Taking small steps within your diet to enhance your metabolism can over time make a significant impact on your body’s ability to burn through food as fuel and make it easier to create the necessary calorie deficit for weight loss. There are many ways you can work to boost your metabolism, but one of the best and easiest ways is tailoring your eating habits to include nutrient dense foods that will increase fat burn naturally.
We spoke with nutritionist Lisa Richards of the Candida Diet who outlined one of the best ingredients to eat regularly as you work to improve your metabolism and promote healthy weight loss, and it really all boils down to protein.
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Legumes
Getting enough protein within your diet is going to be the best way to naturally enhance your metabolism, and from plant-based to carnivorous diets, eating more beans and legumes will do the trick. “Legumes are an excellent ingredient to add to your meals in order to speed up your metabolism. This category of food includes beans, peas, and lentils which means you can get a different type at just about every meal,” explains Richards. As noted previously, it is due to the protein content that legumes are so useful in impacting your metabolism, fueling your muscles for growth and burning through calories with ease.
As for how protein can impact your metabolic rate, Richards explains, “[Legumes] are rich in protein, which has been shown to have a high TEF (thermogenic effect of food), which ultimately means the body burns more calories digesting them than many other foods.” Another factor of legumes that makes them valuable assets within your diet for weight loss is their fiber content, increasing your satiety after eating while keeping you full for longer and reducing overeating.
“They also contain resistant starch and soluble fiber which helps you maintain a healthy gut microbiome. These healthy gut bacteria produce short chain fatty acids which have been shown to help the body use stored fat as energy more efficiently and therefore leads to weight loss,” Richards adds. Maintaining adequate fiber consumption will do wonders to keep you full for longer, and while it may not go hand in hand with your metabolism it can certainly pave the way to healthier weight loss by reducing the need to snack between meals in order to feel satisfied.
Going hand in hand when discussing the foods you should be eating in order to enhance your metabolism is touching on ingredients that may be less beneficial to increasing fat burn. “Foods made with refined carbohydrates wreak havoc on your metabolism,” warns Richards. “These foods are low in nutrient quality and high in calorie density. They have been refined, which means they've had their beneficial nutrients stripped away.” That’s not to say that all carbs are bad for you, and in fact, carbohydrates are the nutrient responsible for providing your body with ample energy throughout the day. However, highly refined foods may have the opposite effect when it comes to stoking fat burn.
Through increasing your protein consumption and reducing the amount of refined carbs you’re eating you should notice a natural uptick in your metabolism which can provide sustainable weight loss results without ever feeling as though you need to deprive your body. Adequately fueling yourself with nutrient dense foods is the healthiest way to live, and legumes make for an excellent protein source to promote your overall well being.
