Once somebody has taken the necessary blood tests and learned that they are metabolically unhealthy, how long does it take to improve?
In the USA and worldwide, most diseases are related to poor metabolic health. Not only that, but the markers that tell us we have poor metabolic health can be abnormal for up to a decade before illness manifests.
When someone is diagnosed with a condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, their body may have been warning them of it for ten years.
Which means two things:
- As such diseases typically appear in people in their 40s or 50s, many people probably become metabolically unhealthy in their 20s or 30s.
- There is plenty of time to correct course.
Improving metabolic health can be remarkably quick
With my patients, we do blood work 90 days after the first set of results, and they usually see significant improvement in that time. Studies have also shown improvements after 30 days, so it really doesn’t take long to see changes.
Of course, if you have 30 or 40 years of poor metabolic health to undo, this won’t happen overnight. But you can start the process, and prevent further damage being done.
You also don’t need to wait for blood panel results to get started. Start by evaluating your life:
- How much sleep do you get per night?
- Is your diet comprised of whole foods, or ‘nearly food’ that comes in a box or bag?
- Do you exercise multiple times a week?
- Do you walk regularly?
- Do you get daily sun exposure or supplement vitamin D?
- Are you overweight?
Pick the low-hanging fruit and commit to a change. If you don’t get much sleep, consider why and how to change that. Some people take their iPad or phone to bed with them, which keeps them awake. Others drink caffeine into the afternoon.
As I’ve written previously, food is the number one reason people end up on my operating table. Ditch the processed foods and drinks, and commit to eating whole foods. Combine with a daily walk and regular exercise and you’ll improve your weight, increase your sun exposure, improve your hormone levels, and probably improve your sleep patterns as well.
Remember that metabolic health is a reflection of our daily choices. Make the right choices and our health will follow.
For more information on this, you can hear my appearance on Red Beard Radio, where we discuss how to take control of your metabolic health, by clicking here.