Metabolic terrain: Why it’s important

Understanding the basics of metabolic terrain is essential to achieving optimal health. Unfortunately, we are used to observing poor health outcomes happening all around us, and though this is commonplace in our culture, it is unnecessary. We must get to the root of the problem. You may be asking yourself, “What the heck is metabolic terrain, and how is this supposed to make me healthy?” The answer can be as complex as you are willing to make it, but it can be summed up simply. Let’s start with the definition of “metabolism” and “terrain.”

Metabolism is a finely tuned process that dictates how our bodies make energy, eliminate waste, heal, fight infection, and reproduce, among many other things our bodies have the ability to do.

Terrain is descriptive of the features of an area, but of particular importance to us the word also includes information concerning the function and health of a particular area or “ecosystem.” Terrain can be used to describe the function and health of the human body. If one can look beyond the modern practices of big agriculture and investigate the past when everything was organic (and much healthier for us humans), we can see that the farmers of old understood this process intimately. The crops would only produce their fruits if the soil was nurtured, fertilized, and had optimal nutrition, which varied by crop and was controlled by old techniques of utilizing cover crops, crop rotation, natural fertilizers, and animal grazing. They understood that good soil is living and has balance, and they knew how to achieve it.

If we put the two words together, we have metabolic terrain. Much like the output of a farm depends on the health of the soil which boils down to different factors like what fertilizer is used, desired crop(s), and what irrigation is necessary, the health of a human being is dictated by several different inputs throughout their lives. I like to simplify these factors to 4 pillars of health: nutrition, hydration, movement, and peace. Nutrition includes diet and supplementation. Hydration includes fluid intake and dietary choices as many foods are good sources of hydration. Movement includes activity level and exercise. Peace is the most important pillar in our turbulent world, and it describes the balance of your emotional and spiritual states.

In short, if your metabolic terrain is balanced, you will have good health. Your body will be able to create energy, eliminate waste, heal, fight infection, procreate, and excel in all the other ways it is designed to function. If it is not, then you will certainly have health issues and it can seem like you are swimming against the current. Modern medicine has become very good at labelling symptoms as the problem and treating them without ever finding the root cause. Medicine and health focused on metabolic terrain is the answer as the root cause is the primary focus, and it will always point to dysfunction in one or more of the 4 pillars of health. Be well.