10 Best Foods to Stimulate Your Metabolism
By Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP
Our culture seems to be obsessed with our weight. We all want to be slim, but what about being healthy? Well, I hope we all want that too. If we could manage both, wouldn’t that be ideal?
The metabolism plays an important part in both of those factors. The metabolism is defined as the sum of the physical and chemical processes that allow foods to be broken down to release the energy that we need for all of our body’s processes. It is basically how your body breaks down foods so that you can get the energy you need to do all of your daily activities. Now the speed and efficiency at which the metabolism does this varies by individual. You have probably heard someone who has struggled with their weight say that they have a slow metabolism, and someone who seems to eat constantly and not gain a pound refer to their fast metabolism. A slow metabolism simply means that the foods you eat are being broken down at a slower rate, and less efficiently, causing you to gain weight.
All Calories Are Not Created Equal
Another factor is calories. Not all calories are created equal. 500 calories of raw vegetables is processed by the body a lot differently than 500 calories of chocolate cake. So the types of foods we eat are also important. Some foods take more energy to digest than others, and burn more calories as you digest them. Simply the act of chewing foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and very lean meats can increase your caloric burn significantly. The fibre and protein in such foods take so much effort to digest that there are way fewer calories left over for your body to store. Eating softer, easier to digest foods (like processed foods) take very little energy to digest and therefore there are many calories available that your body stores as fat. So, increasing the efficiency of your metabolism with the foods below as well as adding more fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats and fish to your diet will help you feel and look amazing.
Here is the list of the 10 best foods to stimulate your metabolism.
Water
Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking at least one litre a day of water will help boost the metabolism, and flush toxins out of the liver. Having a healthy liver will help with overall health and filtering toxins out of the body. You can add lemon or lime to boost the liver’s flushing function, but be careful not to add sugar and other flavourings, always try to keep it real with your water! (And everything else :)
Garlic & Onions
Garlic and onions have an extremely cleansing effect on the body and garlic in particular has a strong cleansing effect on the blood. Both garlic and onions lower blood pressure and cholesterol and promote the contraction of smooth muscles in the intestinal wall helping to move foods further along the digestive tract.
Green Tea
Green tea has long been touted for its antioxidants, or antioxidant polyphenols. It’s active ingredient catechin has been proven to improve fat oxidation and thermogenesis which is the heat produced by digestion. Green tea also protects lean muscle tissue and stabilizes blood sugar levels.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Salmon, herring and tuna are fish high in omega 3 fats, and omega 3 fats boost the metabolism. Omega 3’s help to balance blood sugar and reduce inflammation, helping to regulate and stimulate the metabolism. They have also been shown to reduce resistance to the hormone leptin which is responsible in part to how the body burns fat.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are full of antioxidants and fibre, both of which are very stimulating the the metabolism. Vegetables like kale, spinach, collard greens and turnip greens are rich in iron which helps red blood cells to transport nutrients throughout the body.
Nuts & Seeds
Stick to raw nuts and seeds to receive their maximum metabolism boosting effects, raw nuts and seeds boost your metabolism twice as much as when they are roasted. Nuts and seeds contain two fat burning nutrients, choline and inositol. They act to remove fat from the body so that it doesn’t get reabsorbed, in the places you don’t want it.
Eggs
Digesting protein takes up to seven times more energy than digesting fats or carbohydrates. Eggs are protein rich, packed with vitamins, easy to prepare and portable. :)
Grapefruit
Along with being a powerful metabolism booster, a one cup serving of grapefruit juice provides more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Grapefruit also reduce insulin levels which ultimately promotes weight loss.
Broccoli
Broccoli is also extremely high in vitamin C which the body needs to absorb calcium which promotes weight loss. Broccoli has high water and fibre content. This combination helps you to feel full and dramatically increases your body’s ability to burn fat.
Cayenne Peppers
Cayenne peppers speed up your metabolism and allow your body to burn more calories by releasing Capsaicin. Capsaicin is also found in bell peppers and jalapeños, which are part of the vegetable family Capsicum annuum. The body responds by releasing stress hormones that speed up your metabolism and help you to burn fat. Cayenne peppers also contribute to thermogenesis which is the heat produced by digestion which also increases metabolism.
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always good to be reminded that i’m doing the right thing. the dirth of green veggies in el valle does bother me.
