“Pro-metabolic eating,” as the name implies, is a dietary approach that’s all about supporting healthy metabolism, high energy levels, and overall vitality by focusing on nutrient-rich foods. This “ancestral” way of eating has much in common with the Paleo Diet, which is all about returning to a more nourishing way of eating and kicking many of the dietary issues that people face today—such as highly-processed foods and added sugar—to the curb.
While many diet trends in the past have focused on cutting calories or restricting certain food groups, metabolic eating doesn’t require calorie counting or demonize saturated fats or animal products. Instead, it emphasizes eating the full spectrum of wholesome plant and animal foods that humans have relied upon throughout our history.
The Pro-Metabolic Basics
The idea behind pro-metabolic eating is to support the healthiest metabolism possible—and that doing so is best achieved by maximizing the nutrients you give your body by eating ancestral foods with long traditions of consumption in various cultures. These foods, which are unprocessed and in their natural states, are believed to be more nutritious and better suited to the human body than modern, processed foods, which often contain additives and are depleted of nutrients.
“This type of diet is about getting back to the basics of food, with a focus on natural food’s healing properties and the use of food as medicine,” explains The Vitamin Shoppe nutritionist Roseanne Schnell, C.D.N. “People are drawn to this way of eating because it feels less restrictive compared to other diet trends since it doesn’t involve avoiding food groups or focusing on strict macronutrient breakdowns.”
That’s right, all sorts of animal proteins, grains, and dairy foods are welcome in a pro-metabolic eating approach, so long as they’re high-quality. This eating style puts everything back on the table, including foods like organ meats that, despite being all but eliminated from the average Western diet, were regarded as nutritious staples throughout generations in many cultures.
What pro-metabolic eaters skip (or at least minimize) in their diet? Processed foods, refined sugars, and artificial additives and sweeteners, which can negatively impact your metabolism and contribute to overeating, weight gain, and inflammation, according to Schnell.
Pro-Metabolic Eating for Improved Health
The rationale behind fueling your body well with all sorts of nutrient-dense, whole foods? Your diet can have a significant impact on your metabolism, which is the process by which your body converts food into energy. The types and amounts of nutrients you consume can influence your metabolic rate, which is the rate at which your body burns and utilizes energy (calories). For example, eating plenty of protein (which helps maintain metabolically-active muscle mass) and not drastically reducing your calorie intake can both support a healthy metabolic rate.
Since pro-metabolic eating is all about bounty and not about the restriction of any one macronutrient or food group, it can promote metabolic health in a couple of ways:
- More balanced caloric intake: Consuming either too few or too many calories can lead to health issues such as weight gain or a slowed metabolism. By eating natural foods, you can more easily meet your nutritional needs without over-eating, says dietitian Lisa Andrews, R.D., owner of Sound Bites Nutrition. Studies looking at the effects of the similar Paleo diet have found that a whole foods diet usually helps people keep their weight, cholesterol, and triglycerides in check more easily.
- More balanced micro- and macronutrient intake: Eating a balanced mix of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates can help keep your metabolism active and helps prevent muscle loss. According Schnell, getting these macros from nutrient-dense, whole foods also means you get the vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients your body needs to support various functions, such as learning, concentration, digestion, and more. For instance, “ethically-raised animal proteins have all the essential amino acids you need, while organ meats (which are popular amongst pro-metabolic eaters) are very high in vitamins A, B, and C, and minerals like zinc, copper, and iron,” she explains. Meanwhile, “dairy is rich in calcium, vitamin D, protein, and B vitamins,” adds Andrews. None of these foods are taboo in pro-metabolic eating, making it easier to meet your nutrient needs.
According to Andrews, maintaining a healthy metabolism has a number of downstream benefits, including punchy energy levels, solid bone and muscle mass, a healthy body composition, and even protection against chronic conditions. In fact, Schnell suggests that by avoiding processed foods, artificial ingredients, added sugars, and refined oils alone, you reduce your risk of obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, digestive diseases, and inflammatory diseases.
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Plus, consuming highly nutrient-dense foods, such as organ meats, for example, may also help ward off issues related to nutrient deficiencies—particularly low levels of zinc, iron, and B12, which can lead to fatigue or anemia. Similarly, including fish and quality dairy products in your diet can help boost your protein intake and increase levels of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and calcium, which are important for cardiovascular and bone health (among other things).
How to Get Started With Pro-Metabolic Eating
Ready to get back to basics? “A pro-metabolic diet focuses on foods that were once obtained from hunting and gathering, such as fish, meats, vegetables, and seeds,” says The Vitamin Shoppe dietitian Brittany Michels, R.D.N., L.D.N., C.P.T. “Unlike other ancestral meal plans, though, the pro-metabolic diet encourages whole grains and dairy products, if tolerated.”
