We’re told it’s just hormones, or ageing.
That our metabolism naturally slows down in midlife and there’s not much we can do about it….
But your metabolism doesn’t suddenly wake up one day and decide it’s had enough.
There are a whole load of things quietly working against your metabolic health in midlife — and some of the biggest ones have absolutely nothing to do with eating too much or not exercising enough.
Here are 10 metabolism saboteurs that might be flying under your radar.
1. Not eating enough
Chances are you’ve been on a yo-yo diet since the 90's, that’s a long time to be fannying about with deficits.
Your metabolism will adjust to preserve calories, meaning you might actually need to eat more!
2. Low thyroid function
Standard thyroid testing is limited (typically just TSH) and skips over the data you really want.
Meaning low thyroid function can go undiagnosed for years
3. Chronic low level stress
This plays havoc with the whole cascade of hormones. Your nervous system thinks you’re in fight or flight. Burning stored energy is not a priority.
Chronic stress is also a really good way to tank your thyroid hormones and progesterone
4. Your gut: specifically bacterial overgrowths
These produce toxins which can increase inflammation and insulin resistance in the liver (resulting in high insulin and high glucose = storage mode)
Low levels of akkermansia (we love this bacteria!) will also hinder metabolism
5. Liver congestion
Don’t underestimate how big a role your liver plays in your metabolic health
Inflammation and insulin resistance in the liver can wreak havoc for your metabolism
6. Circadian rhythm
Late meals, evening blue light and a delayed bedtime can throw off your circadian rhythm.
This disrupts insulin sensitivity, blood sugar balance and appetite. Don’t skip over this one, it’s significant for every metabolic organ in your body
7. Skipping meals
Consistently missing meals, eg surviving on caffeine until the evening, signals to the body to preserve fuel.
We’re built to last, you can’t trick your body into ramping up your metabolism when it thinks you’re starving
8. Poor bile flow
Bile acids are now considered to act as metabolic hormones, sending messages throughout the body that influence blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, fat burning, energy expenditure and even appetite.
Poor bile flow also creates a fabulous environment for gut bacteria to overgrow
9. Overtraining
Exercise is a stressor. In the right dose, it’s incredibly beneficial.
But overtraining keeps cortisol elevated, disrupts metabolic health and can leave your body prioritising survival over performance.
10. Insulin resistance
This is particulalry pressing for women in perimenopause because as oestrogen declines so does our insulin sensitivity. Without addressing this, we literally shift into our storage era
Blood sugar balance and insulin resistance is THE most significant piece of the metabolism puzzle for women in midlife, and chaps you’re certainly not immune to this either.
The good news...
You don't need to tackle all 10.
Start with insulin resistance, which is often the biggest domino, particularly for women heading through perimenopause.
If you're a woman (or know one) who's wondering what the hell happened to her metabolism, my FREE Blood Sugar Quiz is a good place to start.
It'll help you work out whether rocky blood sugar and insulin resistance could be part of the picture.
Take the FREE Blood Sugar Quiz → [HERE]
As always, any questions…. give me a shout: harri@boldhealth.co.uk