulating our hormones, managing brain function, eliminating toxins, and so much more.
If you think of your body as an assembly line, the metabolism is not just one of the stations, but rather the workers who control the operations at each and every one of the stations. If the workers aren’t doing their job well, the entire assembly line system is thrown off. Similarly, when your metabolism isn’t functioning well, your whole body feels the consequences.
“When the thyroid gland functions as it should, the engine of the body operates at top efficiency. When the thyroid malfunctions, it is as if sludge had been added to the oil supply of the body.”
Healing the metabolism is our main focus at Growing Gwenyth because without a proper functioning metabolism, nothing else can work or heal correctly. In this article I’ll briefly answer the question: “What is the Metabolism?,” and expand upon the importance of proper metabolic function to our overall health.
So, what is the Metabolism?
Dr. Ray Peat, a biologist who helped fuel the conversation around metabolism and bioenergetics, emphasized that a healthy metabolism is central to our overall vitality. In his book, Generative Energy: Restoring the Wholeness of Life, he describes metabolism as the sum of the body's processes that generate energy from nutrients and maintain life through efficient utilization of that energy.
Simply put, the role of the metabolism is to produce and use ATP, the energy currency of our bodies. Our cells convert the food we eat into energy for everything the body does. Many things contribute to the state of our metabolism including fuel intake (nourishment), nutrient availability (quality of your food), genetics, thyroid function, and presence of anti-metabolic toxins (stress, endocrine disruptors, certain halogens, etc..)
If you’ve heard me talk about metabolism before, you’ve probably also heard me talk about the thyroid gland, and this is because the thyroid and metabolism go hand-in-hand, working together in what’s called a positive feedback loop. The thyroid gland creates thyroid hormones which are transported to cells all over the body. There, they’re used to increase mitochondrial function and cell respiration, which then increases energy production, which then loops back to make more thyroid hormone… and the cycle continues. This is why proper thyroid function is paramount for overall health, and why it can basically be referred to as one-in-the-same with the metabolism.
Not all the energy goes back to the thyroid, though. The energy created by the mitochondria is used by every cell in the body to fulfill their duties. Some energy is used for basic bodily function, which would be described as our basal metabolic rate (BMR). These functions include maintaining a heartbeat, breathing, blood homeostasis, creating hormones, digesting food, and anything else your body does automatically to maintain survival. In addition to this, some of the energy goes to extra duties such as physical activity, creativity, mood, healing acute issues, and fueling the things you choose to do on a day-to-day basis. The higher your metabolic rate is, the easier it is for you to partake in such activities with little to no effort. Have you ever gotten home from a long day of work and felt like you can’t even relax and focus on a TV show? That’s because even the simple act of thinking and interpreting information requires energy.
Understanding the metabolism's foundational role in energy production, energy utilization, and overall health highlights why it’s so important to our vitality. The energy that allows your eyes to see your screen right now comes from the metabolism. The energy that allows your finger to scroll comes from the metabolism. The energy that allows your brain to understand what I’m saying comes from the metabolism. The energy that allows your heart to beat properly and lungs to absorb oxygen comes from the metabolism. Every single thing your body does, is fueled by the metabolism. But it goes beyond just basic function… The energy that allows you to fall in love comes from the metabolism. The energy that allows you to be filled with joy comes from the metabolism. The energy that allows you to form deep connections with your friends comes from the metabolism. The essence of life comes from the metabolism.
I hope you understand by now that a well-functioning metabolism is not just about burning calories and looking good in a bathing suit—it's about optimizing every process that sustains life and promotes well-being. By improving metabolic health, we are addressing the root cause of most health issues and enhancing our vitality, resilience, and longevity.
Why is it Important?
When everything is going well metabolically, we’re able to create hormones for fertility, produce enzymes for digestion, release neurotransmitters for optimal brain function and mental health, regulate our blood sugar levels, fight off infections, and complete basically any other bodily process you can think of. However, when something goes wrong, any or all of these functions can suffer.
There are many factors that can contribute to a dysfunctional metabolism. The main culprits include under-eating or eating a low nutrient diet, low carb dieting, over-exercising, stress, estrogenic compounds from our environment, anti-thyroid foods, halogens such as chlorine and fluoride, and lack of intentional living. When any of these factors are at play, it's like a worker on that assembly line is either out of work or doing his job incorrectly. In the case of just 1 or 2 of these issues occurring, the entire metabolism may not crash, but it’s likely that the energy output will decrease, and the energy produced will need to be prioritized toward the places of most importance, i.e. survival. This is when you may see functions not essential for living down-regulate, i.e. fertility, energy levels, skin health, digestive speed, mood, etc.. In the case of too many disruptions you may begin to see disease expression and more severe complications of low metabolism: cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, seizures, autoimmune disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, degeneration, and other serious health issues.
