Heart and Metabolic Health
Metabolic health
Metabolic health refers to the overall level of inflammation and oxidative stress in our body, cardiovascular risk factors (like cholesterol and triglyceride levels), liver health, cardiovascular fitness, and insulin sensitivity and blood sugar dynamics. As we age, we have a higher risk of metabolic dysfunction which can impact how we feel and our body's ability to detoxify itself and maintain optimal function.
Two of the biggest metabolic health concerns include diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of factors including elevated blood fats, high blood pressure, low protective cholesterol (HDL), and too high fasting blood sugar- all of which indicate our insulin is not functioning properly.
Diabetes, which impacts about 30 million people in the US, is diagnosed when our A1c is 6.5% of above. Prediabetes, which is often undiagnosed, effects another almost 98 million people, and is when our A1c (measure of average blood sugar over 3 months) is 5.7-6.4%.
Having metabolic concerns can cause higher risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia, cancer, make it more difficult to lose weight, and can make us feel just generally poopy and tried.
Heart Health
Heart health refers to our overall cardiovascular fitness and function. Concerns include coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, heart failure, heart valve or function concerns, and elevated blood fats (cholesterol or triglycerides) that increase the risk of heart-related issues.
Often, clients with metabolic or heart-related health concerns are told to "lose weight", and this advice can seem daunting and frustrating- as many people have a history of weight loss efforts. The body often fights back against restriction with physiological adaptations such as decreases in metabolic rate.
At Bodacious Nutrition, we consider the overall lifestyle, body connection, values, desires, struggles, barriers, food relationship, and nutrition needs of our clients. We work together using evidence-based nutrition guidelines to support a heart healthy dietary pattern that feels manageable and sustainable as well as satisfying and joyful. We take a plant-forward approach to eating to support heart health. Let's chat.