Agnes LLOYD-PLATT

This isnt what I came for. Id walked into the acupuncture clinic close to my house - one of those mysterious places that lists ailments in the window to draw people in - in desperation with my painful shoulder, and a few minutes pulse-checking and tongue-inspecting later, I got this: Your metabolism is like a belligerent, ageing dog, unwilling to go for a walk. Im affronted, which seems to spur the Chinese-medicine therapist on: You are a tortoise when you should be a hare. Or at least a rabbit. Right. Im too polite to tell her to stop the animal metaphors, but Im concerned. I do feel sluggish, but then doesnt everyone? Or perhaps everyone doesnt feel like this and I am indeed a tortoise.

The word metabolism is bandied about all the time as women we decide the type of metabolism we have when were teenagers, and this notion sticks. Increasingly, though, its being seen as one of the pillars of preventative medicine - that current health buzz phrase. Its a major shift in perception for doctors and patients alike. Its vital to recognise the warning signs your body is giving you and act to prevent avoidable damage. You can outfox ageing, declares Dr Sara Gottfried, epigenetics expert and author of the New York Times bestseller The Hormone Cure, as well as a new book enticingly titled Younger. Certainly, it feels compelling to ease the gradient and speed of hormonal decline to protect heart and bone health and OK, I admit it, to stave off a middle-age spread rather than tackling it once it appears.

But it occurs to me that I still dont really know what metabolism actually means. The dictionary definition is uninspiring: The chemical processes within a living organism in order to maintain life. I mention it to my psychologist friend Nicole Sihera, who rings later that day. Well, its easier to blame metabolism than take responsibility for ourselves, isnt it? Its called a self-serving bias, she says. Of course, it does feel very unfair when you see someones Instagram account where they spring out of bed at 6am every day, citing the power of positivity and theres not a bloated stomach or podgy arm in sight. Its enough to make me reach for a pain au raisin and blame my metabolism, but I suspect theres more at play.

The fact is, I do feel lethargic in the mornings, even after a good nights sleep, and my weight has crept up by several kilos in the past few years despite no obvious change in my diet. I drink more alcohol than I used to and am probably not as active. My first thought is to have a full fitness analysis to get some truths. I decide to book in with head trainer and sports-medicine specialist Luke Worthington at the Third Space and make a mental note to be as transparent with him as I can.

I walk in to discover that Luke is an Adonis and I am immediately disinclined to reveal anything, especially not my suspected too-high body-fat percentage. I know youd like me to tell you that people can have a fast or a slow metabolism but that isnt the case, he says. The differences between our metabolic rates are marginal, to say the least. In fact, the number of calories we need is highly correlated with lean muscle mass. The higher the muscle mass, the higher the metabolic rate. This is why men can eat more. Its also a main factor in why we put on weight as we age, because our muscle mass declines. Well, that isnt the answer I wanted. I rail at him, giving him anecdote upon anecdote about the girl we all know who has Dairy Milk and lattes for breakfast but is a size eight. Luke listens patiently and says: The very best advice I can give you is to start weight-bearing exercise. The tipping point for muscle decline is 30. By 40 you start to see the visible physical effects unless you put in the work. The benefits to the body are numerous, not least an increased sense of energy and wellbeing.

I undergo a full scan, which enthusiastically spews out all kinds of stats about the state of my body. I am less than wowed. My magic personal metabolic rate is 1,424 calories, the number that my body would need to keep going each day if I just sat still. For comparison purposes, Luke tells me that his gym-bunny colleague, who is a similar age and height but has a higher lean muscle mass than me, has a personal base rate of 1,600. Theres a handful of nuts in it, calorifically speaking. Luke does crack and say there are other factors, which can be implicated in a feeling of sluggishness that we commonly call a slow metabolism, and I pounce on them, disliking myself for my desire for a quick fix. Thyroid function plays a role, as do insulin response and hormone profile, all of which can be affected by age. But if we eat well and exercise regularly, then much of this negative change is avoided, he explains. My next move, then, is to book in for blood tests to see if hormone function is at play.

Its no coincidence the majority of my patients are over 40 and report the same unhappy triumvirate: fatigue, a sluggish digestion and weight gain, says Dr Sohre, a GP-turned-private-wellness doctor from the Omniya clinic in London. The common factor is a changing hormone profile which can have a negative effect on our wellbeing and certainly influences our metabolism. Quite literally we start to feel less energetic. I undertake a sweep of tests to determine the state of my hormones. Testosterone, which women need to feel vital and maintain muscle mass, is often the first to fall, Sohre continues. I ask what metabolism means to her. For me, it means how healthy we feel and how well we process what we eat. Weve all had that heavy feeling after a meal that, for some, can last for days. I believe improving gut health, optimising hormone levels before the crisis of menopause and eating a healthy diet is the key to getting our metabolic processes firing on all cylinders.

