Jenny Smiechowski
Not everyone understands just how hard this can be…
Some people can eat anything, barely exercise and still maintain a balanced blood sugar and stay thin (although, thin doesn’t always mean healthy).
So what’s the difference between someone who can eat what they want and someone who has to count every calorie?
Well, it all comes down to metabolic health.
Basically, people who struggle with weight, prediabetes and diabetes have an imbalance in their metabolism. That means that their body doesn’t metabolize food correctly. More specifically, it struggles to extract the glucose that enters their bloodstream from food because their body isn’t producing enough of the hormone insulin.
This can happen for a bunch of reasons, including genetic predisposition. But it can also happen after eating too much unhealthy food for too long. The body’s insulin factory (the pancreas) gets worn out and stops producing it as effectively.
Now, the best natural way to get your metabolic balance back on track is through diet and exercise. But there are also a few metabolic health hacks you can use to reset your metabolism, so staying healthy isn’t such an uphill battle.
In fact, researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands recently found that if you want to improve your metabolic health significantly, all you have to do is reprogram your thermostat…
Master your metabolic health with your thermostat
If you’re like most people, you probably set your thermostat to a stable, comfortable temperature… usually somewhere between 69 and 71 degrees. But this might not be helping your metabolic health.
In fact, Maastricht University researchers found that exposing your body to temperatures outside of this comfort zone could fight serious metabolic diseases like diabetes.
More specifically, they discovered that fluctuating the temperature between comfortable temperatures and slightly chilly temperatures improves glucose metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes…
After just 10 days spent in periods of intermittent cold, study participants with type 2 diabetes were able to improve their insulin sensitivity by 43 percent! That’s just as effective as pharmaceutical options… with a lot less side effects.
Researchers also found that exposing yourself to colder temps converts your body’s unhealthy white fat into healthy brown fat… and you want as much brown fat as you can get because it helps you burn more calories.
Try the temperature sugar trick
So, if you really want to make your metabolic health more manageable, try toying around with your thermostat. In the study, researchers exposed participants to intermittent doses of 59 degree temps for a total of 6 hours per day.
You may be a little uncomfortable at times. But, truth be told, most worthwhile health practices take you out of your comfort zone. Just think about how you feel when you try to eat healthier or start a new exercise routine. It may be hard at first, but you keep doing it because the benefits are worth it. And, in the case of exposing yourself to cooler indoor temps, the benefits are definitely worth it… especially if you have blood sugar issues.
Of course, don’t fall into the trap of thinking temperature fluctuation can completely replace a healthy diet and exercise. You still need to eat nutritious foods and keep your body moving. But reprogramming your thermostat is a quick and easy way to make your metabolic health a little better and your life a little easier.
Sources:
Study finds major health benefits linked to indoor temperature variation — MedicalXpress. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt, et al. “Healthy excursions outside the thermal comfort zone.” — Building Research & Information, 2017.
https://easyhealthoptions.com/health-hack-reduces-insulin-sensitivity-43/
