Feed Your Gut to Fix Your Metabolism

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The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that are crucial for metabolic health. It is these complex microbial communities that influence everything from daily food intake to overall energy expenditure. Specialized cells sense specific nutrients and then release hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to reduce appetite and increase satiety. Nutrient and peptide signaling rely on the vagus nerve for gut-brain communication in both directions.

In recent years, the gut microbiota has become greatly appreciated for its role in regulating metabolism. It affects your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients, as well as helps manage inflammation and fat storage. Best of all, by making changes to your dietary intake and lifestyle habits, you can nurture your gut microbiome to optimize metabolism. Beyond metabolic functions, a healthy microbiome supports your brain and immune system to help prevent disease.

MRC protein-forward, low-carb nutrition includes the right vegetables...

To give your metabolism a natural boost, load up your plate with complex, low-carb vegetables. Focus on fibrous, non-starchy options like leafy greens (spinach and kale), broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and zucchini. These powerhouses are packed with fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and iron, which are essential nutrients that help your body convert food into energy more efficiently while stabilizing blood sugar. You can enjoy them roasted, tossed in salads, or even blended into smoothies for a nutrient-dense meal or snack.

“At Metabolic Research Center, our approach is protein-forward and low-carb*—but that doesn’t mean vegetables are off the table. The right non-starchy vegetables play a critical role in metabolic health, gut function, and sustainable fat loss.”

Dana McKeen, CEO & Regional Director

Interestingly, your microbiome is as unique as your fingerprint. It starts when you inherit your first microbes at birth, but your collection of microorganisms change throughout your life based on your environment and personal choices. Your gut bacteria helps extract calories from foods that your body simply cannot digest on its own. Nonetheless, during a weight loss journey, the composition of your microbiome can shift and individuals with a higher ratio of certain gut bacteria may find it more difficult to lose weight on a given menu plan.

Protein First for Metabolic Wellbeing

Bacteria and fungi that are important for your metabolic wellbeing live in your gut. In this complex microbial community, most of its inhabitants have a symbiotic relationship with you. In other words, you provide them with food and shelter, and in return, they perform vital bodily services. Your microbiome even helps to keep potentially harmful microbes in check. Studies have increasingly shown that the health of this internal ecosystem is a key factor in everything from sustainable weight control to ongoing mental wellness.

To help fix metabolic wellbeing, feed your gut flora but focus on diverse dietary intake that includes prebiotic fibers (onions, garlic, asparagus) and probiotic foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh) to nourish beneficial bacteria. Plus, reduce your daily intake of sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates, and overly processed foods. Healthy bacteria ferment prebiotic fibers to produce beneficial compounds like butyrate, which signals the body to produce hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that improve metabolic efficiency, increase satiety, and reduce sugary carb cravings.

So, a disrupted microbiome can increase energy storage through several mechanisms, including increased energy extraction from food and alterations in fat storage. Particularly the Firmicutes bacteria are considered to be more efficient at extracting energy from otherwise indigestible carbohydrates with more calories being harvested. Moreover, an imbalanced gut may also lead to insulin resistance and less insulin sensitivity often promotes additional fat storage that can contribute to chronic metabolic conditions like obesity.

Balance Your Microbiome for Success

So how can you nurture a healthy gut for better weight control? A holistic approach is best. After all, in today’s fast-paced world, better health for peak performance is a goal that many people strive for; but achieving peak performance isn’t just about hitting the gym more often or training harder while you’re there. To the contrary, it’s all about making simple but important adjustments like staying well-hydrated to support the growth of beneficial bacteria that can unlock your full potential.

1. Dietary Changes – To nurture a balanced gut microbiome, consider reducing your intake of highly processed foods, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and alcoholic beverages. After all, consuming overly processed foods with added sugars can disrupt the balance of your microbiome by promoting the growth of harmful bacteria. But, fiber from low-glycemic vegetables act as prebiotics and provide essential fuel for the beneficial bacteria residing in your microbiome. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, be mindful that high-fructose fruits that might cause gas and bloating. Next, incorporate probiotic foods like yogurt or miso, as these fermented products introduce live beneficial bacterial directly into your gut flora. Plus, fermentation can create healthful byproducts call postbiotics that can interact with your immune cells. Nonetheless, it is just as important to limit disrupting foods that promote harmful bacteria and systemic inflammation.
2. Lifestyle Adjustments – Since your gut and brain are in constant contact via the bidirectional gut-brain axis, psychological stress can directly impact digestive health. Chronic stress often disrupts the overall gut balance of bacteria, increases inflammation throughout the body, and heightens gut sensitivity, which can worsen conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Incorporating stress-reducing activities like deep-breathing exercises into your daily routine and establishing a consistent sleep schedule around the same time each day helps regulate your gut’s circadian rhythms. To nurture you gut microbiome, aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. While antibiotics are sometimes needed to fight off harmful bacteria, they can easily wipe out beneficial microbes in your gut flora. Since this disruption can reduce bacterial diversity and weakened your immune system, only use antibiotics when prescribed by a healthcare professional. 
3. Gut Health Supplements – Although it is always best to get as many nutrients as you can from the food you eat first, some supplements may be needed to help improve, restore or repair your gut microbiome. Probiotics are live microorganisms, like beneficial bacteria and yeast, that help balance your gut flora. These microorganisms can be especially useful for restoring beneficial gut bacteria after a course of antibiotics. While probiotic supplements provide a concentrated dose, you can also boost your probiotic intake naturally by eating fermented foods. Since prebiotics are specialized non-digestible fibers that can feed good bacteria, excellent sources that can easily be added to your daily menus include leeks, garlic, asparagus, apples, and slightly green bananas. Different digestive enzymes can target specific foods like amylase for carbs, protease for protein, and lipase for fats. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that can help heal a leaky gut and support better bacteria balance.

Lifestyle factors like diet and exercise are major players in the obesity epidemic, and it's clear that your gut health is a crucial piece of the puzzle. After all, a weakened microbiome is less able to keep potentially harmful bacteria in check, which can lead to recurring metabolic health issues. The good news is that integrating healthier habits into your daily routine can allow you to see improvements in a few weeks with significant long-term changes only taking several months. If you’ve struggled with persistent symptoms of gut imbalance, consult a specialist at MRC Mandarin to discuss your existing conditions.

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*Protein-First: How Low-Carb Vegetables Support Weight Loss

While your gut’s initial composition is shaped at birth, it is your lifestyle choices and aging throughout adulthood that defines the day-to-day function of your microbiota. To cultivate a microbial ecosystem that supports long-term weight management, we start by focusing on a holistic (whole person), but uniquely personalized (individual needs) approach that has been developed over several decades of applying the latest science for weight control. Plus, unlike plant-based diets, our approach prioritizes protein to preserve lean mass.

To better support your gut flora, a weight loss coach at MRC will help you design a menu plan that features “protein-forward, low-carb nutrition” with non-starchy, fiber rich vegetables that are micro-nutrient dense to aid microbial balance for better metabolic health and wellness. Your gut also plays a crucial role in how bacteria activate, inactivate, or create toxic byproducts from medications. This interaction is especially important for those using GLP-1 weight loss medications or blood glucose regulators, as gut bacteria can impact bioavailability.

In addition, Metabolic Research Center can assist with your body’s specific needs for probiotics and prebiotics, as well as other weight-related supplementation that may be needed due to specific health issues. Reducing stress, getting adequate sleep, and exercising regularly also promote a healthy gut microbiome. Whether you prefer a prescriptive medical weight loss plan or select a more traditional approach for healthy living, our team can help you identify the best options for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.