While I wait for the results, I throw myself into some gym visits. I spend time on the weight machines because Luke Worthington and Dr Sohre were both unequivocal: muscle equals metabolic oomph. I tell myself Ill reap the rewards of the afterburn the brilliantly fizzy metabolic term for the two-hour period after exercise when the metabolic rate is proven to increase two- to threefold. Exercise increases metabolism, says Dr Thomas Barber, an obesity researcher and associate professor of clinical endocrinology at the University of Warwick, but it doesnt have to be strenuous. Just by walking about, youre boosting your metabolism and improving health. Weve found that the process of simply contracting a muscle releases beneficial hormone signals called myokines, he explains.

Results day, and Dr Sohre draws a circle on a piece of paper, placing the words thyroid, cortisol, insulin, female hormones around the outside. Each of these will impact your wellbeing and all are mutually dependent. So, for example, a waning thyroid will drain the bodys progesterone production, and a body pumping out the stress hormone cortisol will drain the thyroid, she explains. Results bands for blood tests are typically quite broad. If you were being assessed in the NHS, you would be told you are OK. Theres a pause. But Im looking for optimum health and all of your results are in the bottom third of these reference bands. Your thyroid function isnt clinically abnormal but with levels like this at your age I would expect you to feel the cold more than most, accumulate fat on your tummy and be fatigued. Yes, yes and yes. Your results are clearly sub-optimum and only headed in one direction without intervention. Im starting to feel that the grim reaper will lurch out of the supplies cupboard. No one wants the blood results of a septuagenarian, not even a septuagenarian.

Dr Sohre lifts the mood with her can-do attitude and a plan of action that includes a high-strength thyroid-support supplement, which I am to take as religiously as a medicine to see if we can pep it up without recourse to a prescription for something stronger. A well-functioning thyroid means feeling rested on waking, an efficient digestion and the body basically running more sparkily. I resist knocking back the whole bottle right there at her desk. Im also dispensed a bio-identical progesterone hormone to top up my waning supplies to balance my oestrogen, which she promises will make me feel less grumpy, less puffy and more energetic. Lastly, I am prescribed DHEA to bolster my below-average results. Its the mother hormone made in the adrenal glands. It manages the metabolic processes in the body and cascades to make lots of other hormones, and dwindles with age. By 70 we make around 20 per cent of what we make in our twenties, explains Dr Sohre. DHEA production is also hampered by stress because the body diverts attention to pumping out cortisol, so the stressed-out middle aged are hardest hit. DHEA is considered by many to be a panacea for all ageing ills and is available over the counter in many countries but not in Britain. I realise I am clutching the bottle like Gollum with his ring.

I leave Omniya feeling optimistic, reflecting on the decision Ive made to take medication to optimise my wellbeing rather than treat illness. Its quite clear that metabolism is more than just a weight-gain/weight-loss stooge. Its a catch-all for all the biochemical reactions happening in the body and the trick is to set the conditions to help it flourish. So dont question whether yours is fast or slow, ask instead: is it functioning well?

The fast lane Your thyroid is the main driver of your metabolism. Look after it. Natures Plus Ageloss Thyroid Support, 31 for a months supply, at Amazon.co.uk or Omniya.co.uk

Listen to your body If youve slowed down, think about a body MOT with a preventative medicine specialist. Metabolism & Energy consultation with Dr Sohre at Omniya (3a Montpelier Street, SW7), 250

Help your body burn energy efficiently Healthy gut flora have been proven to support metabolic processes from insulin sensitivity to the livers ability to metabolise fat, explains nutritional therapist Kerry Beeson. Optibac Probiotics Extra Strength, 22.99, Optibacprobiotics.co.uk

Cooling the body induces a metabolic kick The latest fad is to lock yourself in a cryo chamber at -90C to burn calories, heal injuries, pump up the endorphins and give your body a turbo boost. I left bouncing around like a teenager. 95 per session, at 111cryo.com

Metabolism is like moving a boulder Getting started is the tricky part, then momentum takes over. For impetus, drink strong green tea, which has thermogenic properties, and take a mood-enlivening supplement: try Higher Nature Drive (18.30, Victoriahealth.com) which provides the co-factors for energy, balanced brain chemistry and get up and go.

Continue reading here:
What Is Metabolism? - Vogue.co.uk

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