Why metabolism is the secret to post-pandemic health

The team looked at over 100,000 metabolism measurements, revealing how users were able to keep their bodies in a state of fat burn, or using fat as an energy source, from home throughout the first lockdown from March 22 until May 15, 2020 among adults living in New York City. These users had a common thread of combining key nutritional and exercise elements that kept them healthy without resorting to hours of working out or major diet restrictions. As we enter a post-pandemic world, we can learn a lot from what winning Lumen users did to stay healthy.

How Lumen users stayed healthy during the pandemic

The good news is that we all have the ability to train our metabolism to be more flexible with the right exercise and nutrition, even during a pandemic. Here at Lumen we see that winning users are those that can commit to small incremental changes that are impactful enough to yield results but easy enough to maintain during these trying times.

Research carried out by our data team shows adults in New York City who made smart health choices during the first spring lockdown were able to keep their weight down and maintain general health.

Start your journey to better metabolic health by following these four simple steps

1. Time-restricted eating – Studies show time-restricted eating, which is a type of intermittent fasting, can improve metabolic health. Lumen users fasted for an average of 13 hours a day and met their fat burning goals.
2. Exercise – Don’t underestimate the power of a good workout. Move your body for at least 30 minutes per day whether that’s a HIIT session or just going for a walk .The typical Lumen users completed an average of over 5000 daily steps to stay in shape with a minimum of one weekly workout.
3. Whole foods diet – Avoid processed food and foods that are high in sugar. Eat a diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables and healthy fats such as avocado and salmon that promote fat burn. Lumen users went mostly low-carb by consuming 8 servings a day.
4. Reduce stress and sleep – Long-term stress has been shown to negatively impact metabolism which you can read more about here. Sleep is also crucial for training your metabolism to be healthier, as Lumen users got in an average of 7 hours of sleep per night.

What is metabolic health?

On the most basic level, metabolism is a series of chemical processes that your body uses to turn the food you eat (mainly carbohydrates and fats) into energy. Your metabolism controls whether these fuel sources are used immediately or stored for later use. A healthy metabolism has a number of benefits to your overall health and wellbeing.

Contrastingly, an unhealthy metabolism can lead to a cluster of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. This is called metabolic syndrome, which affects 88% of US Adults.

Why does it matter?

It is so important to understand how your body produces and consumes energy because unlocking this is the secret to peak health. One of the benefits of a well-functioning metabolism is a stronger immune system, which is key as we step into this crucial post-pandemic era. Other benefits to help us get back on track after lockdown include: healthy weight loss, better sleep, optimized workout performance and increased energy. 

Now more than ever we need to find ways to stay strong and healthy – and that doesn’t mean fads or quick fixes. The shift towards evidence-backed approaches was recognized by the Global Wellness Summit who tipped metabolic health as one of this year’s biggest wellness trends.