Metabolic Health
6 Reasons to Shift from Sugar to Fat-Burning State and 6 Steps to Attain It
When the body becomes fat-adapted, it can effortlessly generate energy from sugar and fat, gaining a better metabolic position.
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Anthropological and evolutionary studies indicate that humans evolved and survived famines by gaining fat-adapted bodies. Thanks to gluconeogenesis, the body can produce adequate energy from sugar and fat molecules during food scarcity. This metabolic shift is valuable for health and life span.
The transition from glucose to fat-burning mode is a metabolic process that occurs when the body switches to a metabolic state to use sugar and fat simultaneously as energy sources.
This transition can occur when we lower carbohydrates, fast, exercise intensely, or expose the body to cold. The main mechanism behind this transition is the body’s adaptation to low glucose availability and the creation of an alternative energy source from fat molecules.
Key benefits of a fat-burning state include healthy weight management, sustained energy, improved insulin and leptin sensitivity, less stress and inflammation, increased mental clarity, and better metabolic health.
In this article, I first discuss the benefits of switching from sugar to fat-burning metabolism and then provide essential steps and practical tips to achieve this goal sustainably.
Six Reasons to Switch to a Fat-Burning Metabolism
1 — Healthy weight management and desired fat loss when needed.
The body can access the stored fat when glucose levels are low, and insulin hormone is silenced. This can lead to fat loss when desired or healthy weight management.
Excessive sugar and insulin spikes can prevent fat mobilization and burning, causing visceral fat gain. However, it is possible to get fat adapted even if we consume some carbs.
In addition, a fat-adapted body can protect muscles even during a temporary caloric deficit thanks to signaling molecules like ketones.
2 — Improved cardio-metabolic health
Excessive sugar consumption causing hyperglycemia is associated with cardio-metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.
The main reason is the impact of blood sugar and insulin. Insulin resistance is a hallmark of metabolic disorders.
Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance caused by hyperglycemia can imbalance and dysregulate other hormones like leptin, cortisol, growth hormone, and sex hormones.
3 — Increased physical and mental energy
When the body gets fat-adapted, it can utilize sugar and fat more efficiently by alternating between two energy sources, creating metabolic homeostasis.
During the fed state, the body can use sugar; during the fasted state, it can use stored fat such as Triglycerides and ketones (a cleaner energy source for the brain).
4 — Reduced oxidative stress and inflammation
A fat-adapted body can create less oxidative stress and inflammation, as I explained in a previous article.
This is mainly due to the effects of ketone bodies serving as signaling molecules and providing the required energy to the cells.
Excess sugar and high insulin are associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, as evident in people with metabolic disorders.
5 — Improved Mental and Neurological Health
Since the fat-adapted body has readily accessible energy, lower oxidative stress, and less inflammation, the brain and nervous system might function better, preventing mental and neurological disorders.
For example, ketone bodies, especially β-Hydroxybutyrate, can improve mood and put the brain in growth mode as a signaling molecule.
The effects of ketosis were proven by treating epilepsy patients for decades.
6 — Better Hormonal Balance
As the body utilizes fat more effectively when it gets fat-adapted, hormones and neurotransmitters might work more optimally.
Some hormones are synthesized from fat molecules. For example, leptin is produced mainly by adipose tissue (fat cells). Numerous hormones need the consumption of healthy fats.
Excessive refined carbs, sugar, fructose, and alcohol consumption might dysregulate various hormones and cause metabolic and mental health issues.
6 Steps to Switch to Fat-Burning Metabolism
1 — Reduce refined carbohydrates and junk food.
Refined carbs and junk food adversely affect metabolism making undesirable hormonal effects leading to fat accumulation and metabolic disorders.
When we reduce refined carbs, the body can have a better chance to use glycogen stores and tap into belly fat for energy utilization. During this process, the body creates alternative energy called ketone bodies.
During the transition period from glycogen to fatty acids, the body undergoes a metabolic shift, relying on stored fat as an energy source instead of glucose.
This transition can cause a temporary glucose drop, where blood glucose levels fall below the normal range. However, ketones can offset the effects of low blood glucose, as evident in a fat-adapted body.
