Boosting your metabolism gives you more energy, enhances your quality of sleep and helps you lose weight and maintain it. The metabolism involves all chemical reactions in the body and is responsible for changing food into energy. While there are physical and lifestyle changes you can make to naturally rev your metabolism into high gear, there are also foods you can eat that will boost it and aid in faster weight loss. Check out 10 foods that boost your metabolism, make you feel more energized and help you drop some unwanted weight!
3 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism Naturally
1. Drink More (Cold) Water
Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to boost your metabolism naturally, especially if you drink it cold. Drinking cold water stimulates thermogenesis, or heat production in the body, meaning your body has to expend energy to warm the fluid to body temperature. The more energy expended by your body temperature, the faster your metabolism runs. Water also helps fill you up, so drinking water before a meal can help you eat less.
2. Resistance Training and HIIT
Resistance, or strength training helps build muscle, which increases your metabolism. Muscle mass has a higher metabolic rate than fat, meaning muscle mass requires more energy to preserve. After a weight-lifting workout, you’ll burn more calories, even at rest. HIIT (high intensity interval training) is also great to rev your metabolism. It helps you burn more fat by increasing your metabolic rate. Incorporate both types of workouts for ultimate metabolism-boosting benefits.
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep is intricately linked to your metabolism and lack of sleep majorly increases your risk of obesity. When you get too little sleep, your body releases a hormone called ghrelin, which boosts your feelings of hunger and decreases the fullness hormone leptin. Getting enough sleep ensures these hormones are balanced, which can prevent you from overeating.
10 Foods That Boost Your Metabolism
1. Eggs
Eggs are not only low in calories, they’re an excellent source of protein, and protein-rich foods are the best for boosting metabolism. Protein makes you feel full, curbing cravings and hunger and reducing overeating. Eggs are also a good source of B vitamins, which have been shown to boost metabolism by converting food into energy.
2. Lentils & Beans
Iron boosts the flow of oxygen throughout the body, which helps increase energy and metabolism. Lentils are not only an amazing source of iron, they’re one of the best foods you can eat for your health in general. They have the highest protein of any plant-based food and are loaded with fibre. Beans are another excellent source of protein and vitamins and are brimming with fibre, which helps you feel satiated and aids in weight loss.
3. Lean Meats
Did you know your body works harder when it’s digesting protein than when it’s digesting fat or carbs? Eating lean meats like white meat chicken and turkey requires more energy to fully digest, revving your metabolism. Lean meats also contain an excellent amount of protein, which helps preserve your muscle mass, keeping your metabolism at its peak.
4. Oily Fish
The omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish such as salmon, herring and tuna have been found to raise the metabolic rate. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight. Omega-3s are also known to drastically decrease inflammation, increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and help maintain brain function.
5. Chilli Peppers
Spicy meals that contain chilli peppers are great for firing up your metabolism. Chilli peppers contain the compound capsaicin, which helps your body burn more energy and calories. It also contributes to a feeling of fullness and reduces appetite. Capsaicin also comes with other health benefits like helping the immune system fight cancer cells and reducing pain and inflammation.
6. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits, especially lemon and grapefruit are excellent for digestion. They’re low in sugar and contain vitamin C, which is key for normal fat metabolism. Lemons contain a nutrient called ‘limonin’ which helps support liver detoxification. Supporting the body’s ability to detoxify chemicals supports fat loss. Grapefruit supports weight loss by lowering insulin levels. Lower insulin levels means fewer cravings and in turn less food consumption.
7. Oats
Oats are extremely nutritious, providing a number of vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre. As your body breaks down fibre, it burns calories. Fibre also fills you up, helping you feel full for longer so you don’t have to eat as often. Oats keep your insulin levels low, preventing blood sugar spikes that signal your body to store fat.
8. Seeds & Nuts
Flaxseeds and hemp seeds are great sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, both of which reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to your muscles, kick-starting your metabolism. Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium, a mineral that’s essential for metabolism, reproduction and immune function. They also contain protein and healthy fats that make you feel fuller.
9. Dark Leafy Green Vegetables
Spinach, kale and other leafy greens boost metabolism due to their iron content. Iron is essential for metabolism, as is magnesium, which is also found in many leafy greens. Leafy greens are a source of non-heme (or non-animal) iron, so it’s ideal to pair leafy greens with a source of vitamin C, like tomatoes or lemon to increase iron absorption.
10. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is not only known to speed up your metabolism, it also curbs your sweet tooth, helps balance blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity. The body also uses more energy to process the spice than it does other foods, so add it to your morning coffee to start your day out right.
Eating foods that increase your metabolism can help you reach your weight loss goals faster. Add these foods and lifestyle tips to your diet to boost your metabolism naturally.
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