Why Your Body is a Hybrid Car (And How to Teach It to Switch Fuels)
Imagine driving a hybrid car but only ever using the gas tank. You’d miss out on the efficiency, flexibility, and savings the electric motor provides. Believe it or not, that’s exactly how many of us are running our
bodies—stuck on one fuel source, when we’re designed to switch.
Glucose: The Quick Fuel
Glucose is like kindling—it lights up fast and gives quick energy. Your body uses insulin to carry it into your cells. But too much reliance on glucose means your insulin system gets overworked, leading to insulin resistance. That’s like fuel trucks refusing to deliver because the system is overloaded.
Fat and Ketones: The Long-Burning Logs
Your body’s fat stores are like big logs on the fire—steady, long-burning energy. And most of us have an almost unlimited supply! But if we never practice switching, we forget how to tap into it.
Metabolic Flexibility: Becoming a True Hybrid
A healthy metabolism is like a hybrid car—it can effortlessly switch between glucose and fat. This flexibility keeps energy steady, prevents crashes, and makes fat loss possible without feeling deprived.
How to Train Your Metabolism
Walking and light cardio encourage fat burning.
Strength training builds muscle, which raises metabolism—like adding more engines to your hybrid car.
Occasional fasting or spacing meals can also help your body practice switching fuels.
Matching Fuel to Activity
If you’re highly active, carbs are an appropriate choice—they’re like topping off your gas tank before a long drive. If you’re less active, leaning into protein and healthy fats supports stable energy and gives your body the opportunity to use fat as fuel. It’s not about “good” or “bad” foods—it’s about alignment.
As a teacher, I know that practice builds skill. The same goes for your metabolism—the more you practice flexibility, the stronger and more adaptable it becomes. Your body is designed to be a hybrid. It’s time to start driving it that way.