Ketosis puts the body in a metabolic advantages position. I documented numerous benefits of ketosis in previous articles. In addition to lower fat, ketosis can significantly lower chronic inflammation and cause mental clarity by activating growth factors like BDNF.
Lowering carbs can help us manage blood glucose levels and make the body more insulin sensitive. It can also regulate leptin (satiety hormone), cortisol, and sex hormones.
Although carbs are not essential for the body, eating complex carbs, especially from plants, can be beneficial. The critical point is to consume carbs from whole foods, not processed foods.
However, refined carbs in large amounts can break metabolic homeostasis and cause metabolic dysregulation. This is not just an opinion. Many studies demonstrated this fact empirically.
This 2015 study published in Cell Metabolism states, “Dietary carbohydrate restriction has been purported to cause endocrine adaptations that promote body fat loss more than dietary fat restriction.”
The study confirmed that “Cutting carbohydrates increased net fat oxidation, but cutting fat by equal calories had no effect.”
This systematic literature review via PubMed (1966–2014) included 17 clinical trials covering 1797 patients. It concluded that
“Future evaluations of dietary guidelines should consider low carbohydrate diets as an effective and safe intervention for weight management in the overweight and obese, although long-term effects require further investigation.”
Consuming adequate proteins and healthy fats is critical for a balanced diet to maintain metabolic homeostasis, as I cover in the next section.
2 — Consume adequate, healthy fats and proteins.
To mobilize fat and increase fat burning, we need to consume healthy fats and bioavailable proteins. Fats are for energy, and proteins are the building blocks of the body, even though proteins also provide energy. When we consume fat, the body can use proteins for its real purpose.
Besides energy, healthy fats are also needed for hormonal balance. Some hormones cannot function without dietary fat. Therefore fat-free diets are hazardous. I documented my prior issues caused by fatphobia.
I also shared how taking 70% of my calories from healthy fats benefitted me. This does not mean gorging with fats or drinking oils. Fats are dense in calories giving us more energy than carbs, and we need to consume them from whole foods.
The most significant advantage of healthy fats is that they do not spike insulin, unlike carbs. Therefore getting most of our calories from fat can make the body more insulin sensitive and fat-adapted.
Here is my transition from replacing carbs with healthy fats. I consume 200 grams of healthy fat daily, giving me clean energy and adapting my body fat.
3 — Ditch snacks and use time-restricted eating.
When we snack frequently, the digestive system does not have a chance to rest and heal. And if snacks include high-carb foods and even proteins, the insulin can spike.
An effective way to lower blood glucose and reduce insulin spikes is to stop snacking if possible. When insulin is high, our bodies do not burn fat. However, there might be exceptions for snacks due to underlying health conditions.
The next options are to skip a meal or fast intermittently. Eating our food in a specific window, such as within eight hours, can rest the digestive system, lower insulin spikes, and allow the body to utilize stored fat as an energy source.
When we refrain from eating for over 12 hours or more, the body consumes the energy in the glycogen stores and starts using the stored fat as an energy source. After 16 or more hours of fasting state, fat-burning significantly increases.
Some people also use long-term fasting to initiate autophagy and mitophagy processes which clear the garbage from our cells, produce more ketone bodies as clean energy, lower inflammation, increase the growth hormone, and boost BDNF.
4 — Move the body regularly and joyfully.
Some people cannot fast, cannot stop eating carbs, or cannot consume adequate healthy fats. In that case, the alternative solution for them is the burn calories through exercise and constant movement. Exercise and other physical activities like daily chores can burn calories.
Intense exercises and resistance training can even burn calories later. However, excessive exercise can cause adverse hormonal effects.
For example, intense exercises can induce physical stress. Therefore, the body creates more stress hormones like cortisol. When cortisol levels exceed the threshold, the body cannot utilize the stored fat, especially visceral fat. So, when we live with excessive cortisol, the fat loss remains a dream.
A viable option is to have a personalized workout regime that aligns with the requirements of the body. Before starting an exercise regime, consulting qualified healthcare professionals who can check your medical history and guide you to perform exercise types will be beneficial.
For example, some people can do better with weight training or calisthenics, and some do well with moderate cardio or high-intensity training. It is an individual matter, depending on multiple factors.
