Your Guide to Heart and Metabolic Health

Here’s the truth: your heart and your metabolism are deeply connected — and when you take care of one, you protect the other. Let’s walk through why this relationship matters and what you can do to stay strong, resilient, and thriving.

Key Takeaways:

• Your blood sugar stability plays a major role in protecting your heart.

• People with Type 2 diabetes face 2–4x higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Heart disease is still one of the leading cause of death, but you have the power to change your odds.

• Even without diabetes, wild blood sugar swings can raise your heart disease risk.

• Tackling inflammation, oxidative stress, and AGEs (advanced glycation end-products) is critical for long-term heart and metabolic health.

How Heart and Metabolic Health Are Connected

When blood sugar runs high (or swings wildly), it stresses your blood vessels, promotes inflammation, and accelerates damage inside your body. That damage fuels heart disease, stroke, and other problems.

If you have Type 2 diabetes, your odds of heart disease and stroke go up dramatically. In fact, diabetes itself is considered as serious a risk factor as already having had a heart attack.

It’s a vicious cycle: bad metabolic health damages your heart, and poor heart function can further hurt your metabolism.

Given that heart disease accounts for nearly 27% of deaths in the UK., this isn't just something to keep an eye on, it’s something to actively take control of.

What Exactly Is Cardiovascular Health?

When we talk about cardiovascular health, we’re talking about the full system of the heart and blood vessels. Problems can pop up in a few main ways:

• Atherosclerosis: Plaque (made of cholesterol and other substances) builds up in your arteries, narrowing them and blocking blood flow.

• Coronary Artery Disease: Plaque in the arteries feeding the heart muscle, leading to chest pain, heart attacks, arrhythmias, or heart failure.

• Peripheral Artery Disease: Blood flow to arms and legs gets restricted.

• Cerebrovascular Disease: Blood supply to the brain is blocked or interrupted, leading to strokes.

We often hear LDL ("bad" cholesterol) getting all the blame, but it's a bigger picture than just cholesterol:

• High triglycerides, elevated ApoB, lipoprotein (a), and fibrinogen all drive risk.

• Inflammation markers like C-Reactive Protein (CRP) are powerful indicators too.

• Heart strain markers like NT-proBNP tell us if the heart is under too much pressure.

Bottom line: Healthy heart function means good blood flow, stable blood pressure, a strong recovery after exercise, and the ability to deliver oxygen efficiently.

How Blood Sugar Control Shapes Your Heart Health

Metabolic dysfunction (think: insulin resistance, unstable blood sugar, chronic inflammation) is a direct threat to your heart and vessels.

A few sobering facts:

• Every 1% rise in HbA1c (your average blood sugar) increases your risk of major heart events by 8–12%.

• Even prediabetes (fasting glucose over 100 mg/dL) significantly raises your risk for stroke and heart disease.

• Blood sugar swings (glycemic variability) may be even more dangerous to vessels than consistently high blood sugar.

Even after you get blood sugar back under control, some of the damage lingers—so earlier action matters.

Why Blood Sugar Spikes (and Crashes) Are Dangerous

Glycemic variability (big swings between highs and lows) stresses the blood vessels harder than steady high glucose.

Studies show:

• High glycemic variability can double or even triple your risk of heart disease.

• Blood sugar “rollercoastering” triggers more oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular damage than stable high glucose alone.

Managing spikes after meals is essential—not just for diabetes prevention, but for protecting your heart long-term.

Diet Quality: More Than Just Carbs

Not all carbs are equal. The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of foods matter.

• High-GI/GL diets cause faster, sharper blood sugar spikes—and are linked to a 15% higher risk of heart disease.

• People with heart disease eating a high-GI diet have up to a 50% higher chance of another major event.

Fast-digesting carbs also lead to blood pressure swings and increased heart rate after meals — stressing your cardiovascular system over time.

Foods that digest slowly and keep blood sugar stable don’t just protect your glucose—they support healthy heart function too.

How Metabolic Health Shapes Your Fitness

Your heart’s strength and your body's metabolic function are directly linked.

Poor glucose control is tied to:

• Higher resting heart rate

• Slower recovery after exercise

• Higher blood pressure

• Stiffer arteries

Studies show that even slightly elevated fasting glucose can impair blood vessel function. Even people without diabetes—but with higher blood sugars—show early signs of endothelial dysfunction.

Good metabolic health supports better cardio fitness—and cardio fitness feeds back into better metabolism. They rise (or fall) together.

The Flip Side: When Poor Heart Health Wrecks Metabolism

Just like bad metabolism can damage your heart, poor heart health (like heart failure) can trigger insulin resistance and blood sugar dysfunction.

If your heart struggles to pump properly, blood flow to insulin sensitive tissues drops. That sets off a cascade:

• Tissues stop taking in glucose properly

• The liver overproduces glucose

• The pancreas struggles to keep up with insulin demands

It creates a vicious cycle that’s hard to break without intervention.

What’s Driving the Damage?

Several underlying processes connect metabolic breakdown to heart disease:

• Oxidative Stress: Blood sugar spikes cause reactive oxygen species (ROS) to form, damaging arteries and oxidizing LDL cholesterol (making it more dangerous).

• Inflammation: Chronic blood sugar issues and poor diet fuel inflammation, which directly causes and worsens atherosclerosis.

• AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-Products): Excess sugar binds to proteins and fats, stiffening arteries, promoting blood clots, and ramping up oxidative stress.

• Endothelial Dysfunction: High blood sugar and insulin resistance impair the cells that line your vessels, making them less flexible and more prone to damage.

• Cholesterol Imbalances: Insulin resistance disrupts cholesterol transport, raising triglycerides and dangerous LDL particles, while lowering protective HDL.

