Sunlight, Mikes, and the Secret Metabolism Reset You Didn’t See Coming

Sunlight, Mikes, and the Secret Metabolism Reset You Didn’t See Coming

It’s summer here in the UK. Which, for those who don’t live here, sounds nice—until I tell you I’ve worn my coat more than my sunglasses, and my wellies have seen more action than my sandals.
Today, however, is a lovely day—erring, if I may be so bold, Mr Darcy—on hot.

And in a surprise to no one who knows me, I spent my dog walk listening to an expert talk about the benefits of sunlight on the skin. My work with you lovely, beautiful group of Wonder Women is to take the science I know, run it through the curious little laboratory that is my brain, and find the connections that help you shine brighter, move better, and be strong both mentally and physically. Sometimes my inner geek breaks free. This is one of those times. Breaking science incoming—stick with me, you’ll get it.

The Vitamin D Plot Twist

I’ve recommended Vitamin D supplements for years—we’ve long known their benefits for immune health, bone density, and mood regulation.
Back in Covid times (now filed in my brain somewhere between “Ancient Times,” “Yesteryear,” and “Days of Yore”), Vitamin D became the golden child of immune support. Studies showed people with higher levels were less likely to get seriously ill.

Sounds like supplementation should cure it, right? Here’s the kicker: giving Vitamin D after someone got Covid didn’t have the same effect. The magic was in already having it in your system—either from supplementing or, shocker, actually being out in the sun.
Maybe not surprising when you consider most viruses rampage through in winter, when sunlight is scarce.

Meet the Mikes

Now for the fun part.
Inside your body live tiny powerhouses called mitochondria. They’re the batteries of your cells—the things that keep everything ticking along nicely. We’re going to call them “Mikes.”

Mike lives in a thriving community of other Mikes. They chat, they work together, they send messages to Mikes in other parts of the body, and they keep you healthy. Think of them like your own personal internal internet.

One of their biggest jobs? Managing how your body deals with glucose (that’s sugar—carbs, biscuits, sweets, fruit—anything sweet that isn’t an artificial sweetener).

Why You Should Care About Mike

If you’ve ever spoken to me about weight loss, you’ve heard me say: “The way to lose weight is to control your blood sugars.”
That’s exactly what those GLP-1 weight loss injections like Ozempic are designed to do (and do well). I’m not talking about those today—that’s a debate for another day. My thing is teaching you how to fish.

And you can’t fish if you can’t control the rod (or bat… or whatever it’s called—I’m clearly not a fisherman).

Here’s the deal:
When you eat, your Mikes get a notification: “Cake incoming.” If they’re fresh, rested, and feeling good, they rush to handle the incoming sugar with more efficiency and speed than Ariel at a car boot sale.

If they’re overworked, under-fuelled, and burned out? They move slower than Eeyore rushing to Pooh’s aid on a bad day.
Cue: blood sugar spike, 20-minute high, crash, another biscuit, another spike, another crash. The scales creep up, your mood tanks, and Mike? Mike’s lying face-down in a corner under a pile of other exhausted Mikes.

Where Sunlight Comes In

“Save Mike!” I hear you cry. We can.
Science is showing us that sunlight perks Mike up like a triple-shot espresso—without the jitters.

We already know that getting outside—in nature, in fresh air, in daylight—regulates your nervous system. And when your nervous system is calm, your Mikes can work at their best.
So here’s my question: if a calm nervous system helps Mikes, and sunlight helps Mikes… what happens if you can’t get much sunlight but you do work on your nervous system?

The Nervous System Connection

Turns out, there’s a mountain of evidence that regulating your nervous system also improves glucose stability.
Why? Because when your nervous system feels safe, your body stops firing “we’re under attack” signals. That means:

  • Insulin works better.

  • Sugar gets shuttled into cells instead of hanging out in your bloodstream.

  • Cravings calm down.

It’s a two-way street: regulate your nervous system, and you improve glucose handling. Stabilise your glucose, and you help keep your nervous system calmer.

For my clients—my IRL angels—this is the game-changer. They stop yo-yo dieting. They hit their protein targets, meet their calories, and they’re shocked that:

  • They’re not hungry all the time.

  • They don’t want to murder their partner.

  • Their moods aren’t all over the place.

They start feeling good in their bodies before they hit the scale goal. And when you feel good? The goal becomes easier.

The Lunch Walk That Does More Than You Think

So yes—when my girls take a 20-minute walk at lunch, I used to think: “Great—extra movement, nervous system regulation, lymphatic boost.”
But now I know: they’re also supercharging their Mikes.

And for those who can’t get outside during the day? Working on your nervous system indoors—yoga, breath work, meditation—still improves your glucose sensitivity. This isn’t a free pass to skip your lunch walk, but it is proof that all is not lost if your workday keeps you inside.

Go for a walk in the morning before work, stretch it out in the evening, get on your mat, slow your breathing—every bit counts.

Move over dementia, diabetes, obesity—my girls are coming for you. And they’re bringing an army of fully-charged Mikes, ready to crush it.

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