An optimal way of staying insulin sensitive is walking 30 minutes for two hours after the main meals. When the food is digested and turned into calories, the insulin spikes to reduce blood glucose.
Exercise also activates the lymphatic system, which is crucial in detoxifying the body. A lack of physical activity in our daily lives can lead to an imbalance of hormones, which can cause health issues in the long run.
Regular exercise is necessary for healthy people, except those who cannot move due to underlying health conditions. Studies indicate that 150 minutes of weekly exercise can lower the risks of metabolic disorders, including cancers.
Treating workouts as hobbies can be helpful. Using daily chores is an excellent opportunity to burn calories and improve fitness.
5 — Manage oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
Oxidative stress can disrupt metabolic homeostasis by impairing glucose and lipid metabolism, causing mitochondrial dysfunction, and activating inflammatory pathways. Excessive stress can dysregulate hormones and lead to weight gain and metabolic dysfunction.
Oxidative stress can also cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation can disrupt metabolic homeostasis by impairing insulin signaling, dysregulating fat metabolism, causing adipose tissue dysfunction, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, and overactivation of the immune system.
The body copes with oxidative stress by creating stress hormones. For example, more stress requires more cortisol hormone. Elevated cortisol, which depends on glucose metabolism, can lead to muscle loss and prevent visceral fat burning even if we increase exercise.
We can reduce stress and inflammation by avoiding foods that stress the digestive system, abstaining from toxins and pathogens, regularly moving the body, getting nightly restorative sleep, and taking time to rest and recover. Slowing down and resting is critical to preventing chronic stress and inflammation.
Adequate sleep, rest, and timely recovery are essential for metabolic homeostasis, as they can disrupt hormonal regulation and increase appetite causing excess calorie consumption.
In addition, emotional stress can also disrupt metabolic homeostasis. During excess emotional stress, hormones can become imbalanced, and the immune system becomes weak and compromised.
Additionally, entering ketosis and leveraging the power of thermogenesis, as I cover in the next section, can lower oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Here is how Ketosis Can Lower Chronic Inflammation and Improve Metabolic and Mental Health in 6 Ways.
6 — Leverage the Power of Adaptive Thermogenesis.
Toxins and pathogens can challenge our defense system and harm our metabolism. Our bodies store these harmful substances in fat cells as a survival mechanism when exposed to them.
The more fat we accumulate, the more toxins we reserve, which can increase inflammation and disrupt the body’s delicate balance, leading to metabolic and other issues.
Fortunately, several solutions address toxins and pathogens in our environment. One of them is thermogenesis, which can activate the lymphatic system, eliminate toxins and pathogens from the body, and strengthen the immune system.
Adaptive thermogenesis occurs when the body increases or decreases heat, such as during cold or heat exposure. In addition, interchangeable health and cold activates the lymphatic system.
To activate the lymphatic system, various lifestyle habits can be adopted. For example, cold showers, ice baths, and dry saunas can be beneficial.
Excessive heat from dry saunas can remove toxins and pathogens from the body. Excessive cold exposure, like cold showers or ice baths, can burn more energy and change the fat color from white to brown.
Summary and Conclusions
Becoming fat-adapted, or keto-adaptation, involves orienting our bodies to use dietary or stored fat as the dual fuel source instead being dependent on eating carbohydrates or stored glucose in the glycogen stores.
However, the body will always need sugar and create it through gluconeogenesis without consuming carbs. This is a controlled and well-adapted process in healthy bodies.
Fat loss requires hormonal balance and caloric deficit by reducing food intake, increasing energy expenditure by moving the body, and creating thermic effects by exposing the body to cold temperatures.
However, excessive caloric deficit can lead to muscle loss and cause undesirable health conditions, such as slowing the metabolism and leading to nutritional deficiencies. A viable and sustainable solution is getting a fat-adapted body by switching it to a fat-burning state.
The key takeaway from this story is changing our eating regimens, refraining from a sedentary lifestyle, managing stress, and leveraging thermogenesis to gain a fat-adapted and fat-burning metabolism.
The process described in this article might not suit the needs of everyone. Some people can only perform in a glucose-burning metabolism for various reasons. Those with underlying health conditions need to obtain timely professional support.
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