Okay, so we’re always hearing about this metabolism thing and how you need to boost it to lose weight, or keep weight off, or eat more tasty food but not get any chubbier. But what is metabolism?
Metabolism is the breakdown of chemical reactions in your body. In other words, it’s what happens to your food after you’ve finished digesting it. And it’s broken down into two groups. Catabolism – which is the breakdown of the molecules of food you’ve digested and anabolism, which is the processing of the broken down molecules into energy for the cells of your body.
Boosting your metabolism means that you’re processing food rapidly, and healthily, burning more calories. So now we’ve got that sorted, here’s a list of foods (that you can combine!) to get delicious food with the added bonus of boosting your metabolism.
1. Broccoli is a miraculous green vegetable that contains vitamin C and calcium, which are both great for boosting your metabolism. Ever notice how dark green broccoli is? That’s because it’s got a high concentration of chlorophyll, which has a number of other health benefits.
2. Garlic Celebrate! Eating garlic causes your body to raise its temperature, forcing your body to break down the fats and increase the speed of your metabolism. It doesn’t have to be raw (but if you’re brave or like me, it certainly can be!) but put it in your cooking. So yes, whiny family member, it is necessary to put more garlic in the sauce.
3. Grapefruit is an excellent way to boost your metabolism. One reason is because it contains Vitamin C, which is a good thing for speeding up metabolism. Also, grapefruit has insulin, which allows the body to better process foods.
4. Raw, organic yogurt or Greek yogurt is a great way to boost metabolism! Yogurt contains calcium and protein, which gives you energy and helps your body absorb food. Yogurt is also great for your digestive system!
5. Fish and Shellfish. Leptin is a hormone that slows the metabolism and increases weight gain. However, the omega threes and oil that is in fish like salmon has the ability to combat leptin and help the body absorb food for efficiently. As if you needed another excuse to eat shrimp.
6. Almonds contain are full of fatty acids – metabolism-boosting machines. So before you leave the grocery store, make sure you grab a nice bag of these nuts!
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7. Oats have soluble fiber, which takes a lot of calories to break down. Using up all of those calories is a big boost to your metabolism! We’re talking steel cut oats here, peeps, not the instant kind. And while they take longer to cook, they’re delicious with a bit of honey and cinnamon.
8. Flaxseeds have a number of health benefits, and one of them is speeding up metabolism! The Omega-3s and Omega-6s in the seeds are what speed up the metabolism. These can be blended into smoothies or baked into cookies or tossed on top of a salad.
9. Lean Protein. Turkey, chicken, and pork all have a number of health benefits, but it is believed that the lean protein helps raise metabolism.
10. Hot Peppers. Spicy peppers like cayenne and habanero peppers are great for the metabolism because they increase blood circulation, and metabolic rate. Some studies have stated that peppers can boost the metabolic rate by 25%!
11. Blueberries .Because they’re chockfull of antioxidants, they help boost your metabolism. Plus they’re delicious and if you combine them with Greek yogurt, flaxseeds, spinach, almond milk, and a few other berries of your choice you have a great morning metabolism boost!
12. Spinach. First and foremost, Popeye the Sailor will be proud of you for eating spinach, and honestly, who doesn’t want that? Leafy green vegetables like spinach with its delicate texture and jade green color provide more nutrients than any other food. Plus, by eating spinach, you’ll be protecting yourself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time. And if the physical benefits aren’t enough, you also get mental improvements.
13. Avocado. Do I even need to sell you on these? No. Go buy more avocados. Make guacamole. Be happy.
14. Asparagus. Another great source of chlorophyll, but also of antioxidants and a number of other vitamins and minerals. It also helps fight aging and is generally wonderful with a little grass-fed butter and pepper.
15. Legumes: Quinoa, lentils, and beans. CHICKPEAS! All are delicious and great for delivering extra protein and loads of other benefits.
16. Walnuts are like almonds. High in good fat and possessing loads of fiber.
17. Edamame. Not just a tasty snake to go along with sushi! Edamame is high in chlorophyll, antioxidants, and a bunch of other fancy vitamins. A full serving of these carries a ton of protein, fiber and good fats.
18. Eggs. The whites are rich in branched-chain amino acids, which keep your metabolism stoked. Eggs are also loaded with protein and vitamin D.
19. Hemp Seeds. Hemp seeds are an incredibly rich, plant-based source of good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iron, potassium and just about everything but the kitchen sink. Plus they’re high in digestible protein.
20. Whole grains are full of fiber and tricky for your body to process. This means your body must burn more calories to get nutrients from whole grains. Another great reason to stay far, far, far away from white bread.
You can boost your metabolism even more by cooking these foods in coconut oil!
21. Water: I know. Shocker. But when you become dehydrated your metabolism slows down. Keeping hydrated is a great way to keep your metabolism up and it’s also a great trick to prevent
22. Green Tea: When I think of boosting my metabolism, I honestly turn to green tea first. I was going to leave it off this list because it’s not really a food, but it’s just so tasty and comes in so many forms that I just had to include it.
You can also perform simple tasks in the morning to give your metabolism a boost for the rest of your day.
Originally published on Healthy Holistic Living
