A Princeton-Trained PhD Says These 3 Foods Will Optimize Your Metabolism

In fact, it wasn't until Cowan focused on optimizing her gut that she really saw positive changes in her metabolic health. Below, she shares a few of her favorite grocery staples for stellar gut health—which, in turn, helped her enhance her metabolism and maintain a healthy weight:

According to Cowan, your gut bacteria love polyphenols, which are a group of plant-based chemicals with potent antioxidant abilities. "Dark red fruits, like pomegranates, cherries, dark grapes, wild blueberries, raspberries, blackberries…these all contain molecules called polyphenols, which are essentially antioxidant molecules," she explains. "So in addition to scavenging free radicals, they also directly feed these bacteria [and] serve as a food source."

Essentially, anything red-colored and highly pigmented is great for boosting gut-healthy bacteria. But if Cowan had to pick a favorite, she specifically touts red apples. "The red pigment in red apple peels is a specifically good food source," she notes. She says you can even find red apple peel powders on the market (of course, make sure you're buying a high-quality option), but filling your basket with juicy, dark red apples is a solid move, too.

That said, it's important to make sure you're getting enough protein. And sure, there are plenty of plant-based sources you can add to your diet, but Cowan recommends some wild-caught, sustainably sourced fish, if it fits within your lifestyle. "Shellfish are amazing sources of protein and micronutrients," she says (think shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters, and mussels). "I think leaning more toward smaller fish is good, and if you can get them fresh, that would be even better," she adds (as opposed to canned). But if tinned fish is more accessible to you, then by all means—tinned fish tends to be a more sustainable option, anyway! 

Finally, Cowan recommends optimizing the energizing benefits of coffee by combining it with a source of fat—think coconut cream, coconut oil, butter, or ghee. "Something that has a little bit of protein with the fat to help emulsify into the coffee," she explains. "The fat essentially will bind onto the caffeine because the caffeine's fat soluble, and it creates a time-release source of caffeine so that you don't get an immediate peak and then a crash in the afternoon. Instead, you're adding to that slow, sustained energy that ultimately I think everybody's looking for when they're going into their workday." Not to mention, coffee is a good source of antioxidant polyphenols. So feel free to drink up! 

The gut-metabolism axis is very much real. Take it from Cowan, who was unable to enhance her metabolic health until she got her gut health up to snuff. Of course, plenty of other foods are A+ for gut health—find a full gut health diet here—but if you're looking for just a few staples, you can't go wrong with the above.

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