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Peanuts and Peanut Butter Contain Protein, Heart-Healthy Fat and FiberA mini-meal is a well-balanced snack that will keep you going for about two hours. Consider that your stomach is about the size of your fist. At any one sitting, you should not eat more food than could fit in a container that size comfortably.
Mini-meals help keep you satisfied throughout the day, and because smart snacking is encouraged, it actually prevents binges. Also, because you're never too hungry, when it comes time to sit down at a meal, you are less likely to overeat.
In addition to helping curb cravings and prevent overeating, mini-meals signal to your metabolism that you are always ready to go. It will kick-start your digestion and give you long-term ongoing energy for any activity. This is the ultimate goal! -
Eggs are a great source of protien, when eaten in moderation.Peanuts and peanut butter are an ideal component to include in any of your meals or snacks throughout the day because they contain the three basic building blocks of a metabolism-boosting diet: protein, healthy fat and fiber. Eat them alone or combine them with fruit or even chocolate. Of course if you are allergic to peanuts, there are many other foods that have the same benefits! These include soy, almonds, etc.
While counting fat and calories is interesting to some, this method is far simpler to keep track of throughout the day: Just try to achieve a balance. -
If you are doing strength training exercises, you should aim to get five servings of lean protein per day. Lean protein can come from low-fat cottage cheese, one egg, grilled fish, a grilled chicken breast or other lean meat. You can also eat protein in the form of powders, bars or shakes, but you want to get most of it from dietary sources.
Remember, a single serving of lean meat is 5 oz., roughly the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. -
Heart-healthy fats and Omega-3 fatty acids are absolutely essential in a diet designed to boost your metabolism. They signal to the body that you aren't starving and help you burn more calories throughout the day. The goal is to get two to three servings (a serving is 1 tablespoon) of heart-healthy fats per day.
Sources of heart-healthy fat include fish, olive oil, nuts and canola oil. If a fat is solidified at room temperature, it is not heart-healthy (e.g., butter). -
Fiber is found in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and berries. It is essential for cardiovascular health, digestive health, regularity and proper elimination of toxins.
Non-starchy vegetables (a starchy vegetable would be potatoes or corn) are abundant sources of fiber as well as other beneficial vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The only thing to be careful about with vegetables is preparation. Fresh, raw, steamed or grilled are ideal ways to fix veggies. Try to avoid vegetables that are soaked in butter or swimming in fatty sauces.
Aim to eat at least five servings of vegetables per day, but this is one area where you don't have to limit yourself. If you're still hungry, go crazy on those second helpings of steamed asparagus. -
Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn, as well as common "carbs" such as rice or pasta, are not the enemy. Carbohydrates are an essential part of the human diet, they are the easiest foods to convert into energy, and they are great for an instant pickup.
However, if you have a sluggish metabolism, it's your body is probably not digesting carbs properly. In such as case, it's best to mix them in with your protein, fat and fiber servings to ensure proper digestion.
Simple sugars, such as plain white cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup, are almost too easy for your body to digest, and frequently get stored as fat. It's better to stick to more complex sugars (such as the sugar found naturally in fruit) and sweeteners that don't cause insulin spikes--honey, agave or stevia. Along this same vein, try to avoid drinking fruit juice--this is all of the sugar and none of the fiber you'd get if you just ate the fruit.
It is best to spread carbohydrates throughout the day--oatmeal at breakfast, a whole-wheat wrap at lunch--because this will help you feel full and satisfied. Try to skip the carbs and starches in the last two evening meals of the day, as this will prevent those simple starches from converting to fat while you sleep. -
The best way to ensure your success with the metabolic-boost diet is to plan ahead and do most of your shopping in advance. Stock up on essentials such as peanut butter and cottage cheese, fresh fruit, etc. Take all of your snacks and mini-meals with you to lunch so you can stick with your plan during the day.
Vegetables are flash-frozen on the field sites in many cases, and these retain more nutrients than the fresh vegetables in the store. You will want to stock up on thin-sliced chicken breasts and frozen veggies for quick dinners.
