Appearing on the Zoe podcast, a health expert has debunked common myths surrounding ‘metabolism’, emphasising its significance beyond mere weight loss.
Metabolism specialist Shawn Stevenson dropped some bombshells, noting you can have bad metabolic health without being overweight, a fast metabolism isn’t always good, and sleep can change your metabolism.
However, he targeted what he believes is the biggest misconception: metabolism isn’t solely about converting food into energy but involves a complex interaction between a number of things, even air, to fuel our bodies.
Stevenson said: “Metabolism is really about the sum of all the different pieces that can create and generate energy and that feed into each other.
“There are other things besides food that are getting converted into energy for us as well.”
He further explained: “Whether that’s body fat, whether that is oxygen, and how it relates to all these different pieces.
“There are literally millions of parts and inputs that determine metabolism.”
Shawn also touched upon dietary choices and their effects on metabolic efficiency, highlighting that not all foods are equal in terms of energy conversion.
Explaining why processed foods often hinder weight loss efforts, Professor Tim Spector warned that our bodies struggle to process highly processed foods, leading to a “metabolic clog”, and it’s not just obvious unhealthy foods that are the problem.
Even some seemingly healthy options like smoothies, brown bread, and orange juice can wreak havoc due to high sugar content.
He advised: “We know that you need to avoid foods that are really going to peak your blood sugar and stress your insulin levels.
“Cutting out their sugar spikes is probably the number one thing for metabolic health if you had a tip.”
Instead, Professor Tim recommended switching to “higher fat foods, good quality fats, obviously, and plants that have high fibre content”, especially for those with a family history of metabolic diseases.