Of the American population 43% over 40 & 36% of those 20-39 are obese. There is a direct connection to weight gain with age as after 30, 1% of muscle mass is lost on average annually. With muscle mass loss there’s a decrease in metabolic rate. The good news is this loss can be prevented or reversed with exercises the support the increase of muscle mass and you can start at any age. The bad news is too many people are putting in the muscle mass gaining efforts & not seeing results. The lack of results could be due to not knowing your data. Personal data is like gold, the more you know about yourself the more you can optimize your metabolic factors to put your weight in check. So if you can’t lose weight no matter what you’ve done to this point you want to listen in to this 3 part series dedicated to weight loss as you get older. This episode is the first in a 3 part series on why you gain weight as you get older. In this episode of The Health Fix Podcast, Dr. Jannine Krause covers what data you need to know to get your body back to burning fat and building muscle.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
– why tracking sleep is key for your weight goals
– why long term keto diets for women can be problematic
– why tracking your steps is a waste of time
– what to ask your doctor to assess at your next visit
– what specialty tests are key to understanding your personal metabolism
Resources from the Show:
- Lab tests you can get from your doctor to assess your metabolism:
- Thyroid: TSH – thyroid stimulating hormone, free T4 – the amount of hormone your thyroid produces, free T3 – the thyroid hormone your body is converting in the tissues, liver & gut to help you with metabolism, antibodies to see if you have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: anti-TPO – an antibody to the enzyme that converts T4 to T3, thyroglobulin antibody – the antibody directly to the thyroid
- Hormones in general: Total estrogens, estradiol – your protective estrogen for the heart, bones & skin, progesterone – the calming hormone for aid with anxiety & sleep, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) – how much of your hormones are stuck bound to molecules & not available for your body to use
- Inflammation in your body – C-RP – C-Reactive Protein – a protein that is produced by the liver as a result of an inflammatory reaction to bacteria or fungal infections as well as inflammatory bowel & autoimmune conditions. Ferritin is a marker of iron storage in the liver but is another way to assess for inflammation, if elevated or if low levels are found then iron storage deficiencies are present
- Specialty lab tests to assess your metabolism further:
- Hormone metabolism – DUTCH Test – dried urine testing to look at how you break down hormones in your body. Ideal if you have tested your hormones via blood and they came back normal but you are still having symptoms of hormone imbalance
- Saliva Cortisol – to assess how stress is affecting your energy levels & sleep/wake cycles
- Micronutrient Testing – a white blood cell test of vitamins, minerals, amino acids & immune system function – ideal to know if your supplements are working & if you are deficient in any key components that are crucial for metabolism
- Gut Microbiome Testing – Viome or BioHM – a swab of your toilet paper type of stool test to assess your microbiome or GI Mapping – a more comprehensive look at your actual stool to see how you break down your food, what inflammatory markers are present in your stool & your microbiome status.
Enjoy The Show? Never Miss An Episode
Subscribe, Rate and Review the show in iTunes
Subscribe via Stitcher or RSS feed
Send us feedback via Email
Leave a comment below
