Secret Foods that Boost your Metabolism

One of the fastest and the best ways to lose fat and get fit is by speeding up your metabolism which of course you have to compliment with regular exercise and sticking to your diet. It’s a known scientific fact that increasing one’s metabolism can help burn calories where fat gets replaced with muscle tissue which is sure to give you more of the much needed energy for sports and day to day activities.

The key to increasing your metabolism is, understanding what type of foods would help you achieve your goal. In saying that we have to understand that the body’s metabolism works like an engine and every time we eat; it is our body’s metabolism which ascertains what to do with whatever nutrients it gets from the food.

It determines whether to use it for energy, store it or convert those that cannot be used into waste products. The reasons why people get fat could be due to a medical condition, too much food intake that leads to food being stored in the body in fat form and physical inactivity resulting to a slow metabolic rate which results in the body’s failure to burn whatever is consumed.

The good news is; there are foods that could help speed up one’s metabolism! Certain fat burning foods can even flush out the fat stored in the body. Cutting your food intake is and regular exercise are not the only ways to help lose weight.

Here’s a list of foods that have been scientifically proven to help speed up your metabolism:

 

Iced Water – I’m not sure if we should consider water food but little did we know that drinking eight 16 oz. glasses of water cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit will burn 200 calories. Yes, you heard me right! That’s like the equivalent of running 3 miles. Your metabolism increases since it has to heat the water up to body temperature. It’s not advisable to drink iced water with meals because it will dilute the digestive enzymes.

 

 

Cayenne Pepper – We thought this food only adds zing to our favorite foods like spaghetti and pizza but studies conducted at the Oxford Polytechnic Institute proved that cayenne pepper stimulates the body’s metabolism and increases it to approximately 20%. Not only that; it also gets rid of fat out of the arteries.

- Hot Peppers - Good news for all the people who love their food spicy. Studies done by Dr. Henry from the University of Oxford led to proof that these hot babies are very effective in helping stimulate our metabolism. All it takes is 3 grams of these with a meals consisting of 766 calories. These results to what the good doctor calls a “diet-induced thermo effect”. My advice is just going with what’s good for your taste buds though.

 

 Cabbage – This vegetable does wonders not only for increasing one’s metabolism but it also helps reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and disease-related death. This has been proven by studies conducted on people in the US, Japan and Greece. How about eating coleslaw instead of green salad on your next meal? Red and green cabbages are great! They only need to be shredded and could be eaten raw or steamed.

 Celery - Celery works by taking more energy from the body to absorb and digest food than the calories it provides. It’s known to be a good nerve tonic since it’s a nice and crunchy, raw vegetable to chew on when you’re feeling stressed out. It calms the nerve and helps flush the fat out of your system. Did you know that celery is also good for helping you sleep better? It goes well when eating it with a low-fat yogurt dip.

 

 Any fruit that’s rich in Vitamin C- Fruits rich in Vitamin C like lemons, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit have a high fat-burning quality. It reduces fat content, burns cholesterol thus preventing cholesterol deposits in the blood cells, as well as liquefies and dilutes fat. Diluted fat easily gets flushed out of the body. Citrus fruits will surely help increase your metabolism and keep your cholesterol levels in check.

 

 

Fatty Fish – Eating fat to get rid of fat doesn’t sound that convincing but you should know that not all fats can make you fat. Salmon, mackerel, tuna and other fatty fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids that can increase our metabolic rate, rid our body of excess fluids and increase our energy level. For those who aren’t fond of eating fish, fish oil capsules and flaxseed are very good substitutes for getting Omega 3 essential fats. Flaxseed is known to prevent heart disease and cancer and is also an excellent salad dressing.

 

Each of these foods would surely help boost your metabolism as well as offer you the health benefits that you and your body will surely appreciate. Eat smart, exercise regularly and have a long and healthy life!