Foods That Speed Metabolism
Every wonder why that certain person always manages to stay so skinny no matter what they eat? Chances are their metabolism is on overdrive. Whatever they eat is burned up before their body stores it as fat. Jealous? You shouldn’t be.
Most people don’t realize that your metabolic rate is not fixed. Your activity levels and the foods you eat have a direct impact on the rate that your body uses the energy stored in the foods you consume. You can increase your metabolism. In fact one of the easiest ways to do this is by eating. There are actually foods that speed up your metabolism.
Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism
Add a few of these to your list next time you run to the grocery store:
- Apples
- Celery
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Mango
- Onions
- Papaya
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Carrots
- Berries
- Oranges
- Spinach
- Turnips
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Nut milks
- Seed milks
- Asparagus
- Cucumbers
- Pineapple
- Grapefruit
- Cauliflower
- Raw Nuts & Seeds
- Green, Leafy Veggies
- Rolled Oats
- Whey Protein
- Almonds
- Natural Yogurt
- Green Tea
- Beans
- Spinach
- Eggs
- Turkey
- Chicken Breast
- Peanut Butter
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Canola Oil
- Whole grains
- Berries
- Cayenne Pepper
- Coffee
- Water
- Steak
- Salmon
How Do They Work?
Metabolism boosting foods work for 5 general reasons.
- Foods containing fiber and complex carbs keep insulin levels low while you eat. Why is this good? Spike in insulin send a signal to your body that tells it to start storing fat. So your metabolic rate slows, fewer calories are burned and more fat is stored.
- Foods that are spicy or contain caffeine increase your heart rate. This increased heart rate can have a significant effect on the number of calories your body burns in a day.
- Foods containing a chemical called EGCG (usually found in tea) cause your brain and nervous system to operate more quickly. This equates to more calories burned in a day.
- Foods high in protein take longer to digest. You body has to work harder to break down proteins that it does for fat or carbohydrates. Thus more calories are burned in the digestion process
- Foods packed with Omega-3 fatty acids effect the levels of the hormone leptin. Current research shows that the levels of leptin in your body has a direct relation to your metabolic rate. More leptin means more calories burned.
A Few More Tips
Start early with a smart breakfast that includes some of the items above. Why? When you sleep at night your body goes into fasting mode and you burn fewer calories. Starting the day with a good breakfast kicks your body out of that mode and starts you burning more calories earlier in the day.
Eat smaller meals throughout the day. When eating more often, you tend to eat less at one time, which reduces the strain on your digestive system allowing it to work more efficiently.
When snacking, stick to foods high in lean protein – nuts and seeds are great. These foods also contain a high amount of amino acids which take more work to break down. This means more calories are burned to digest them.
Put these into practice with the list of foods above and you’ll be well on your way to a speedy metabolism.
