2009/05/15

15 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism

Remember the days when your metabolism was like a caffeinated mouse in a wheel? Yeah, me neither. If you aren’t one of those lucky gals who can eat whatever she wants and burn it off thanks to an annoyingly fast metabolism, look to these helpful foods for a metabolic boost. (And check out this post on additional tips to speed up a sluggish metabolism.)

Grapefruit This diet super fruit (above) lowers the insulin levels in your body that trigger your system to store fat. Plus, it is rich in fiber, and your body must burn extra calories in order to break it down.

Green Tea
Green tea is the main source of epigallocatechin gallate, known better as EGCG. This healthy catechin speeds up your brain and nervous system, causing your body to burn more calories.

Yogurt The high levels of protein present in natural yogurt require a lot of energy to be processed. Plus, the pro-biotic cultures found in yogurt help regulate your digestive tract.
Almonds
Almonds’ essential fatty acids help raise your body’s metabolism. Just don’t overdo it because they’re also very high in calories.
Coffee
Coffee has caffeine, which does give you a boost. Just ensure that you don’t exceed 2 or 3 cups a day, or you risk a host of side effects, including irritability and jitters.
Turkey
This protein-rich meat builds lean muscle tissue, which causes your body to burn extra calories and raises your metabolism.
Apples
Like grapefruit, this low-calorie snack is high in fiber, which your body must burn calories to break down. Plus, since apples help you stay full for longer, you’ll eat less.
Spinach
Popeye was right about one thing: spinach can help make you strong and healthy. In addition to speeding up your metabolism, it’s a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamin C.
Beans
Low in fat and packed with protein, beans keep you full for long durations, and your body must burn extra calories in order to process this fiber-rich food.
Jalapenos
The capcaisin found in jalapenos causes your body to burn extra calories for hours after you ingest them, speeding up both your heart rate and metabolism.
Broccoli
Broccoli contains a highly effective metabolism-boosting team of nutrients: calcium and vitamin C. Calcium acts as a metabolic trigger, while vitamin C helps your body absorb more calcium.
Oatmeal
Because your body takes a long time to break down the fat-soluble fiber in oatmeal, this healthy food lowers your body’s insulin level and speeds up your metabolism as a result.
Soy Milk Fortified soy milk is loaded with calcium, which helps boost your metabolism. Just stay away from the sweetened varieties.
Curry
Like jalapenos, curry increases the amount of calories your body burns and speeds up your metabolism.
Cinnamon
A little bit of cinnamon can go a long way. Add some zing to your daily cup of tea with this tasty spice to help your body metabolize sugars more effectively and maintain steadier blood sugar levels. Cinnamon can also help lower your cholesterol.

For more information, check out these articles at My Fit and Fitness Tips for Life.

5 comments:

Lisa said...

Wow, I knew most of those, but there were a few surprises...jalapenos for example. One more reason to spice things up! I love jalapenos!

Sarah Sar said...

Hi Willow,

Yes, we can be best friends! I'm not too happy about the new Doctor Who though...I miss Christopher Eccleston already and now David Tennant. The Doctor will never be the same again!

This was an awesome post too. And a reminder that I need to start drinking green tea again...

Feel free to drop by and say hello anytime! :-)

Grace @ Sandier Pastures said...

I do all of those..I mean eat/consume them...except coffee. Coffee and I never get along well together.

Great list!

RH said...

Great list, Sherri - thanks for sharing!
Are you sure chocolate or candy isn't on that list? LOL

Maybe that's my problem....hmmm

willowsprite said...

Yes, but dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants, right? So it does SOMEthing good! :)
Salad: Yeah, so disappointing when they change actors! It's like a band changing their lead singer. That's always weird too.