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LEVEL 1 FOOD: METABOLIC JUMPSTART PREP
LESSON 3

Eating the Good Stuff (Protein, Fiber, Fat)

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A core part of the Metabolic Jumpstart is making sure you’re not just taking out foods that get stored as fat and leave you feeling hungry but that you’re also adding in foods that are critical for your body’s health and that will provide the right building blocks to reset your metabolism. (Good news! They’re also delicious and satisfying.) Read on for what that means.

Protein 

Protein is essential for your organs, muscles, skin, hair, nails, and bones. It helps sustain your energy, support your immune system, and power the growth and repair of cells and tissue. It’s also critical for keeping you full and reducing hunger. 

One way it does this is by lowering the level of ghrelin (a key hunger hormone) and increasing levels of PYY and GLP-1 (satiety hormones that naturally occur in your body). Protein also helps with fullness by reducing your insulin levels after eating, making it ideal not just for regular meals—but also for craving-busting snacks. 

Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), nuts (whole, or as nut butter), eggs, fish, meat, or non-animal protein (hemp and pea protein) are all good sources of protein. While whole foods are generally best, protein powders (from plant, dairy, or animal collagen sources) can be a simple, easy way to get a protein dose in and sustain energy throughout the day. Since not all protein powders are created equal, we have some recommendations in our Calibrate Food Finds guide.

Healthy fats

Your body uses fats as building blocks for cellular membranes. In fact, half of your brain is made of fat! Fat also protects your nerves (helping them to work efficiently) and keeps your skin glowing. Importantly (and contrary to what you may think), healthy fats can actually facilitate weight loss when eaten in a balanced meal. 

Full fat food digests slowly, so you’re satisfied for longer. By contrast, low fat foods can leave you feeling hungry and deprived (because they usually compensate for fat with quick absorbing carbs and sugars). 

For this reason, focusing on low fat foods is no longer considered sound nutritional advice for sustainable weight loss. For example, eating a low fat cereal with skim milk might leave you reaching for a mid-morning snack while, by contrast, eggs with a side of avocado will keep you full for hours.

An easy way to bump up your intake of healthy fats is to begin cooking with healthy oils like olive oil or avocado oil. Other foods rich in unsaturated fats are nuts, avocados, and fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Dairy—including whole milk, eggs, full fat yogurt, and cheese—are also good sources in moderation.

On the opposite side, limit your intake of processed meats (think bacon and sausage). These meats are loaded with additives and are associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes when eaten often. Also avoid trans fats found in heavily processed and fried food. They are powerful contributors to diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, and stroke.

Fiber

Fiber feeds the billions of bacteria that keep our intestinal and immune systems in good health (in fact, studies show that low-fiber diets can lead to inflammation). It’s also a carbohydrate that your body doesn’t digest (unlike other carbs, which are broken down into sugar).  

This means that foods with fiber pass through your digestive system intact, keeping you full for a long time. Fruits and vegetables are full of fiber, which is one of the reasons why they’re so critical to a healthy diet.

There are many simple approaches to getting fiber into your day. Roasting and freezing/refrigerating a variety of vegetables each week is an easy way to make sure you have plenty of options on hand (we love this easy how-to guide). You can also snack on fruit whenever you’re craving sugar (the fiber helps your body break the sugar down slowly). 

Don’t forget that beans and lentils have fiber and protein. You can sprinkle cooked lentils on a salad for lunch, make chickpea or lentil pasta for dinner, or eat hummus with carrots for a snack. 

Read more about fiber and easy ways to incorporate it into your day-to-day here.

Keep working on your prep goal. If you’re ordering meals or ingredients ahead, make sure you’ve done so by now. And make sure you’re filling out your plan in the calendar your coach shared. We’ve got all your approach options laid out right here.