You can reprogram the body from carbohydrate to fat metabolism. This condition can not only be beneficial to the figure, but also bring other advantages. FITBOOK explains what exactly «fat metabolism» means, how the changeover succeeds – and also who should refrain from it for health reasons.
You know it: people reach for glucose, for example, when they want to call up ad hoc performance. In fact, the body does not only need energy for additional requirements, but constantly: for all cell processes and organ functions. So you would have to constantly supply carbohydrates through food, from which the body can obtain the necessary fructose. The whole thing is different in people with a fat metabolism.
What does lipid metabolism mean?
When it comes to fat metabolism, the body no longer uses carbohydrates and sugar. The cells obtain the energy they need from fat cells and so-called ketone bodies. These are only found in the blood of people when they have successfully changed their metabolic processes and entered the state of ketosis. In addition, their fat metabolism is triggered, which can be beneficial if you want to lose weight.
The fat metabolism should not only bring aesthetic advantages. Rather, it is used to pursue more sustainable health goals. So there is a lot of science dealing with ketosis in relation to diseases. FITBOOK has already reported that an energy supply via ketone bodies can have a positive effect on Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and possibly also on various types of cancer.
Also interesting: Vegetables that are ideal for the ketogenic diet
How can you reprogram your metabolism?
On the one hand, fat metabolism occurs in people who have been ketogenic for a long time. The ketogenic diet primarily includes fats, closely followed by animal or vegetable protein suppliers. We’ll explain it in more detail in a moment.
The most important thing here is to consume carbohydrates in moderation. What can result in rapid weight loss as part of a classic no- or low-carb diet is supposed to have a long-term effect in this case: Due to the lack of carbohydrates that the body supposedly needs so urgently, the cells look for alternative energy sources – a possibility to get into ketosis.
Furthermore, the state of ketosis, also known as starvation metabolism, can be achieved through targeted fasting. Through long phases in which nothing is eaten, the central nervous system also learns to cover most of its energy requirements via said ketone bodies. The last option: do a lot of sport! FITBOOK explains it in more detail below.
Also interesting: «2 weeks (almost) without carbohydrates – I’m fit, but …
Tips to reprogram your carbohydrate to fat metabolism
1. Start the ketogenic diet
Classic «satisfaction side dishes» such as pasta, potatoes and rice no longer have any place on the nutrition plan. Instead, low-carbohydrate vegetables and salad are allowed, and as mentioned, the focus is on sources of protein and fat.
It can take a few weeks for the body to start producing ketones and switching to fat metabolism—at least if you’re careful. The more drastically you cut carbohydrates from your diet, the faster it can go. If you only eat about 25 grams of carbohydrates per day, the intermediate goal can be reached after a few days. However, types of vegetables that should not be missing from a healthy, high-fiber diet are also prohibited in this way. And: Being so radical all of a sudden is also harder to keep going.
2. Train according to plan
Exercise can help convert carbohydrate to fat metabolism. That shouldn’t surprise anyone – after all, the muscles are directly involved in burning fat. The daily calorie turnover also increases with the muscle mass – simply because there are more cells that burn energy even when at rest.
Untrained people who have decided to reprogram their metabolism achieve the best results with stress intensities at 45 percent of maximum performance. This is shown by several sports science studies, including a work on the subject of fat metabolism at the Sports Medicine Center of the Hannover Medical School and the Agnes-Karll Hospital in Laatzen. Alternatively, sessions at 60 percent of maximum heart rate are recommended for beginners.
Suitable sports are endurance and strength-oriented (e.g. cycling, rowing, running or walking with inclines and walking), in which the corresponding heart rate ranges should be easy to reach.
Of course, exercise and sport are almost always health-promoting. However, if you want to achieve a fat metabolism, the training intensity plays an important role. Experts recommend high-intensity intervals (like HIIT) and warn against less demanding (i.e. low-intensity) workouts, which can trigger adaptation processes in the body and the opposite of the desired effect: an economization of the metabolism, which would then work more slowly.
3. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting (also: interval fasting) has established itself from a supposed trend to a permanent habit of many health-conscious people. In an interview with FITBOOK, various experts have already confirmed this, including the Hamburg nutritionist Dr. medical Matthias Riedl that strictly adhered to meal breaks relieve the entire organism and thus the metabolism and the organs can recover.
Nevertheless, intermittent fasting can help to change your metabolism faster. This was also confirmed to us by graduate nutritionist Prof. Nicolai Worm. The long periods in which the body is denied energy from outside teach it to use its own fat stores.
There are the options of 16:8 interval fasting (= fasting for 16 hours, eating for eight hours), the «warrior diet», which only allows food intake for four hours a day, and many more, not all of which are recommended are. We have collected the various intermittent fasting methods here.
Also interesting: Intermittent fasting is said to have a disadvantage if you are overweight
4. Eat right
if then eaten, many people believe it needs to be a lot of meat to be on ketogenic. But that is obviously not entirely correct.
«High-quality vegetable fats, for example from avocados or olives, are particularly important.» This explains in an interview with FITBOOK qualified ecotrophologist Andrea Ciro Chiappa, who has been living in ketosis for years. Even high-quality rapeseed, walnut or linseed oil is almost impossible to consume too much.” According to Chiappa, most of it goes into maintaining cell membranes and nourishing the brain. In addition, unsaturated fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Determine ketones in the blood
You can find out for yourself if your efforts have paid off. There are so-called «Ketostix test strips» for urine analysis in the pharmacy. These kick in when you have built up ketone bodies.
Fat metabolism not recommended for everyone
Important: As many health benefits as fat metabolism can supposedly bring, it is hard work to stop it. People with previous illnesses (e.g. of the metabolism, the gallbladder or the heart) should not take these. In addition, there are various scientists who warn of the possible risks of a ketogenic diet. In fact, there are a number of things that can go wrong.
Also interesting: Long-term ketogenic diet can damage the heart
Always consult your doctor before deciding to fast or drastically change your diet.