The Month in Metabolic Health: January 2023
In this monthly article, we round up our favorite stories, research, podcasts, and videos—from Levels and elsewhere—across metabolic health.
Four Top Stories on Metabolic Insights:
A practical guide to cutting out sugar
Want to reduce or eliminate sugar from your diet? It can be challenging, but this expert-developed plan offers a roadmap to success.
The 2023 Levels Guide to PCOS and metabolic health
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition affecting fertility, weight, and more—and it's intimately tied to metabolic health.
Foods we love: bone broth
Collagen-rich bone broth is low in calories and carbs, rich in flavor, and a source of key amino acids that can curb inflammation and support metabolic health.
How to talk to your doctor about blood sugar and why it matters
Many well-meaning physicians may not bring up blood sugar until prediabetes or Type 2 has set in. Here's how to talk to your doctor before you get there.
Three Research Studies that Caught Our Eye
Longitudinal association between triglyceride glucose index and depression progression in middle-aged and elder adults: A national retrospective cohort study
tl;dr: A large Chinese study finds that poor metabolic health increases depression risk in adults. Specifically, researchers identified a correlation between depression and high scores on the triglyceride glucose index(TyG)—a metabolic health metric that quantifies levels of both glucose and triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood.
(Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases) (Original Study)
Breaking up prolonged sitting to improve cardiometabolic risk: dose-response analysis of a randomized cross-over trial
tl;dr: How often should you stand up and stretch your legs? That may depend on your health goals. A small study of adults found that in order to significantly reduce glucose levels, participants needed to take a five-minute walking break every thirty minutes; to lower blood pressure, by contrast, a single one-minute break each hour sufficed.
(Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise) (Original Study)
Effects of a school-based nutrition, gardening, and cooking Intervention on metabolic parameters in high-risk youth[
](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-muscle-glucose-fat-fuel-metabolism.amp)
tl;dr: A study of 16 Texas elementary schools finds that school-based gardening and nutrition programs may improve metabolic health metrics among children with overweight. In this high-risk group, kids with access to the program experienced improvements in glucose control and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
(JAMA Network Open) (Original Study)
Four Things to Watch and Listen To
Dr. Anjali Dsouza and Mike Haney discuss how functional medicine differs from traditional medicine—focusing on the former’s ability to address root causes of disease.
Dr. Casey Means and Dr. Mark Hyman describe five wellness tactics that may help you live longer and feel better.
Sonja Manning chats with Commune founder Jeff Krasno about metabolic flexibility, his philosophy behind fasting, and finding dietary practices that work for his body.
Listen as Mo Jeans recounts how she uses CGM to eat for stable blood sugar and the ways in which the experience affects her work as a physician assistant.
Take control of your metabolic health
Levels helps you see how food and lifestyle affect your health through macro tracking, habit-building, and customized insights and advice. Levels members can also incorporate biomarker data like real-time glucose and metabolic blood testing for an even more personalized experience. Click here to get started with Levels.
