The Biggest Health Aspiration for 2024

There is no question that the BIG worry of our physicians and health care practitioners today is metabolic health. 

Why?  You might ask.

Because it’s incredibly important and hardly any of us have it.  And poor metabolic health seems to be the root cause of many of our chronic illnesses.

Perhaps you remember seeing headlines a few years ago about how only 1 in 8 Americans is metabolically healthy.  Sadly, things aren’t getting better.  In fact, here in the UAE things are probably worse given our high rates of diabetes.  Clearly, the possibility that some 90% of us are metabolically unhealthy is worrisome but  when I (and maybe you?) think of metabolic health and illness, I usually think of diabetes, obesity, or maybe heart disease.  But apparently, those disorders are just the tip of the iceberg.  Being metabolically unhealthy has an impact that extends way beyond heart disease.  There’s recently been a swell of new research articles looking at how our metabolism - or rather our metabolic dysfunction - contributes not just to diabetes or heart disease but also to cancer, autism, infertility, and even, most powerfully, our mental health.   

It’s all very complex, of course.  I’ve always thought of metabolism as simply the process through which our bodies create and maintain our energy levels.  And, yes, we all learned in middle school that our metabolism affects our energy levels and calorie consumption but apparently there’s a lot more to it than that. 

When our metabolism is functioning optimally, we are able to efficiently convert food into the energy our bodies need to feel and perform radiantly.  When everything is working well, we’re able to maintain stable blood sugar levels and to regulate other important physiological processes like digestion, immunity, cognitive function, and reproduction. However, when our metabolism is imbalanced or dysfunctional, we become inflamed.  How and why this inflammation is created is complex and way beyond the scope of this blog but suffice it to say that this inflammation can contribute to a range of health problems: obesity, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and even mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. 

ASIDE:   If you’re interested in the metabolic take on mental health, you must see Brain Energy by Christopher Palmer, a professor at the Harvard Medical School who is suggesting that almost all mental health issues are really an indication that our brain isn’t well fuelled.

Indeed, our metabolic health seems to be a key determinant of chronic illness. Our partner, Ultrahuman, postulates that fully 85% of chronic illnesses are rooted in some type of metabolic imbalance.   

So how’s your metabolic health? 

If you aren’t sure, review these five indicators of metabolic health:  blood pressure, fasting blood sugar level, waist circumference, levels of HDL cholesterol, and levels of triglycerides. According to January.ai, one of the US’s hot new healthtech companies, and an expert in metabolism:

• Your blood pressure should be at or below 120/80.
• Your fasting blood sugar level, AKA blood glucose level, should be checked in the morning before eating (i.e. fasting) and should be somewhere between 70 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL
• Your waist circumference shouldn’t suggest that you are storing a lot of excess body fat around your middle.  In other words, your waist shouldn’t measure more than 40 inches around if you are a man or 34.6 inches if you are a woman. 
• Your HDL cholesterol should measure at least 40 mg/dL (men) and at least 50 mg/dL (women). LDL cholesterol, in general, should be as low as possible.
• Finally, your triglycerides should measure less than 150 mg/dL, for you to be considered metabolically healthy.

What do you think your levels are?  Do you think you are in range on every dimension?

If no, then maybe this is something worth thinking about.  If we were to pick just one aspiration for the new year perhaps we might think about improving our metabolic health.

Indeed, these numbers are fixable.  And in the process of fixing them, you’re going to discover that life gets better.  A lot better.  You’ll feel more energetic, less frazzled, and happier.  At least, that’s what the science says and what so many people who have been through it say. 

So . . . yes, perhaps you can aspire to a slightly healthier way of life in 2024:  a little less processed food, a little more water, a few more walks around the block, a little earlier to bed, and maybe just maybe you could start tapping to manage your stress.   Seriously, tapping is almost effortless!  Just see next week’s blog for the how-to. 

In fact, stick with Azoki.  We’re all about helping you get just a little bit healthier.  One step at a time. 

Happy 2024!

Yours in health and happiness,

Sarah