TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
Metabolic health is the foundation of your energy, mood, and long-term well-being. But this time of year, the triple threat of sleep deprivation, stress, and sugar overload can throw your body off balance. Discover how these pillars are interconnected and learn simple ways to protect your health during the holidays.
The Triple Threat To Metabolic Health: Sleep, Stress & Sugar
(And How To Stay Healthy Through The Holidays)
As we enter the holiday season, it’s easy to slip out of routines, late nights, travel, missed workouts, and endless sweet treats.
This time of year can be joyful, but it can also quietly chip away at your metabolic health.
Understanding how sleep, stress, and sugar interact gives you the power to protect your energy, mood, and long-term health, no matter what season you’re in.
What Is Metabolic Health?
Metabolic health refers to how efficiently your body manages blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and body composition.
When these markers are in range, your body can function at its best; you have steady energy, strong focus, and a healthy immune system.
Unfortunately, only about 1 in 8 adults in the U.S. is metabolically healthy.
That means most people are living somewhere between wellness and the early stages of disease, often without realizing it.
The Cost Of Metabolic Dysfunction
Poor metabolic health impacts far more than your lab results; it affects your wallet, your relationships, and your quality of life.
Financial Burden
People with diabetes spend an average of $19,736 per year on medical expenses, with $12,022 directly related to diabetes care.
Indirect costs are staggering:
Reduced employment due to disability: $28.3 billion
Lost productivity from working while unwell (presenteeism): $35.8 billion
Lost productivity from 338,526 premature deaths: $32.4 billion
Quality of Life
Fatigue, poor recovery, brain fog, and emotional eating patterns make it harder to stay consistent and feel your best. Even everyday tasks start to feel harder.
Strain on Relationships
When you don’t feel well, it affects more than just you; irritability, low energy, and stress spill over into family routines, work, and social life.
The good news? You can improve your metabolic health through small, consistent daily habits, especially around sleep, stress, and sugar.
The Triple Threat: Each of these three pillars—sleep, stress, and sugar—plays a major role in your health. Let’s look at what the science shows and what you can do about it.
Sleep: The Silent Superpower
Sleep is one of the most under-recognized tools for improving metabolism, mood, and recovery.
What The Research Shows
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A study of 73,000 people found that going to bed after 1:00 AM, regardless of whether someone was a “night owl” or “early bird,” was linked to a higher risk of anxiety and depression.
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Even mild sleep restriction matters: after two weeks of only five hours of sleep per night, people showed a:
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9% reduction in glucose tolerance
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18% decrease in insulin sensitivity
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Slower glucose clearance and weaker insulin response
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The hormone balance shifts too:
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Leptin (satiety hormone) ↓ by 18–20%
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Ghrelin (hunger hormone) ↑ by 25–28%
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Reported cravings for carbs ↑ by ~30%
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These changes make it much easier to overeat and harder to regulate blood sugar and energy.
The Good News
Sleep recovery works. Studies show that even 7–14 days of extended sleep can help restore insulin sensitivity and stabilize blood sugar levels.
Healthy Steps Nutrition Coaching Tip
Try the 10-3-2-1 Rule:
10 hours before bed – No caffeine
3 hours – No alcohol or large meals
2 hours – No work
1 hour – No screens
Keep your room cool, dark, and clutter-free, and set a bedtime alarm to stay consistent.
Stress: The Silent Threat
Short bursts of stress are normal, even helpful. But chronic, unrelenting stress quietly undermines your metabolism, hormones, and immune system. When stress becomes chronic, your body continuously releases cortisol, the primary stress hormone.
Over time, elevated cortisol levels disrupt nearly every system in the body, including blood sugar regulation, inflammation control, and hormone balance.
Here’s what the research shows:
Individuals with high cortisol levels had a 170% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 220% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Women in one study had approximately 20% lower hair cortisol levels than men, yet both groups exhibited similar patterns; the higher the cortisol levels, the higher the metabolic risk.
Chronic stress also increases the likelihood of insulin resistance, weight gain around the midsection, and poor sleep, creating a cycle that further impairs metabolic health.
Globally, over 25% of adults aren’t meeting the minimum activity recommendations (150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week), even though regular physical activity is proven to reduce cortisol levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
Why It Matters
When cortisol remains high for too long, your body stays in “fight or flight” mode — increasing blood sugar, suppressing immunity, and slowing metabolism.
Left unchecked, this can lead to fatigue, brain fog, cravings, and difficulty losing body fat; all early warning signs of metabolic dysfunction.
