How to Rebuild a Sluggish Metabolism with Food, Not Fear

Supplementing for a Sluggish Metabolism — Part 2

Why Eating More Can Be the Fix — Not the Problem

In many cases — especially after months (or even years) of cycling between restriction and overeating — eating more is exactly what your body needs. And no, we’re not talking about reckless binging.

We’re talking about replenishment — fuelling your body with the right nutrients at the right time to restore function, rebuild muscle, and reawaken a metabolism that’s been forced into low-power mode.

Focus on Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods

Think quality over quantity. These foods support hormone balance, thyroid function, and muscle recovery:

Protein (e.g., eggs, chicken, fatty fish)

Supports muscle synthesis, hormones, and thermogenesis.

Slow-digesting carbs (e.g., oats, sweet potatoes, quinoa)

Help fuel workouts, improve cortisol regulation, and support thyroid activity.

Healthy fats (e.g., olive oil, avocado, fatty fish)

Crucial for hormone production, brain health, and cell repair.

Colourful vegetables and leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale, broccoli, beetroot)
Rich in fibre, vitamins, and antioxidants to support gut health, reduce inflammation, and balance hormones.

Think of It Like Fuelling a Fire

• No logs = no flames.
  
• Too few logs for too long = the fire dies out.
  
• The right amount of slow-burning, quality fuel = steady, lasting heat.
  

Bottom Line

Calories still matter — not just for weight loss or gain, but for overall health, hormonal balance, and energy regulation. Chronically under-eating may seem like a shortcut, but it’s often what holds people back the most.

To reignite your metabolism, sometimes the smartest move is to eat more, not less — and to fuel with purpose, not fear.

We're not against calorie restriction — it can be a useful short-term tool. But as a long-term strategy, it often backfires. Sustainable health comes from nourishment, not deprivation.

Reverse Dieting and Metabolic Adaptation

Been in a deficit too long? Your body may have adapted by slowing down — it’s a natural survival mechanism (Müller & Bosy-Westphal, 2013; Trexler et al., 2014).

Reverse dieting is a gradual, strategic increase in calorie intake over time to restore your metabolism and avoid rapid fat gain.

What reverse dieting can do:

• Increase thyroid output
  
• Improve energy and gym performance
  
• Restore lean muscle tissue
  
• Rebalance hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin (Trexler et al., 2014)
  

How to start:
Add 50–100 calories per week, mostly from carbs and/or protein.
Track your weight, mood, energy, sleep, and digestion — not just the scale.

Gut Health and Metabolism: The Hidden Link

Your gut microbiome doesn’t just affect digestion — it influences everything from fat storage to inflammation and hormone regulation.

An imbalanced gut (dysbiosis) can lead to:

• Poor nutrient absorption
  
• Chronic inflammation
  
• Blood sugar swings
  
• Cravings and low energy
  
• Altered metabolism (Turnbaugh et al., 2006; Cani et al., 2008)
  

Support your gut with:

• Fermented foods (e.g., kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut)
  
• Prebiotic fibers (e.g., garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus)
  
• Diverse, colourful plant foods
  
• Minimising unnecessary antibiotics or processed food
  

The Brain-Metabolism Connection: Stress, Hormones & Nervous System Control

Metabolism is tightly regulated by the brain — specifically, the central nervous system (CNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS).

When stress is chronic, your sympathetic nervous system stays switched on, keeping you in a state of fight-or-flight. That means:

• Slowed thyroid hormone conversion (T4 to T3)
  
• Impaired insulin sensitivity
  
• Increased belly fat storage
  
• Poor sleep and recovery (Epel et al., 2000; Thayer & Sternberg, 2006)
  

Support the stress-metabolism link with:

• Breathwork or meditation
  
• Therapy or emotional processing
  
• Adaptogens like Ashwagandha or Shilajit (shown to support HPA axis balance)
  

Coming Next in Part 3:
We’ll wrap up this series by tackling the supplements — which ones actually support metabolic health, which ones aren’t worth your money, and how to combine them with lifestyle habits for real, lasting change.

References

1. Müller, M. J., & Bosy-Westphal, A. (2013). Adaptive thermogenesis with weight loss in humans. Obesity, 21(2), 218–228.
   
2. Trexler, E. T., et al. (2014). Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 11:7.
   
3. Turnbaugh, P. J., et al. (2006). An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest. Nature, 444(7122), 1027–1031.
   
4. Cani, P. D., et al. (2008). Changes in gut microbiota control metabolic endotoxemia-induced inflammation. Diabetes, 57(6), 1470–1481.
5. Epel, E. S., et al. (2000). Stress and body shape: stress-induced cortisol secretion. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62(5), 623–632.