Dr. Mittal continues in part 2 of this article about building metabolic resilience in which she describes the scientific link between food, fasting and mitochondrial health and how to use specific tools to maintain a healthy weight and metabolism.
Needing quick and easy ideas on how to get more plants and fiber into your diet? I will show you how to prep "meals in a bowl" with 2 flavor profiles (Mediterranean-inspired and Southwest-inspired).
Resilience.
What does that mean?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition is:
the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress
an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.
Why am I referring to this word in terms of metabolism?
Reading this definition makes it quite obvious why metabolic resilience is essential. With continuous “stressors” and their effects on our bodies day to day, effects of our food and of our environment, we need to ensure our bodies’ ability to adapt.
What happens when it cannot? How does it get overwhelmed to the point that it can’t?
Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Can we reverse it?
To understand this, we first have to define some of the common “stressors” and look at their effects. These “stressors” over time, with continued insult and no checks in place, contribute to chronic disease states.
Here I will describe for you 5 common metabolic stressors, the science of how they affect our health, as well as ways to reduce the effects. I will present this blog post as 2 parts, as it gets a bit technical! In each section, I will lay out an action plan for you to work towards building metabolic flexibility- the key to adapting and recovering- the key to resilience.
Preheat the oven to 350º F/ 175º C. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.
If you do not already have cooked quinoa, prepare it at this time. 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~2 cups cooked.
If you haven't yet, make my Tikka Masala Sauce. To a large bowl, Add the chopped cauliflower florets, drizzle oil and lemon juice and toss well to coat. In a small bowl mix all the spices and salt. Sprinkle the spices all over the cauliflower and toss to coat. Spread the florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet or baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 C) for 25 mins.
Prep tofu by pressing between 2 cutting boards while draining over sink. Cut into cubes and set aside
Start with melting butter over medium heat. Heat until it gets a nutty scent and turns a nice toasty-brown color. Stir occasionally and make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside but keep warm.
In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, oil, lemon juice, crushed ginger, crushed garlic and all the spices.
Quinoa: Rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cool running water. In medium sauce pan combine quinoa with 1 3/4 cups water or vegetable broth, bring to a boil, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Once done, remove cover and let set for another 10 minutes to soak up the excess water. Fluff with a fork and set aside. (Or use this fail-proof Instant Pot Quinoa recipe)
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