Pro-metabolic diet- what is it? Simply put, eating a pro-metabolic diet means that food is eaten in a way to support metabolic health. Metabolic health, or the health of the metabolism, is what supports total body health.
What is Metabolism?
When you hear the word metabolism, I bet the first thing that comes to mind are the words “fast metabolism” and “slow metabolism.” There is the belief that when you are young, you can eat anything you want because your metabolism is fast, and then around the age of 30 the metabolism simply slows down and you can no longer eat whatever you want.
This. is. flat. out. wrong.
The metabolism is so simplified to only be viewed in terms of age, that we miss some key points in it: if we eat poorly and live a poor lifestyle when we’re young, that is actually what slows our metabolism so rapidly as we age. BUT if we eat a pro-metabolic “diet” and live a healthy lifestyle as children AND into our adult years, the metabolism does not just slow down because it has to do with so much more than age.
In other words, the metabolism is what keeps our body alive by fueling the energy for literally every process that occurs.
The metabolism is responsible for…
-heart beating
-growing muscle tissue
-growing a baby
-supporting the immune system
-creating sex hormones
-digestion
-blood sugar regulation
-and. so. much. more…
The metabolism uses macronutrients and micronutrients in order to create heat, aka energy.
What Fuels the Metabolism?
I bet you guessed it already!
Since the metabolic process produces energy, the fuel for that energy has to come from somewhere. Have you ever heard the term “food is fuel?” Well now you know why. The food we eat is what fuels the metabolism.
Now, just like there is clean gasoline and less-than-optimal gasoline, there is clean food and not-so-clean food. Some of the food that we consume is beneficial to the metabolism, and a lot of food that we eat is not very beneficial to fueling metabolic processes. So how do we know what good fuel (food) is and what bad fuel (food) is?
Enter in the Pro-metabolic Diet
A pro-metabolic diet is more than a diet. It is an all-encompassing lifestyle that works to support metabolic function through the food that one eats. It is eating and living in a way to support human physiology and basic biological principles at the chemical level.
A pro-metabolic diet understands that food is fuel, and that nutrients meant to allow cells to thrive should not be demonized.
For example, in modern society carbohydrates are often extremely demonized, and people are often encouraged to avoid carbs altogether. However, carbs transform into glucose upon entering the body, and glucose is the body’s number one source of energy. It is without a doubt what the brain prefers above all else, because it is quick, fast-burning fuel.
Now, this does not mean to go and start pounding all of the carbs, because just like fats and proteins, one can absolutely overdue it with carbs. In fact, the problem with carbs comes from the fact that carbs are often not in their natural, whole-food forms, and in Western society are ultra-processed and refined.
In fact, most studies that deem carbs as the bad guy do so by using ultra-processed, refined carbs to conduct these studies.
The same goes for fats. If it’s not carbs that are demonized, then it’s fats. Fats are an amazing, slow burning source of energy that is also essential to uptake certain vitamins like Vitamin A and E.
Yet when fats are demonized, its because we are looking at ultra-processed, rancid fats.
Do you see a trend here? The foods begin to wreak havoc on the metabolism when they are consumed in industrialized excess.
Because the fact of the matter is, when the body is receiving nourishing food that supports the metabolism through a pro-metabolic diet, it biologically won’t crave the excess because it is supported well.
How to Eat a Pro-Metabolic Diet to Support the Body
If you’ve been with me a while, you probably know what I am going to say… A pro-metabolic diet is a nutrient dense diet.
While you can read more about what a nutrient dense diet is in the blog post I linked above, I will talk a little bit about it here. A nutrient dense diet is essentially a way of eating where foods are consumed that contain bioavailable nutrients.
Bioavailable means that the nutrients are readily available for the body to break down and absorb. They are easy to digest, easy to absorb, and easily used by the metabolism to create energy. You guessed it, bioavailable foods are pro-metabolic.
Bioavailable, pro-metabolic foods support the body at a cellular level through the use of healthy proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Supporting the metabolism reduces stress on the body and allows it to flourish.
Foods that are Nutrient Dense/Pro-metabolic/Support the Metabolism
Do you want to eat in a way that supports your metabolism and basic biological functions so that the body can thrive? Here are some of my favorite nutrient-dense, metabolically-supportive foods:
- Grass-Fed & Pasture Raised Muscle Meats
- Grass-Fed & Pasture Raised Organ Meats
- Meat Cooked on the Bone
- Well-Sourced Fish & Seafood
- Grass-Fed Raw Dairy
- Gelatinous Foods
- Fermented Foods
- Herbs & Spices
- Root Vegetables
- Fruit
- Pasture-Raised Eggs
- Healthy & Stable Fats
As you can see, there are so many amazing options for what pro-metabolic foods can look like. The key is stepping away from what you would find in boxes in the grocery store (to the best of your ability) and consuming foods closer to their original, unprocessed from, from good-quality sources.
Plus, they are all so delicious! The more you eat this way, the more your body will stop craving the processed things, because it is fueled by what it needs, and a beautiful balance of nutrients.
Pro-Metabolic Eating and Pregnancy
I cannot end this blog post without talking about pro-metabolic eating and pregnancy.
I will keep this short, but I just want to note that eating in a way that supports your metabolism in the pre-conception phase and prenatally (and postpartum) is one of the greatest things you can gift your baby, because you are gifting them with longevity and health.
Consuming these foods provides your body with the nutrients it needs to provide your baby with the nutrients they need. Your metabolic health greatly influences the metabolic health of your baby.
Have you read my series on nutrients in pregnancy? Check out this post here and you can dive into all 6 of my posts in this series.
What you will find as you read through these posts is that 1) your baby thrives from a fully nourished mother and 2) the RDA’s simply do not meet up to the standards of what prenatal nutrition should be.
If you eat to support your metabolism through a nutrient-dense, pro-metabolic diet, your body will be receiving these nutrients in quantities that will allow your body and baby to thrive.
Recap
Eating a pro-metabolic diet allows the body to thrive in its production of energy and functions. It reduces stress in the body, boosts thyroid production, and supports an overall healthy metabolism. It is so important to pregnancy, as it supplies both mother and baby with nutrients to thrive.
It supports an overall healthy lifestyle for longevity and life-long wellness.
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