Another key importance of a healthy metabolism is resilience. With a healthy metabolism you may come into contact with a contagious virus and never come down with an infection, however with a lowered metabolism you are far more at risk for experiencing illness. With a healthy metabolism you can experience a stressful event but return to joy quickly, while with a lowered metabolism the stress may be more difficult to overcome. With a healthy metabolism, getting back to homeostasis is far easier and takes almost no effort, because behind every bodily function is a biochemical process that requires energy. Personally, this is my favorite aspect of being metabolically healthy: being able to maintain a state of peace, happiness, vitality, and energy flow regardless of what’s going on in the world around me.
Overall, maintaining a healthy metabolism is crucial for not only ensuring that our bodies function optimally and efficiently, but also that we live a good life. When we provide our bodies with the right resources, avoid toxins, and support thyroid function we enable the production and utilization of energy necessary for every vital process. Conversely, neglecting these factors can lead to a cascade of disruptions and health complications. By understanding and addressing the factors that influence metabolism, we can almost guarantee a balanced, energetic, joyful, and resilient state of living.
Are my Symptoms Associated with Low Metabolism?
So how exactly does the metabolism apply to YOU? Well, how are you doing?
Do you wake up every morning with a child-like wonder for what the day will hold? Do you easily maintain your physique without a restrictive diet plan? Do you have sustainable energy throughout the day and sleep well at night? Do you have painless periods that cycle and flow regularly? Are you able to focus on getting your tasks done well? Do you radiate joy, warmth, and vitality?
More specifically, do you have any disease diagnoses? “Genetic” disorders that maybe aren’t JUST genetic? Chronic symptoms you can’t seem to shake? Do you struggle with symptoms of PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, histamine intolerance, allergies, dysautonomia, POTS, IBS, Crohn’s, food sensitivities, weight gain, puffiness, acne, hair loss, low energy, unstable mood, anxiousness, depression, brain fog, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto’s, Graves’, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic stress, headaches, structural abnormalities, arthritis, aging, neurological disorders, ADHD, seizures, cancer, or anything in between? Chances are that metabolism is playing a role in your root cause. How do I know? Because every single one of these issues has a common denominator: low energy leading to dysfunction.
What Can I Do to Heal My Metabolism?
Healing your metabolism can be quite simple, but it can also be very complex. The question is, why is your metabolism struggling? Are you under-eating, are you over-exercising, are you exposed to anti-metabolic toxins, are you living a stressful lifestyle? Getting to the root of and healing your metabolic issues can take time, but getting started with some pro-metabolic foundations can get you heading in the right direction.
To start, are you eating in a way that will support energy production and usage? Lots of easily digested carbohydrates such as fruit and honey, milk, meat, gelatin, and saturated fats? If not, grab the Growing Gwenyth Grocery List HERE to get started with a list of metabolism-supporting foods.
Next, are you exposing yourself to metabolic toxins? How often are you eating polyunsaturated fats and cruciferous vegetables? Are you constantly indoors under blue, fluorescent lighting, breathing unfiltered air? Do you filter heavy metals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and other toxins out of your drinking water? Are you using conventional soaps, lotions, perfumes, candles, and fabric sprays regularly? This list may get overwhelming if I continue, but it’s important to know just how much our environment can be hijacking our health.
After that’s addressed, how are you living your life? Are you resting often and getting good sleep? Are you running yourself into the ground with hours of cardio everyday? Are you surrounding yourself with people that bring you joy, or people who stress you out? Are you engaging in stimulating hobbies regularly, or are you on autopilot just coasting through the days? Do you do meaningful work? Do you have values that motivate you to live your life well? Are you relationships based on joy-bonds, or mutual suffering and gossip? All of these things are important to think about, as one of the most potent metabolic toxins is stress!
If all of these things are in place but you’re still struggling, it may be time to dig deeper, and I’m here to help! Identifying more specific root causes with functional medicine at-home lab testing is a great option for many people. These labs can reveal mineral imbalances, heavy metal toxicities, gut infections, vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, stress levels, parasites, candida, thyroid levels, and so much more. In addition to this, taking a comprehensive look at your risk factors, lifestyle, diet, and symptoms may provide a better picture of what may be going on that’s contributing to your specific set of issues. Sometimes a “pro-metabolic” diet just isn’t enough, but that doesn’t mean your issues can’t be resolved. There is a reason for every symptom expression, there is a “why!”
You deserve to heal, and you CAN heal! Schedule a free discovery call HERE and we can discuss your potential root causes and the best course of action to heal your metabolism naturally!
“Energy is the basic requirement of life. In disease and aging, energy production is reduced, and the structure of the organism becomes less stable and more vulnerable.”
