People are constantly searching for ways to boost their metabolism to help control their weight. They always tend to look into doing more exercising, building more muscle and developing healthier eating habits. However, many people forget to look at the foods they are actually eating as a possible way to improve their body's metabolism. If you're curious about what foods you can eat to build-up your metabolism, here are 10 foods you should try:
Salmon, tuna and cod are all great fish to eat to help boost your metabolism. They are lean sources of protein, low in fat and calories, and contain omega 3, which is very beneficial to your body. The body needs to burn calories to breakdown foods, and the amount of calories it takes to breakdown protein is higher than the amount used to breakdown fat. This is why fish is such a powerful food for speeding up your metabolism.
2. Black Coffee
Not only is a cup of black coffee a great way to give yourself a jump-start in the morning, it's also very helpful for increasing your metabolic rate. Black coffee can even be used as a healthier alternative to energy drinks to help you power through a hard workout, just remember to drink it in moderation.
Grapefruit is an amazing fruit, not only for its vitamin C, but also for the fat burning enzyme it contains. It can lower the amount of insulin in your body, which decreases the storage of fat and it requires extra calories for your body to break down, similar to protein. These characteristics are also what make grapefruits such a powerful food for the grapefruit crash diet.
If you're looking to avoid unhealthy breakfast foods in the morning, then have a cup of yogurt and a slice of fruit to start your day. Aside from eggs and breakfast meats, yogurt is a common breakfast food that is packed with protein. Like it was mentioned above, protein is great for your metabolism because it requires your body to do more to break it down. If you're looking for a type of yogurt high in protein, you should try adding Greek yogurt to more of your meals.
Apples are one of those super-foods that are packed with nutrients and are low in calories. In fact, apples belong to a group of foods that have negative calories. Negative calorie foods are foods that use up more calories to digest than the calories they actually contain. Now that's one way to make the top 10 list of foods that boost your metabolism.
6. Spicy Foods
Jalapenos and other chili peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which can keep your body burning calories even after you've eaten. The next time you sit down for a meal, don't hesitate giving yourself, your heart rate and your metabolism a little kick with the spiciness of chili peppers. Just make sure you don't go overboard on the hot stuff or you might end up doing more harm than good!
A little sprinkle of cinnamon in just about everything can go a really long way. Numerous studies have shown the potential benefits of adding more cinnamon to your diet. One of these benefits is a temporary increase in your metabolic rate. You can easily incorporate this spice into your diet by adding it to your yogurt or cereal, sprinkling it over fruits or adding it to your tea.
8. Green Tea
Like black coffee, green tea is another caffeinated, hot drink that can improve your metabolism. In a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea was shown to speed up metabolic rates and fat oxidation. Green tea's effects on your metabolism paired with its antioxidant powers should be enough reason to start drinking this tea more often.
Broccoli is filled with calcium and vitamin C, which are excellent nutrients for increasing your metabolic rate. The calcium works as the trigger for boosting your metabolism while the vitamin C helps your body absorb more calcium. This green vegetable is also a great source of fiber, which makes it a great weight-loss food that is perfect for any diet.
If you haven't discovered the health benefits of drinking plenty of water, then you need to start doing your own research from home. Water plays a key part in your body's metabolism because it is needed to process calories. If you aren't giving your body a sufficient supply of water, you are slowing down your metabolism.
While these 10 foods are great for boosting your metabolism, there are many other foods out there that are not on this list that can help as well. Lean meats that are high in protein, but low in fat are great for improving metabolism. Foods high in calcium, including many low-fat or non-fat dairy products are also viable sources for metabolism boosting foods.