Eating the right food doesn't just control your weight, it drives your metabolic activity. If you're feeling sluggish or weak, your diet may need a tweak. Your metabolism can slow due to a drop in blood count or a rise in dietary fats and cholesterol in your system. Balancing your nutritional intake and adding foods that promote cardiovascular and digestive efficiency can restore your vitality. Enhance a variety of protein, dairy, grain, vegetable and fruit foods with low-fat items that are rich in iron and vitamin B.
Whole Grains
Without proper digestion, your body can't break down and absorb the nutrients you need for life. Start increasing your metabolism with grain foods that are rich in basic dietary fiber, which keeps food moving through your digestive tract. Strong in iron, protein and some B vitamins for red blood cell formation, whole grains such as oatmeal, bulgur and popcorn contain little fat and no cholesterol to slow you down. Popular whole-grain foods include wheat bran cereal, rye bread and whole-wheat pasta.
Non-fat Dairy Products
Full-fat dairy products may be responsible for a dip in metabolic energy, as their saturated fat and cholesterol can clog your arteries and cause weight gain. The American Heart Association suggests improving your cardiovascular health by consuming fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt to get your daily value of calcium.
Cooked Dry Beans
Save yourself the saturated fat and cholesterol of meats and fish by getting your protein from cooked dry beans and peas frequently. Foods such as pinto, black, kidney and lima beans, lentils, split peas, chickpeas and black-eyed peas have the iron and B vitamins of animal-based protein sources with the extra nutrition of potassium and magnesium. The USDA reports that beans, peas and lentils also lend the greatest ratios of fiber to your diet of any foods.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Low fat, no cholesterol and all of the dietary components necessary for healthy digestion and red blood cell production exist in spinach and other leafy greens. Cooking spinach concentrates its nutrient content to produce large boosts to your metabolism through iron, fiber, B vitamins and protein contributions. Additional dark green vegetables with similar nutrition include Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, broccoli, kale and artichokes.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Iron in Diet; March 2009
- National Institutes of Health: Protein in Diet; July 2009
- National Institutes of Health: B Vitamins
- National Institutes of Health: Dietary Fiber; September 2010
- American Heart Association: How Do I Follow a Healthy Diet?; August 2010
- USDA: Nutrient Database
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