Mark of Mark’s Daily Apple uses this term to refer to being able to flow in and out of ketosis. Basically, it means that your body will adapt to the food it’s being given, and can burn sugar and carbs when necessary, but will also burn fat when that’s what it’s given.
I strive for metabolic flexibility, although I don’t eat a lot of carbs in general (just sometimes, like last night, more on that in a bit.)
One of the other ways in which I use this term is how well I can handle those foods that I generally don’t eat. Which brings me back to last night.
(Side note on language – I try very hard to never use the word “should” when I’m talking about food – too much of a value judgment. I generally say that I don’t eat something. I tend not to even use the word “cannot” as I feel there are only a couple of foods that I really cannot eat due to the severe allergic reaction, such as eggs or kiwi. Everything else, I tend not to eat.)
So last night we went out to dinner with a couple of friends who are here from out of town. It was lovely. But I knew, going in, that last night’s meal was not going to be either on the diet or in ketosis. It a choice, and it was the right choice, because OMG was it good. I overate, but again, knew that would happen going in. Had wonderful fries and two glasses of cider. As well as a huge amount of broccoli cooked in garlic and drenched in oil. Yum.
Then we went to one of my favorite places, Cupcake Royale, for dessert. I had half of a vegan cupcake. So good.
But vegan just means no eggs or dairy. It doesn’t mean that it is free of a bunch of other things that I don’t generally eat, such as soy and wheat and corn.
Ended up sneezing a lot while driving back home (corn) as well as a headache (soy) and I’m slightly inflamed today (wheat).
However, because I so rarely have these foods in my life, I’m able to bounce back from a single exposure to them. I’m not in bad shape today. I have some level of metabolic flexibility. Instead of being laid out and wasted, I’m functioning today.
Now, if I was stupid, and had more of those foods today. I wouldn’t be able to bounce back as well, because I’d be starting at a lower spot. Though I would still bounce back fairly quickly, as I generally do eat so healthy.
One last thing – in part due to the amount of food I ate last night, I’m not having any coconut milk in my tea this morning. Figured going on a short intermittent fast wouldn’t be the worst thing I could do. The tea I’m drinking is called Harmony, a white tea from Modern Steep. It has apple & mango bits, rose petals, cornflowers, cinnamon and almonds mixed in. So very yummy.
Tell me about one of your favorite foods that you can eat. For me, that would still be a fatty, juicy steak.