Metabolism is a set of cell functions that include the circulation of blood, the digestion of food, breathing, the contraction of your muscles and the elimination of waste from your body. I have comprised a list of foods, vitamins and minerals with additional tips on boosting metabolism rates, burn fat and maintaining the right amount of healthy calories.
Foods that Increase Metabolism
1) Water: Increase metabolic rates by 30%, is a natural appetite suppressant, and flushes sodium and toxins from the body. Drink water all throughout the day. Drinking ice cold water may even be better because the body has to warm it before digestion, thus making the body work harder and burn more calories. Avoid dehydration at all times by consuming 8-12 (8 oz) cups of water to maintain a high metabolism and burn more calories.
2) Green Tea: Boosts metabolism and aids in weight loss. May also be a mood enhancing herb as well as providing anti-cancer properties and helps to prevent heart disease.
3) Coffee & Tea: Now this I can handle, Bring on the java! caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system. Brewed coffee can raise metabolism 5%-8% and brewed tea comes in at a whopping 12% because it contains the antioxidant catechins.
4) Soup: The combination of liquids and solids means it is a super appetite suppressant, besides the fact that it is a delicious low fat meal or snack.
5) Grapefruit: The grapefruit diet is not a myth. Packed with vitamin C and its unique chemical properties actually reduce insulin levels, which promotes weight loss and boosts metabolism.
6) Apples & Pears: Eat fruit as a snack to satisfy those sweet cravings. It adds fiber to your diet, is a low calorie food at any time of the day and will help you consume fewer calories overall. Eat more...gain less cals.
7) Broccoli: A super food at a mere 20 calories per cup that is rich in calcium as well as a big dose of vit C that helps the absorption of calcium. This green food has vit A, foliate, fiber and also contains powerful phytochemicals that boost your immunity and protect against disease.
8) Yogurt: A low fat dairy food that is a great source of calcium and protein with added bacteria and probiotics for a healthy digestive tract.
9) Turkey: Protein helps boost metabolism, burn fat and build lean muscle which in turn burns more calories. Lean skinless turkey is an all time favorite for body builders with the reason being 3 oz of turkey equals 120 cals with 26 g of protein and only 1 g of fat and 0 g of sat fat.
10) Oatmeal: This heart-healthy favorite ranks high on the good carb list, because it’s a good source of cholesterol-fighting, fat-soluble fiber (7 grams per 3/4-cup serving) that keeps you full and provides you with the energy you need to make the most of your workouts. Choose steel cut or rolled oats, not instant oatmeal to get the most benefits. This is another body builder favorite.
11) Hot Peppers: Hot spicy peppers speeds up metabolism. Capsaicin (a chemical found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism and causes you to burn more calories.
12) Milk: Vit D is needed for strong muscle and calcium is needed for strong bones as well as reducing fat absorption as a whole. Calcium deficiency may actually slow down metabolism as well.
13) Watermelon: Contains a large amount of the amino acid arginine that is found to promote weight loss.
Contributing Factors for High Metabolism
1) Don't Starve Yourself: Consuming not enough calories may actually put your body into starvation mode thus slowing metabolic rates and causing the body to store fat and energy. Prolonged crash diets will eventually begin burning muscle tissue and visceral belly fat will likely be the result. Eat plenty of low fat foods in small quantities five times a day, which includes breakfast, lunch & dinner with two snacks.
2) Eat Breakfast: The age old saying that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" seems to still stand true today. It is said that breakfast gives your metabolism a jump start for the day and will increase energy levels.
This is a hard one for me personally because I am never hungry in the morning. I found a way around this issue, by drinking a protein shake on the days I exercise and a fruit smoothie on my off days. I purchased a drink blender by Cuisinart which makes it super easy to get those healthy calories and really convenient to make shakes right in the travel cup itself. Nice!
3) Essential Vitamins & Minerals: Eating healthy and consuming adequate amounts of vitamins & minerals will help maintain your weight as well as boosting metabolism speeds.
- Fiber helps to burn up to 30% of fat with 25g per day which is about 3 servings of fruits and veggies.
- Iron carries oxygen to the muscles that burn fat. Iron deficiency means low energy and low metabolism. Avoid supplements because too much iron is harmful. Acquire iron through foods like beans, cereal, spinach, meat and shellfish.
- Vit D strengthens and preserves muscle which in turn revs up metabolism rates. Foods like salmon, tuna, milk, cereal and eggs are excellent sources.
- Arginine is an amino acid that enhances the oxidation of fat and glucose. It also increases lean muscle, which burns more calories than fat does. Eat foods like watermelon, seafood, nuts, and seeds.
- Protein can up calorie burn by as much as 35%. Protein is essential for maintaining lean muscle mass which encourages metabolism.
- Vit B Complex: Every cell function that uses or produces energy contributes to your metabolism and many of these cell functions require the B vitamins to function optimally. Read more in my blog post http://nutritionandfitnessguide.blogspot.com/2012/03/b-complex-vitamins.html
4) Keep Moving: No matter what your day consists of, be sure to avoid sitting or laying down for longer than 4 hours, which causes a near shutdown in an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat burning, keep moving!
I have found office jobs and long commutes to be a huge health obstacle. Stand up periodically if your job is chair bound. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park on the back lot instead of by the front door. Run errands whenever possible. Find an excuse to get out of that chair! Simple extras in your day can help maintain a healthy metabolism. Furthermore, A doctor once told me that I should get out of the vehicle and stand up regularly during my long travel times across the nation to prevent the frequent bladder infections that occurred.
5) Organic Foods: Of course this is the trendy way to go these days, but there is a reason for it. Pesticides may make it harder to loose weight because the toxins interfere with the natural energy burning process. I have also read that the body doesn't know how to treat foreign toxins and may actually cause weight gain. A simple rule of thumb: If you can eat the skin...go organic.
6) Sleep More: There are numerous benefits of getting a true 8 hours of restful sleep each night, but mainly it reduces stress, fatigue and possibly reduces visceral belly fat as well.
References:
"How to Increase Metabolism", by Sheri Strykowsk, a freelance journalist who specializes in health, fitness and lifestyle with numerous publications. This is a nice article that lists the 10 metabolism boosting foods that I summarized and also gives examples of each study.
http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/10-foods-to-raise-your-metabolism.html
"15 ways to max your metabolism" by Men's Health.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41721690/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/ways-max-your-metabolism/
Vitamin B Complex & Metabolism http://www.livestrong.com/article/484358-vitamin-b-complex-metabolism/#ixzz1xmROXAb2
