June 19, 2017 · Written by Foodtolive Team
15 Vegan Diet Foods to Eat for Normalizing Metabolism
Choosing the right vegan diet foods to eat for normalizing your metabolism can be a great idea even for meat-eaters. Research proves that a vegan protein-based meal plan can reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and most of the conditions associated with it. However, to achieve the maximum benefits this diet can offer, you must know what exactly to eat and how much of it you need.
It’s imperative to understand that metabolism affects not only your weight but also plays a major role in maintaining your general health. When your body doesn’t process foods properly, it might not get enough nutrients. This means that you might not meet the required vitamin and mineral levels even if your meals contain foods rich in them.
Some types of metabolic disorders also increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. If you are in a high-risk group for either of these conditions, you most likely already have or might get a variety of metabolic issues. Therefore, maintaining a healthy diet for normalizing metabolism becomes even more important.
15 Vegan Diet Foods to Eat for a Metabolism Boost
1. Legumes
Legumes are the main source of vegan protein, which makes them an essential food group for everyone who chooses not to eat meat. In regards to your metabolism, they help prevent glucose spikes and make your body work harder to process them.
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If you are on a vegan diet for weight loss, you’ll be happy to learn that the human body uses up twice as many calories to digest proteins as compared to carbs and about 8 times more than fats. Dietary fiber in legumes also has numerous benefits, especially for the heart and blood sugar levels. In fact, many health organizations state that consuming at least one serving of legumes per day helps reduce the risks of diabetes and heart disease.
2. Almonds
Not only are almonds delicious, they also make one of the best vegan diet foods to eat for a quick but lasting energy boost. They improve your metabolism due to a variety of fatty acids, which stimulate this natural process.
However, don’t forget that despite the numerous benefits of almonds, they are high in calories. They are one of the vegan diet foods to eat in moderation with only a handful a day considered ‘safe’ for your waistline. You can also get some of their benefits by consuming almond milk or butter as well as products made of almond meal. Snacking on 5-6 almonds in-between meals on a very active day will help you last until dinner.
3. Celery
Celery is so low in calories some call it a ‘negative-calorie’ product. This makes it one of the best foods for people who need a metabolism booster for weight loss.
Eating some fresh celery with spicy dips will stimulate digestion and also give you lots of dietary fiber.
4. Blueberries
Blueberries are the leader among berries due to their exceptionally high antioxidant content. They do not only stimulate your metabolism but also improve your health as a whole. Vitamin C and dietary fiber help keep your digestive tract and immune system healthy and promote their function. This, in turn, ensures all other natural processes in your body run smoothly.
Most importantly, blueberries give you all these benefits at almost no cost calorie-wise. Other berries have a similar effect, although these dark-blue fruits are the most potent among them. Don’t forget that you can enjoy dried blueberries when they are out of season.
5. Dark Chocolate
You can enjoy eating healthy vegan chocolate on a diet if you limit yourself. This will boost both your body’s ability to burn fat and motivation to stick to your meal plan. Raw cacao powder is another of the vegan diet foods to eat when you want to enhance metabolism, as it’s a great source of magnesium.
Note that only dark bitter chocolate with a high (over 70%) cacao concentration is safe. It’s rich in antioxidants and should be completely vegan.
6. Chia Seeds
The benefits of chia seeds are too many to count. They are a superfood that boosts your metabolism and gives you large amounts of essential micro and macronutrients.
Their high fiber content is the main advantage of chia seeds for digestion. They have both soluble and insoluble fiber, so this food is a perfect complex for keeping your intestines toned and healthy.
7. Cinnamon
Not only is cinnamon a delicious spice, but it also makes your body hotter, stimulating the metabolism. The effect lasts for several hours, so if you want to get a boost, just add about ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon when making a green smoothie in the morning.
The effect of this spice on glucose metabolism is so profound that people are now using it as a dietary supplement for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
8. Apple Cider Vinegar
One of the best foods in the house, apple cider vinegar is also used as a dietary supplement or an important ingredient in homemade beauty products. Unlike other vegan diet foods to eat for metabolism, this vinegar stimulates the stomach into producing more enzymes. This results in more efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Due to this effect, apple cider vinegar can help weight loss as your body makes better use of the calories you consume. You can take it diluted in water and flavored with honey, cinnamon, or cayenne pepper.
9. Grapefruit
All citrus fruits are good for you due to fiber and vitamin C, but grapefruit is the champion in helping control the insulin levels. It’s rich in antioxidants and very low in calories, so its effects on your diet are similar to berries.
Note that grapefruit helps maintain your immune system healthy, which improves your general wellbeing.
10. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is the healthiest cooking oil you can find. Consider this when choosing vegan diet foods to eat for metabolism. This type of oil is believed to support the healthy function of the thyroid gland.
When used as a cooking fat, this food doesn’t give your foods coconut flavor. It’s also a good plant source of omega essential fatty 3 acids. Some people even take coconut oil by a spoonful or as a supplement to get a concentrate of its nutritional benefits.
11. Chili Peppers
Chili peppers are hot because they contain capsaicin, an element that stimulates metabolism and fat burning.
However, don’t forget that despite being good for a weight loss diet, hot foods might be bad for a sensitive stomach. Eat them in moderation and drink lots of water to wash them down.
12. Seaweed
Seaweed is one of the main vegan diet foods to eat in order to boost your health. It helps metabolism due to the high content of iodine. This mineral participates in chemical processes that enhance the thyroid gland function.
Note that you can actually eat too much seaweed as it contains extremely large amounts of iodine. Usually, 1-3 servings a week would be enough to keep up a healthy level of this element.
13. Green Tea
Green tea contains caffeine and catechins, both of which boost the natural metabolism rate. It’s a healthier alternative to coffee and drinking 3-5 cups of this tea per day is associated with a boost in efficiency for a weight loss diet.
Drink it hot or cold but try to go without sweeteners.
14. Watermelons
Watermelons have a lot of sugar, but they are also great for boosting metabolism and ‘cleansing’ your kidneys. This fruit is extremely rich in dietary fiber and water.
Watermelons also contain an amino acid called arginine. It’s associated with enhanced speed of fat burning during a weight loss program.
15. Spinach
All leafy greens are good for you, but spinach is the best for boosting metabolism due to its balance of dietary fiber and iron.
Foods rich in this mineral are vitally important as they help keep your blood healthy. Without your circulatory system at top form, your metabolism suffers on the cellular level.
Vegan Diet Foods to Eat for Metabolism: Are They Enough
Eating a variety of metabolism-enhancing foods is very important, but it’s not enough to maintain your general wellbeing. These products must be a part of a well-balanced diet as eating them alongside junk and processed foods will negate their positive effects.
You also need to drink a lot of water to maintain a healthy metabolism and increase your intake of liquids when working out. Regular physical exercise is another essential health-enhancing factor. If you are trying to lose weight, workouts are a must for your program.
