Spiral Motion Yoga and Metabolic Health (Part Two)

Dissolution & Nourishment

"The body and its parts are in a continuous state of dissolution and nourishment, so they are inevitably undergoing permanent change." 

—Ibn al-Nafis (1213-1288)

Key Metabolic Processes

Metabolism keeps fuel in the tank by way of the mighty mitochondria who are busy making ATP, the Krebs cycle, and cellular respiration converting glucose into usable energy. Metabolic function has an important HQ in the liver where it maintains blood glucose levels and enzyme activity that keeps the engine ticking over.

A stable metabolism is evidence of a body in balance: consistent energy levels, weight and body mass maintenance, efficient digestion, and regular bowel movements.

Your metabolic rhythm also processes lipids, handles proteins (also in the liver), and gets rid of excess nitrogen, processes that are intimately related to hormonal health. Leptin, insulin, oestrogens, androgens and growth hormone all players in the metabolic orchestra. The reciprocity of hormonal changes, body fat distribution, bone density, optimal cell turnover as well as mental health is well documented.

Metabolism in the media

A basic understanding of the metabolic system is important for anyone in the allied health professions, especially yoga teachers. Unfortunately, most yoga training courses focus entirely on musculoskeletal anatomy and do not cover the interconnectedness of physiological systems such as metabolism.

This is now the most glaring gap in our allied health curriculum and this series of blog posts is designed to get us clear on the paramount importance of metabolic health and how to access it via the movement workspace.

Across the spectrum of media, we're seeing deep dives into topics like glucose monitoring, intermittent fasting, and the impact of sleep and menopause on metabolic function. Apps like Zoe & Ouro promise that self-knowledge is power... but is data enough for real disease prevention?

Fellow yogis, we know that sattvic lifestyle is at the center of our teachings and it's time we get clear on how to link the science with what we know is true in practice.

Why would someone want to improve their metabolic health?

For starters, a good metabolism doesn't just mean low cholesterol and a skinny waistline.

The misconception that metabolism is about calorie counting is a dangerous disservice to our understanding of health and disease. Metabolism arises largely from the relative happiness of our mitochondria, organelles found inside our cells, that largely orchestrate cellular life.

Taking care of our cells through diet and exercise is directly related to the prevention of disease. Check out this narrative review examining the role of physical exercise in nurturing mitochondrial fitness, which includes:

• mitochondrial biogenesis
• mitochondrial respiration
• mitochondrial protein synthesis
• increased reliance on fatty acid substrates by mitochondria
• better handling of oxidative stress
• killing off cancer before it takes hold

Improving mitochondrial biogenesis through these processes result in:

• the creation of new mitochondria
• increased energy, vitality, and stamina
• the replacement of damaged mitochondria
• prevention of associated diseases including heart & liver disease, diabetes, cancer
• slower aging

Mitochondrial health, epigenetics and cancer

The science is also clear on the links between cancer and metabolic/mitochondrial health, which are closely related to epigenetic factors. Epigenetics are essentially the lifestyle choices we make and inherit, modifiable factors that trigger the activation and expression of the proteins that regulate metabolic pathways related to cancer.

The initiation and progression of cancer, traditionally seen as a genetic disease, is now realized to involve epigenetic abnormalities along with genetic alterations. --Epigenetics in Cancer

In other words, having certain genes does not necessarily mean you will get cancer. We know that external conditioning factors, epigenetics, will determine whether or not a gene related to cancer is activated.

Acquired gene mutations that lead to cancer are often caused by environmental factors, including poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. These lifestyle factors, aka epigenetics, contribute to genetic mutations either directly, by causing DNA damage, or indirectly, by inducing changes in cellular processes like metabolism and inflammation that ultimately promote cancer development.

Additionally, mitochondrial adaptations play a significant role in cancer cell metabolism and survival, and these adaptations are influenced by diet and physical activity. You can hop over to this post where I used AI to explore key examples of acquired gene mutations, their causes, and their links to poor diet and sedentary lifestyle, as well as the mitochondrial adaptations involved in cancer.

Beyond disease prevention

Improving metabolic health has broad benefits, such as:

• Stable mood & sense of wellbeing

• Sustained energy levels

• Health joints and tissues

• Sharp recall and memory

• A healthy weight and robust fat-burning

• Decreased anxiety and depression

• Resilient immune system

• Clear, smooth skin

• Improved fertility & sexual health

• Lower risk of chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, dementia, obesity, liver and heart disease,  as well as cancer and stroke

Sound like all the reasons why you love yoga above and beyond getting stronger and more flexible?

If this is why you show up on your mat, why you keep sharing the practice with your students, then continue to the next post in this series (posted monthly) to find out more about the markers of metabolic health and how we can manually override a sluggish constitution with mindful movement.

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