Examples of metabolism-supporting ancestral foods include:
- Fresh vegetables and fruits: These include leafy greens, root vegetables, berries, citrus fruits, mushrooms, peppers, green beans, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. These are among the best sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber out there, according to Michels.
- Grass-fed and pasture-raised animal products: Examples include grass-fed beef, organ meats like liver, wild game, wild-caught fish, poultry, eggs, and raw or grass-fed dairy products like milk, cheese, kefir, and yogurt. Andrews, Schenll, and Michels all recommend varying your protein intake from these nutritious sources, though you may need to monitor your organ and red meat consumption based on your medical history.
- Whole grains: Ancient grains like quinoa, amaranth, wild rice, buckwheat, and farro, are rich in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, according to Andrews.
- Legumes and beans: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are all great sources of protein and fiber. One study published in Nutrients notes that eating legumes has “health, environmental, and economic benefits.”
- Fermented vegetables and dairy: These include sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, and kefir. “These foods provide beneficial probiotics to support a healthy gut microbiome,” says Michels.
- Minimally processed fats: To stay true to a pro-metabolic approach, Michels recommends focusing on “coconut oil, coconut milk, olive oil, olives, avocados, ghee, grass-fed butter, nuts, and nut and seed butters, as these fats endure minimal processing and some provide various vitamins and minerals, too.”
- Water, tea, and bone broth: Traditional broth is rich in protein, gelatin, and collagen and is “excellent for digestive health, joint, hair, skin, and nail health,” according to Schnell. That’s why it’s a staple in pro-metabolic eating. Plenty of water and teas (green tea contains metabolism-supporting compounds called catechins) are also primary sources of hydration, adds Andrews.
Do’s And Don’ts For Pro-Metabolic Eating
To make the shift to pro-metabolic eating with as much ease as possible, keep the following rules for the road in mind.
DO:
- Choose foods that are minimally processed: Opt for foods that are free of additives, preservatives, genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), artificial sweeteners, antibiotics, and hormones, says Schnell. A good tip for doing this? Choose food products that contain only one or two ingredients, such as “almonds” or “whole milk with live cultures.”
- Eat locally and seasonally: According to Schnell, “local and seasonal produce retains more nutrients since it’s eaten soon after being grown,” which is a huge plus when your diet is all about packing in as much of the good stuff as possible. “Plus, this approach is great for the environment, too,” she adds.
- Focus on variety: “Eat all sorts of plant foods! The better variety of plants in your diet, the better the variety of bacteria in your gut microbiome,” says Andrews.
- Skip added sugar: According to the USDA, reading ingredient labels whenever you’re shopping is one of the best ways to take charge of your health. Skip foods that contain added sugars in any form, including cane sugar, corn syrup, and malts.
- Emphasize organic, humanely-raised ingredients: When possible, opt for foods grown or raised organically and using traditional methods that prioritize sustainability and animal welfare, suggests Andrews. This is a key tenant of pro-metabolic eating, since the way plants and animals are raised significantly impacts their quality. “Grass-fed, organic, wild-caught, and free-range proteins tend to provide more nutrients, such as omega 3s, CLA, and vitamin E, and less unhealthy fats,” Michels explains.
DON’T:
- Narrow your diet: Andrews believes that the best way to eat healthfully for your metabolism is to vary your diet. That’s why she’s not a fan of nixing foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, or whole grains, though some people suggest they are hard to digest. “While people with certain medical conditions or digestive issues might have problems digesting these foods, the vast majority of people do not,” she says.
- Eat when you’re not hungry: “Metabolism is complex and everyone’s metabolism and appetite are different,” says Andrews. “Aim for at least three meals per day, spaced out every four to five hours, but don’t feel the need to eat if you’re not actually hungry.
- Override your body’s signals: If something doesn’t feel right (say, for example, you experience indigestion after eating dairy), listen to your body and make adjustments. Find what specific diet works best for you by tracking how different foods affect your gut, energy, and mood. Keep in mind that various cultures have different dietary needs and preferences based on factors like geography, climate, and religious beliefs, so there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach to healthy, ancestral eating.
Considerations To Keep In Mind
Though the whole foods bounty of a pro-metabolic diet can do many a body good, it’s not necessarily for everyone. “I would not advise this type of ancestral diet for someone with heart disease, given the high saturated fat and cholesterol content,” says Andrews. “And people with constipation or diverticulosis need to make sure to eat enough fiber.”
Additionally, if you don’t have access to high-quality organ meats, consider incorporating a grass-fed liver supplement into your routine in order to bridge that nutritional gap. Farmer’s markets are great places to hunt for local and sustainably-raised animal products, as well as fresh, seasonal produce.