How to improve your metabolism for better health, energy and weight loss with Dr Adam Collins

Date: 2025-06-17 17:00:58

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People often talk about having a slow or fast metabolism, but that’s not the whole story. What really matters is how flexible your metabolism is, how well your body switches between burning carbs and burning fat.

Being metabolically inflexible can cause tiredness, food cravings, difficulty burning fat and losing weight, insulin resistance, and increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, even if your weight seems fine.

Dr Adam Collins is an Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Surrey. He has over 25 years of experience in nutrition and metabolism research and education.

We explore:
00:00 What is metabolic flexibility?
04:49 Burning carbs vs burning fat
10:44 Why burning carbs is important too
12:26 Risks of metabolic inflexibility (diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
15:31 What causes metabolic inflexibility?
20:50 Central fat vs hips and thighs (why location matters)
20:00 Why metabolic health matters even if you’re lean
21:54 How menopause affects fat distribution and metabolism
32:17 Lean but metabolically unhealthy (hidden risks)
32:43 Avoid these habits (shift work, poor food timing, inactivity)
33:50 Exercise to improve metabolic flexibility
38:54 Fasting
41:52 Time-restricted eating
43:36 Signs your body has switched to burning fat
48:24 Are low-carb diets effective for fat loss?
51:14 Why constant snacking can impair your metabolism
53:17 Lean people can have high levels of visceral fat
54:00 DEXA scans
57:08 Practical steps to improve metabolic flexibility
62:30 The role of protein for muscle and metabolism

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