Foods to Eat that Speed Up Your Metabolism
YOUR metabolism – the way in which your body burns food and turns it into energy – is a key part of keeping yourself trim.
And the faster your metabolic rate, the quicker you transform food into energy, so those looking to lose weight are continually seeking the Holy Grail – foods that will boost their metabolism.
Your metabolism is unique to you and is normally fairly constant – some have naturally high or low rates – but it is possible to influence your own rate and speed it up a little, for example with rigorous exercise.
And there are certain foods that are believed to have a positive impact on a person’s metabolic rate, so it is time to reach for the recipe books.
Protein in any form is a good way to temporarily boost your metabolic rate. As a much more complex food to digest than carbs or sugars, the body needs to use more energy to break it down. This is the fundamental concept behind food plans like the Atkins Diet.
Fish, meats, eggs, nuts, legumes, and dairy products all help push up your rate by between 15 and 30m percent for a short while – and protein-rich foods also tend to make you feel fuller for longer, helping cut overeating, and help build muscle mass.
Types of legumes – and pulses – that are protein-packed include lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, and peanuts. These also contain highly beneficial fibers and amino acids which can help with burning through carbs and fats.
Certain key minerals – iron, zinc, and selenium – have been shown to be vital for the wellbeing of your thyroid gland, which is the regulator of your metabolism. Keeping your thyroid happy will help your metabolism so look for foods such as seafood, nuts, seeds, and meat. Another compound essential for good thyroid health is iodine, found in high quantities in seaweed.
Lovers of spicy food will be delighted with this - studies have shown that the key chemical in chili peppers – capsaicin – may help raise the metabolic rate slightly by both reducing calorie intake and burning calories at a faster rate, but it is not a substantial impact.
And in a similar vein – caffeine has been shown to help coffee drinkers burn an extra 100 calories a day, but this one seems to vary greatly by individual.
If your choice of caffeine comes from tea, you can do one better – tea contains catechins as well which can help raise your rate even more, maybe by up to 10 percent. Green tea seems to offer the best boost, but again it appears to be highly individual.
Certain spices are thought to help kick start your metabolism into a higher gear, particularly ginger, grains of paradise, and cayenne pepper.
Cocoa and cacao may have properties to help boost your metabolism, especially in people with high calorie and high-fat diets - but this does not work if you consume your cocoa through a lot of chocolate bars.
It is thought apple cider vinegar can help raise the metabolic rate, though studies are limited – the vinegar can help further by slowing the stomach emptying itself and making you feel fuller.
Coconut oil is increasingly popular in cooking, and this is due to the type of fat it contains. Known as medium-chain triglycerides, these fats are processed directly by the liver into energy and are far less likely to be stored as fat in the body.
And finally, good old water. Although a very temporary boost of up to 90 minutes, drinking water can raise your metabolic rate up to 30 percent- it is thought the extra calories burned to raise the water to your body temperature are behind this.
