Foods That Increase Metabolic Rate
Metabolism is a chemical process that uses hormones and enzymes to convert food into energy and affects the rate at which we burn calories. Although factors in which we have no control, such as age and gender, can influence our metabolic rate, there are a few things we can do to help speed it up, such as eating a healthy diet and incorporating a regular exercise program.
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High Fiber, Low Calories
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High-fiber whole grains, fruits, and vegetables help keep insulin levels and the digestive system on track, which keeps fat storage in check.
Fruits, such as apples and pears, are a low-calorie snack to satisfy a sugar craving, with a high fiber content that makes you feel full for a longer period of time even though you are consuming fewer calories.
Vegetables also are a significant source of fiber. The super food broccoli offers vast nutritional benefits beyond boosting metabolism, including vitamins A and C, calcium, folate as well as powerful protection for your immune system.
Cholesterol-fighting and heart-healthy oatmeal provides good carbs and fiber while providing your body with energy for the day and keeping you feeling full longer. For the ultimate nutritional benefits, choose rolled or steel cut over instant oatmeal.
Build Lean Muscle with Protein
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Protein helps increase metabolism because it requires more energy for the body to break down and utilize. This results in burning extra calories.
Dairy products, such as low-fat yogurt, can boost weight loss efforts with their significant supply of protein and calcium as well as bacteria to aid in your digestive tract.
Lean meats, such as turkey and fish, will help boost metabolism with loads of protein to encourage lean muscle tissue, which burns significantly more calories than fat. Lean meats also burn calories during digestion as they take longer to digest than most other foods.
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Complex Carbohydrates
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Complex carbs found in fruits and vegetables take more energy to digest than other foods but less energy to digest than protein. These extra calories that are burned in digestion help boost metabolism and continue to release caloric energy so we feel satisfied longer. Simple carbs, found in refined sugars and processed foods, can cause energy spikes.
Water as an Appetite Suppressant
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Drinking the recommended daily allowance of water, eight or more glasses each day, can speed up metabolic rates by ridding your body of toxins and sodium and keeping you feeling full---a natural appetite suppressant.
Water-plentiful fruits and vegetables can provide the same benefits without going overboard on calories. It is theorized that fruits and vegetables actually require more energy to digest than they contain, making them a "negative calorie" food.
No Significant Weight Loss Benefit
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Some foods are shown to increase metabolic rate but in amounts that are not significant for weight loss. That does not mean they aren't worth a try, however. Boosters such as green tea extract, which contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), chocolate made from the antioxidant-rich cacao bean, and hot peppers, which have a chemical called capsaicin, all can increase metabolism in small amounts.
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