Wearables, Metabolic Flexibility & Functional Medicine with Dr. Lara Zakaria
Host & Guest Details
Host: Dr. Yousef Elyaman, Functional Medicine Primary Care Physician
Guest: Dr. Lara Zakaria, Integrative Pharmacist & Nutritionist
Episode Overview
What can your wearable actually tell you about your metabolic health?
In this FMP Essentials episode on functional medicine, metabolic flexibility, and wearable health technology, Dr. Yousef Elyaman sits down with Dr. Lara Zakaria, an integrative pharmacist and nutritionist, to explore how practitioners can use data from continuous glucose monitors, HRV trackers, sleep technology, and other wearable devices to better understand patterns in metabolism, stress, recovery, and overall health.
Dr. Lara explains that metabolic health goes far beyond blood sugar or how quickly someone burns calories. It reflects how efficiently the body converts food into fuel and shifts between carbohydrates and stored fat for energy.
The conversation also explores an important clinical distinction: wearable data is not the diagnosis. Instead, it can provide another layer of information that helps practitioners recognize patterns, ask better questions, and connect everyday behaviors with physiology.
Key Questions We’re Answering
• What does metabolic flexibility actually mean, and why does it matter?
• Can wearables provide useful clues about inflammation and metabolic dysfunction?
• What can continuous glucose monitors reveal that fasting glucose and A1C may miss?
• How should practitioners interpret HRV, sleep, recovery, and glucose trends without creating data overload?
• How do digestion, insulin, thyroid function, stress, inflammation, and environment influence metabolic health?
Why You Can’t Miss This Episode
More health data does not automatically mean better clinical decisions.
The real value of wearable technology comes from understanding which measurements matter, recognizing trends over time, and connecting those trends back to the patient's physiology, behaviors, and health goals.
Dr. Lara breaks down how practitioners can move beyond simply collecting scores and begin using wearable data as part of a broader functional medicine assessment.
What Listeners Will Learn
Key Insight:
“It’s not just getting the score. It’s how do you use that?”
Top Takeaways:
• Metabolic flexibility reflects the body's ability to efficiently shift between carbohydrates and fat as fuel.
• Digestive function, the microbiome, insulin signaling, thyroid function, inflammation, stress, and environmental exposures can all influence metabolic health.
• CGMs can help reveal glucose patterns related to meals, activity, sleep, and stress, but individual readings should not be interpreted in isolation.
• HRV, heart rate, sleep, and recovery data can provide additional context about physiological resilience and stress.
• Wearable data should complement clinical assessment and appropriate laboratory testing rather than replace them.
Bonus Insight:
When choosing wearable technology for patients, accuracy is only part of the equation. Affordability, accessibility, and whether practitioners can efficiently review and integrate the data into their clinical workflow also matter.
Shareable Quotes
“Metabolic health is the ability for your body to turn food into fuel efficiently.”
“It’s not just getting the score. It’s how do you use that?”
“You are the captain of your ship. You know what your body feels like.”
This Episode’s Sponsors
FMP Essentials – The #1 Resource for Functional Medicine Practitioners
www.fmpessentials.com
Practitioners: Want to level up your functional medicine game? Sign up for our Bronze Mastermind:
https://www.fmpessentials.com/mastermind-founders-launch
Connect with Us
Dr. Lara Zakaria
Instagram: https://instagram.com/foodiefarmacist
Website: https://larazakaria.com/
FMP Essentials
Instagram: https://instagram.com/fmpessentialshq
Website: https://www.fmpessentials.com
Dr. Yousef Elyaman
Instagram: https://instagram.com/drelyaman
Disclaimers
This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is established by watching. Supplement discussion is educational and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your care plan.
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Music Credit: "Heroes Approaching - Extended" by tunes2go