Thank you! It’s a struggle, but I am going to do my best to add in the ones I don’t normally eat! You always have the best information!
[…] Aquí en el sitio de la medicina china., previamente enumeramos los 10 mejores alimentos que puedes comer para estimular tu metabolismo. Esto incluye alimentos ricos en ácidos grasos omega-3, que se pueden encontrar en el salmón, el arenque y el atún. Esto puede ayudar a equilibrar el azúcar en la sangre, reducir la inflamación y regular el metabolismo. Verduras de hoja verde, ajo, cebolla, nueces, semillas, té verde y toronja son otros ejemplos. Si su metabolismo es lento, sus comidas se desglosan de manera menos eficiente, lo que lleva al aumento de peso. Beber mucha agua también es importante.Si alguna vez desea intentar perder peso con la ayuda de métodos modernos como las píldoras de dieta, elija el tipo que imita lo que hace la MTC: ayudar a que los órganos digestivos funcionen mejor y deshacerse de los desechos.Muchos suplementos dietéticos están diseñados para ayudar a limpiarSu sistema digestivo. Esto funciona para eliminar toxinas y promover un metabolismo más rápido. Y cuando su cuerpo se deshace de los materiales tóxicos, puede lograr un equilibrio que puede llevar a una pérdida de peso duradera.En definitiva, reequilibrar su vida y controlar su peso no debería ser difícil cuando sigue las técnicas de TCM. Todo lo que necesitas es un poco de disciplina y conciencia sobre lo que tu cuerpo necesita. […]
[…] Hier auf der Website von Chinese Medicine LivingWir haben zuvor die 10 besten Nahrungsmittel aufgelistet, die Sie essen können, um Ihren Stoffwechsel anzuregen. Dazu gehören Lebensmittel, die reich an Omega-3-Fettsäuren sind, die Sie in Lachs, Hering und Thunfisch finden. Dies kann helfen, den Blutzucker auszugleichen, Entzündungen zu reduzieren und den Stoffwechsel zu regulieren. Grünes Blattgemüse, Knoblauch, Zwiebeln, Nüsse, Samen, grüner Tee und Grapefruit sind weitere Beispiele. Wenn Ihr Stoffwechsel langsam ist, werden Ihre Mahlzeiten weniger effizient abgebaut, was zu einer Gewichtszunahme führt. Es ist auch wichtig, viel Wasser zu trinken.Wenn Sie jemals mit Hilfe moderner Methoden wie Diätpillen abnehmen möchten, wählen Sie die Art, die TCM nachahmt – damit die Verdauungsorgane besser arbeiten und Abfall vermeiden kann.Viele Nahrungsergänzungsmittel dienen der ReinigungIhr Verdauungssystem. Dadurch werden Giftstoffe entfernt und der Stoffwechsel beschleunigt. Und wenn sich Ihr Körper effektiv von toxischen Stoffen befreit, können Sie ein Gleichgewicht erreichen, das zu einem dauerhaften Gewichtsverlust führen kann.Alles in allem sollte es nicht schwierig sein, Ihr Leben wieder ins Gleichgewicht zu bringen und Ihr Gewicht zu bewältigen, wenn Sie die Techniken des TCM befolgen. Alles was es braucht, ist ein wenig Disziplin und das Bewusstsein dafür, was Ihr Körper braucht. […]
[…] Here on the Chinese Medicine Living site, we previously listed the 10 best foods you can eat to stimulate your metabolism. This includes food rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which you can find in salmon, herring, and tuna. This can help balance your blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and regulate your metabolism. Green leafy vegetables, garlic, onion, nuts, seeds, green tea, and grapefruit are other examples. If your metabolism is slow, your meals are broken down less efficiently, leading to weight gain. Drinking plenty of water is also important. If you ever want to try losing weight with the help of modern methods like diet pills, choose the kind that mimic what TCM does — helping the digestive organs work better and ridding it of waste. Many dietary supplements are designed to help cleanse your digestive system. This works to remove toxins and promote faster metabolism. And when your body effectively rids itself of toxic materials, you can achieve a balance that can lead to long-lasting weight loss. All in all, rebalancing your life and managing your weight shouldn’t be difficult when you follow the techniques of TCM. All it takes is a little discipline and awareness about what your body needs. […]