Healthy Steps Nutrition Coaching Tip
Begin your morning with box breathing (inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4).
Schedule a 5-minute walk after stressful meetings or meals.
Build a “stress audit” habit — identify triggers and choose one healthy way to respond.
Managing stress isn’t about eliminating it; it’s about creating small recovery moments throughout your day that restore balance and resilience.
Are you struggling with stress? Consider getting advanced hormone testing, including 5-point cortisol testing, at Healthy Steps Nutrition. Testing includes a results review with an expert Healthy Steps Nutrition Hormone Health Specialist and recommendations to improve hormone health.
Sugar: The Sneaky Energy Drainer
Sugar sneaks into far more foods than most people realize, from sauces to protein bars to coffee drinks.
Sugar sneaks into far more foods than most people realize, from sauces to protein bars to coffee drinks.
What The Research Shows
The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, almost three times the recommended limit.
A large global analysis found sugar-sweetened beverages were linked to:
27% higher risk of type 2 diabetes
9% higher risk of cardiovascular disease
10% higher risk of all-cause mortality
Kids are especially affected:
Ages 2–8 get 14% of calories from added sugar
Ages 9–18 get 16% of calories from added sugar
Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs): The Hidden Source
According to the NOVA Food Classification System, ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made with five or more ingredients, including artificial colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers, and texture agents rarely used in home kitchens.
They’re cheap, convenient, shelf-stable, and highly palatable — but they account for 37% of global calorie intake and up to 90% of added sugar in modern diets.
A meta-analysis of 17 studies (385,000 people) found:
Each step up in ultra-processed food intake increased the risk of poor mental health by 20–50%.
The highest consumers, eating four or more servings of ultra-processed foods per day, had 50% higher odds of depression and anxiety and a 22% higher risk of developing depression long-term.
Healthy Steps Nutrition Coaching Tip
Before eating, ask: Was this food grown or manufactured?
Learn how to read a nutrition facts label to understand how much added sugar is in the food you are consuming. Before opening a package, take 30 seconds to screen the back of the package.
Choose foods with the fewest ingredients possible and focus on whole, real foods — proteins, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains.
Set Yourself Up For Success The Holiday Season
The holidays don’t have to derail your progress.
Start small:
Keep your bedtime consistent, even when traveling
Plan short walks or workouts to manage stress
Swap one sugary drink for water or unsweetened tea
Prioritize protein and whole foods at each meal
Consider hiring a coach to help you create a customized plan and support you every step of the way
Small steps lead to big wins and ultimately, better metabolic health.
Ready For Personalized Support?
If you’re ready to take control of your health and create a plan that works for your lifestyle, our team can help.
Get matched with a nutrition coach today and start building habits that last beyond the holidays.
References:
Lok R, Weed L, Winer J, Zeitzer JM. Perils of the nighttime: Impact of behavioral timing and preference on mental health in 73,888 community-dwelling adults. Psychiatry Res. 2024 Jul;337:115956. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115956. Epub 2024 May 15. PMID: 38763081.
Tiwari R, Tam DNH, Shah J, Moriyama M, Varney J, Huy NT. Effects of sleep intervention on glucose control: A narrative review of clinical evidence. Prim Care Diabetes. 2021 Aug;15(4):635-641. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2021.04.003. Epub 2021 Apr 10. PMID: 33849816.
Van Cauter E, Spiegel K, Tasali E, Leproult R. Metabolic consequences of sleep and sleep loss. Sleep Med. 2008 Sep;9 Suppl 1(0 1):S23-8. doi: 10.1016/S1389-9457(08)70013-3. PMID: 18929315; PMCID: PMC4444051.
Dėdelė A, Miškinytė A, Andrušaitytė S, Bartkutė Ž. Perceived Stress among Different Occupational Groups and the Interaction with Sedentary Behaviour. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov 20;16(23):4595. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234595. PMID: 31756951; PMCID: PMC6926860.
Martínez Steele E, Baraldi LG, Louzada ML, Moubarac JC, Mozaffarian D, Monteiro CA. Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2016 Mar 9;6(3):e009892. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009892. PMID: 26962035; PMCID: PMC4785287.
Lane MM, Gamage E, Travica N, Dissanayaka T, Ashtree DN, Gauci S, Lotfaliany M, O’Neil A, Jacka FN, Marx W. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients. 2022 Jun 21;14(13):2568. doi: 10.3390/nu14132568. PMID: 35807749; PMCID: PMC9268228.