Action Steps You Can Take

You can dramatically change your future risk—and your quality of life—by focusing on a few core strategies:

✅ Move your body daily. (Aim for at least 3 hours a week.)

✅ Prioritize a low-GI, low-GL diet. (Think whole foods, slow carbs.)

✅ Eat for anti-inflammation. (Plenty of colorful fruits, veggies, and omega-3s.)

✅ Boost your antioxidants. (Berries, leafy greens, green tea, dark chocolate.)

✅ Limit high-heat cooking. (Roasting, broiling, and frying increase dietary AGEs.)

✅ Aim for tight blood sugar control. (Fasting glucose ideally <90 mg/dL.)

The takeaway:
Metabolic health is heart health.
Every good choice you make today strengthens and protects the most vital system inside you—now and for years to come.

The Fear No One Talks About: What Happens to Your Body After Weight Loss?

One of the biggest concerns I had when I made the decision to restructure my life and reshape my body was this:
What happens to your skin and muscle when you lose a lot of weight?

Turns out, I’m not alone. Over the past six months, I’ve had so many conversations with people on similar journeys. Time and again, the same question comes up, not just Can I lose the weight? but What will I look like when I do?
Will I feel confident enough to wear a swimsuit on holiday? Or will a new kind of insecurity just take its place?

It’s that classic “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” feeling. And it can mess with your head.

So lately, I’ve been checking in with myself.
What’s my mindset like now, post-Ironman Barcelona?

Back then, my metabolism was a steam train. I could eat endlessly and still drop weight. At my lowest, I hit 77kg. Now, six months out, I’ve found my natural rhythm again, hovering around 81kg, feeling strong and stable. Clothes fit well, energy levels are great, and my body feels good.

But there’s something missing: muscle shape and strength.

And that’s exactly what I’m leaning into now.

The next few months are about rebuilding, not just physically, but mentally with a different type of training. I’m curious to see what focused strength training can do for a 51-year-old body. No extreme diets, no magic plans. Just real-life, consistent effort that’s accessible to anyone.

I’ll be sharing the journey here. The wins, the frustrations, and everything in between. If you’ve ever asked the same questions or felt those same fears, know this, you’re not alone. Whatever your starting point, change is possible!

Wheres your sugar levels

7 Key Factors That Influence Your Blood Sugar (and What to Do About Them)

Your blood sugar also known as blood glucose, is more than just a number on a lab report. It’s a powerful indicator of your metabolic health, energy levels, and long-term wellness. While glucose is a necessary fuel for your body, imbalances especially frequent spikes and crashes can lead to serious issues over time. The good news? You have a lot of control over your glucose levels. Here are seven key factors that impact blood sugar, and how you can optimise them.

1. Your Diet

Every bite you take influences your blood sugar. Carbohydrates get broken down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. But not all carbs are created equal. Simple carbs like sugar and white bread digest quickly and spike your blood sugar. Complex carbs (think vegetables, legumes, and whole grains), especially when paired with fiber, protein, or healthy fats, break down more slowly and help keep your levels steady.

What You Can Do:
Prioritise whole, unprocessed foods. Combine carbs with protein or fat to blunt blood sugar spikes. Watch portion sizes—even “healthy” carbs like sweet potatoes and quinoa can raise blood sugar if consumed in excess.

2. Exercise

Movement helps your body use glucose more efficiently. During and after physical activity, your muscles pull glucose from your blood to use as fuel. Over time, regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity, helping your body manage blood sugar with less effort.

What You Can Do:
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate movement most days. Walk after meals when possible, and incorporate strength training to build muscle, which enhances glucose uptake.

3. Stress Levels

When you're stressed, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that raise blood sugar. Chronic stress can keep your levels elevated and contribute to insulin resistance.

What You Can Do:
Build daily stress relief into your routine. Breathing exercises, mindfulness, journaling, or even a short walk can help lower cortisol and support metabolic health.

4. Sleep Quality

Poor sleep throws off your hormones especially those that regulate hunger, satiety, and blood sugar. Lack of sleep increases cravings (especially for sugar), disrupts insulin function, and raises inflammation.

What You Can Do:
Aim for 7–8 hours of quality sleep each night. Create a wind-down routine, keep screens out of the bedroom, and go to bed at a consistent time even on weekends.

5. Micronutrients

Your body needs vitamins and minerals to process glucose effectively. Magnesium, for example, helps insulin work better. Deficiencies in certain nutrients can impair glucose metabolism and raise your risk of insulin resistance.

What You Can Do:
Eat a colorful variety of fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Limit ultra-processed foods, which are often stripped of nutrients. Consider a high-quality supplement if needed.

6. Gut Health (Your Microbiome)

The trillions of bacteria in your gut don’t just affect digestion they influence how your body handles glucose. A diverse, balanced microbiome helps regulate hormones and inflammation, both of which impact blood sugar.

What You Can Do:
Feed your gut with prebiotics (fiber) and probiotics (fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi). Avoid unnecessary antibiotics, and eat less processed food.

7. Environmental Toxins

Chemicals in processed food, plastics, and personal care products can interfere with hormones and insulin function. Some, like BPA or certain food dyes, are known to disrupt metabolic pathways.

What You Can Do:
Choose fresh, whole foods whenever possible. Minimise plastic packaging, avoid smoking, and use cleaner personal care products and household cleaners.

The Bottom Line

Keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range isn’t about strict rules, it’s about awareness. By focusing on food quality, movement, rest, and stress management, you can stabilize your energy, reduce cravings, and lower your risk of chronic disease.

Want to dig deeper into your personal metabolic health? Consider tracking your glucose levels or working with a healthcare provider to customise your approach. Alternatively my online wellbeing coaching fully supports a balanced nutrition approach which actively manages sugar levels on a day to day basis. Email jez@jezluff.com for more information.