I have seen a couple of stories over the Internet, actually news clips, talking about how we should actually eat to lose weight. I think we all agree we need to eat if just to stay alive. But the gist of the stories was that if we eat the right foods, we can eat more and still lose weight.
Boost Your Metabolism
By eating foods that boost your metabolism you can feel more satisfied and would hopefully be able to stick to your diet plan easier. I do agree with some of this and these are truly the 7 top foods to boost metabolic rate. It just seems like one of those magazine ad words to get your attention – but believe me, it will work for everyone!
1. High Fiber Cereal for Breakfast:
The first “food” that I’m going to pick is high fiber cereal for breakfast. I think fiber is the key here and I don’t think it has to be from cereal. The recommendation is to eat cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. But there are high fiber, low-calorie bread now and I purchase these wonderful high fiber cookies that I’ve been having for breakfast and/or snacks.
My suggestion is that eating at least 5 grams of fiber in the morning helps us not to overeat the rest of the day. But I try to get as much fiber as possible in every meal I eat. Sometimes I use fiber supplements if I don’t think I got enough.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the next “food” on my list – in the form of fruits because it can help the body burn up to 39% more fat during activity. It is suggested that you get 500 mg. per day. I started taking one Vitamin C chewable supplement (it’s like a little treat since I love the taste). I used to take Vitamin C supplements, then stopped when I found out that your body can only store so much at a time but now I started up again. I try to take the C supplement at a different time than when I take my multi-vitamin so I can spread my intake throughout the day. Unfortunately, I don’t get enough fruits so I try to make up for that.
3. Peppers and Spicy Foods
Hot peppers and spicy foods will boost metabolism because they contain capsaicin, which speeds up metabolism up to 25% after eating a meal. Unfortunately, some people can’t handle really spicy and hot foods so this is one metabolism booster I’ll have to pass. All peppers are a good source of Vitamin A and C.
4. Omega 3
Omega 3’s help to build up leptin, which is a fat-burning hormone. Eating fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines are the best food sources. If you’re not a lover of fish, experts suggest that popping fish oil pills can be just as effective. I try to get mine in every day and I swear since I started taking them recently my sweet tooth and binge mentality have gone down.
5. Proteins
Proteins, specifically lean protein sources help protect muscle loss when dieting. You can burn up to twice as many calories by eating a high protein meal versus eating high carb. I think we pretty much all know this. Eating protein requires more energy to complete digestion so it helps preserve your muscle and it revs your metabolism. There are a plethora of protein supplements are available in supermarkets. But the thing is most of these protein supplements are very expensive. If you want a budget-friendly protein supplement, then go for raw whey protein. Basically, raw whey protein is a less purified version of whey isolate.
6. Pistachios
Pistachios made the list because they contain both fiber, and protein, a perfect mix to keep you satisfied longer. Technically, they help control serum glucose levels. We think nuts have too much fat but I feel the fat in pistachios just joins with the fiber and protein to create a triple threat against hunger and binge eating. I’m sure I’ve eaten too many pistachios at one time, but if you want to measure a good amount for a snack, you can have one ounce, around 49 pistachios, which isn’t too bad.
7. Green Tea
Green tea was thrown into the mix of the top 7 foods to help speed up metabolism and help with weight loss. I was drinking green tea at least once a day but found a black tea that I loved the flavor of and kind of drifted away from the green variety. I’ll have to get back on the green tea wagon. But I wonder if we’ll hear that green tea doesn’t have the miracle benefits that we constantly hear about. At first, I thought it was kind of gross, then I developed a taste for it and now I’d rather have regular or herbal tea. I’ve read that red and white teas have even more benefits than green tea, but those don’t get as much attention.
So these are the 7 top foods to boost your metabolism and I suppose none of these can harm us (except for the hot peppers). So try to get as many of these food sources into our daily eating.
