10 Foods that will Boost your Metabolism

Giving your metabolism a boost can bring us a long way toward our goal of physical fitness and ultimately feeling good about ourselves.  This is an article complied of the best foods you can eat to help revive and boost your metabolism. Of course getting in some solid exercise with this will really kick it in the pants.

So stoke your metabolic fire and burn calories faster with these diet-friendly foods and beverages:

1. Water. That’s right, water. A new study seems to indicate that drinking water actually speeds up weight loss and boost metabolism. Water is also a natural appetite suppressant that flushes out sodium and toxins.  Make sure you start your day out with at least a pint of water, not only will this help in setting the metabolic tone for the day, it’s also a great way to wake yourself up and get going.  (On a side note I also recommend taking a daily multivitamin with this morning glass of water.)

2. Grapefruit. This theory indicates that the unique chemical properties in this vitamin C-packed citrus fruit reduce insulin levels, which promotes weight loss and boost metabolism. NOTE: If you are taking medication, check with your doctor about any potentially adverse interactions with grapefruit.

3. Apples and Pears. This low-calorie, high fiber food is a great alternative when you a craving a sugary snack.  Apples are also proven to help assist with a healthy heart.  So eating a few apples or pears a day will help you control your intake, boost your metabolism and therefore help you lose weight.

4. Green Tea. Studies show that green tea extracts boost metabolism and may aid in weight loss. This mood-enhancing tea has also been reported to contain anti-cancer properties and help prevent heart disease.

5. Soup. Soup is a super appetite suppressant. It’s made up of a hunger-satisfying combination of liquids and solids.  Most soups are also low in calorie so you’re filling up and controlling your intake.  Choose healthier soups with low sodium.

6. Low-Fat Yogurt. Low-fat yogurt is a rich source of weight-loss-friendly calcium and also provides a good source of protein.  It’s all about controlling your intake and eating properly.

7. Broccoli. Broccoli is a super-food.  It is not only high in calcium, but also loaded with vitamin C, which boosts calcium absorption. This member of the nutritious cabbage family also has plenty of vitamin A, folate and fiber. And, at just 20-calories per cup, this weight-loss super-food not only fights fat but also contains powerful phytochemicals that boost your immunity and protect against disease.

8. Lean Turkey. Burn fat and build muscle with this lean, high in protein food.  Foods high in protein will help boost your metabolism tremendously. You will burn more calories when you replace you fatty meats with lean turkey.

9. Oatmeal. This heart-healthy favorite ranks high on the good carb list, because it’s a good source of cholesterol-fighting, fat-soluble fiber that keeps you full and provides you with the energy you need to help boost your metabolism and burn calories.

10. Hot Peppers. Eating hot peppers can speed up and boost metabolism and help “cool” your cravings.  Here’s why: Capsaicin (a chemical found in jalapeño and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism and causes you to burn more calories.

A few other tips to help you boost that metabolism.

Make sure you eat breakfast.

If you don’t eat breakfast, you slow down your metabolism and send the body into “hoard mode,” thinking it’s starving because you’re going a long period of time frequently 8 to 10 hours or more, without food.

Eat the majority of your food earlier in the day.

Dinner should be your lightest meal, and some experts recommend you don’t anything after 8 p.m., or any later than 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. This helps your body process and burn the food when you’re aware and moving around and burning more calories per hour.

Don’t starve.

Dropping your calorie intake below 1,000 calories a day will signal to your body that you are in starvation mode, and will slow down your metabolism.

Eat smaller meals more frequently.

Smaller, more frequent meals keeps your blood sugar stable and provides a steady source of energy to fuel metabolism.

Get enough aerobic exercise.

As much as you can is really a help for your metabolism, and if you do it in the morning, you’ll raise your metabolism all day.

Build muscle with weight training or resistance exercise.

At least two to three times a week, you should add weight training or progressive resistance exercise that builds muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest!

…And Don’t forget:

Water, water, water!!

Related articles

• Metabolism and Weight Loss (everydayhealth.com)
• Ways To Boost Your Metabolism (totalwellnessadvocate.wordpress.com)
• Boosting Metabolism (blog.stephenholtfitness.com)
• 6 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism (dietriffic.com)
• Foods that Burn Fat (tpsworkout.wordpress.com)