Metabolism is regulated by the thyroid. The thyroid resets metabolism every few days in response to the amount of calories ingested. A slowed metabolic rate is like the car at a traffic stop that is sputtering to stay running. When one goes on a low calorie diet for several days without the right amount and proportion of essential nutrients, including protein, the thyroid will reset to “starvation mode” or a state of lower energy expenditure. The goal is to keep your metabolism running strong by optimizing nutrition even while on a low calorie diet and not signaling a metabolic slowdown.
Catabolic means to “break down” and is the opposite of anabolic, which means to “build up.” Simplified, catabolic is when blood levels of amino acids, sugar, and other nutrients have been depleted and the body has need for fuel or repair. The body then sends hormonal signals to release stored nutrients and to break down tissues to acquire any other needed raw materials. Catabolic hormones include cortisol, glucagon, adrenaline, and other catecholamines (“fight-or-flight” hormones released by the adrenal glands in response to stress). The body feeds off itself for raw materials if they are not otherwise available.
Metabolic adjustment and catabolism serve important functions within the body; however, it is critically important for them to be optimized. You want to maximize your resting metabolic rate and minimize catabolism. Catabolism of stored fat is very desirable, but loss of muscle and lean body mass is not.
Noralyn Mills, R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, states that when we feed our body at regular intervals, we send a signal to our body that it doesn’t have to store calories, but when we skip meals, we affect the metabolism negatively. “But,” she also specifies, “this can be accomplished with three regular meals a day for many of us.” The reality is that most people would be far better off skipping a meal than eating what they typically eat.
When looking at digestion speed of various foods and how the endocrine system works best, it would seem that eating three meals per day allows for normal digestion time and optimal endocrine function. Eating too often can cause digestive congestion and chronically higher blood sugar and insulin levels that can lead to diabetes, Syndrome X, and virtually every other disease you can name.
KC Craichy
Author
The Super Health Diet
