Are You Disrupting Your Metabolism?

If your metabolism is running at a healthy level, it burns off your calories and keeps you feeling energized. Exercise and plenty of sleep help your metabolism function optimally, but are you disrupting your metabolism with certain foods you eat?

These foods could be reducing the metabolic fire you count on to keep things running optimally.

Refined grains

There’s a difference between whole grains that fuel your body steadily and refined grains that are stripped of fiber and nutrients your body needs. These grains are refined in the interest of taste and texture, but they dampen your metabolism. You can bypass this issue by choosing whole grains – such as brown rice, bulgar wheat, quinoa – that haven’t been refined.

Sugary drinks

There’s no getting around it. Sugar is dangerous, especially in liquid form. Sodas, energy drinks, or even sports drinks can all drag your metabolism down. So can many of the tasty concoctions available at the coffee shop. If you want to make sure your efforts at the gym aren’t wasted, stop drinking your calories. Save the sugar for a rare treat, like a little slice of birthday cake on your big day. It’s a much better tradeoff!

Processed vegetable oils

They might sound healthy with names like sunflower oil or soybean oil. But these processed vegetable oils, including corn and canola oil, have a higher risk for heart disease. Choose avocado oil, ghee, or coconut oil instead, which can actually boost your metabolism.

Artificial sweeteners

Perhaps the only thing worse than sugar itself is artificial sweeteners. You may think you’re making a healthier choice, but choosing sucralose (yellow packet), aspartame (blue packet), or saccharin (pink packet) are all linked to health issues you certainly want to avoid. They can also mess with the good bacteria in your gut, which could hinder your weight loss efforts.  Avoid artificial sweeteners — if you need to use a sweetener, use something natural such as pure maple syrup, stevia or raw honey.

Non-organic produce

Organic produce might cost more, but in the end, you’ll wind up spending less on healthcare. When you buy conventionally-raised produce, you’re getting more pesticides which slow down your metabolism, in addition to causing high insulin levels and glucose intolerance.  Not sure your food budget can handle purchasing all organic produce?  Take a look at the 2019 Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen list to see where to prioritize your organic purchases, and which produce is “safer” to buy from conventionally-raised choices.

Granola

It seems like a healthy choice, but the granola (and granola bars) you find in your supermarket often contain hidden sugars and added ingredients that don’t do you any favors. These hidden sugars can  cause an overload known as leptin resistance. This makes you hungrier while slowing your metabolism to a crawl. If you love granola, I recommend making your own by selecting fresh seeds, nuts, and oats with a controlled amount of sweetening binder to enjoy the taste and get true health benefits.

Now that you know whether your foods might be disrupting your metabolism, are you more inclined to cut them from your diet. Most of my clients find it works better for them to crowd out the foods that are working against them. You would do this by adding in better choices as you reduce the detrimental foods. If soda has been a regular beverage for you, start trading one for a glass of water or seltzer water with a couple slices of lemon or lime.

Struggling with how you will make healthy swaps in the pursuit of wellness? You are welcome to make an appointment for a 30-minute complimentary Nutritional Consult and we can brainstorm together..