Looking For The Foods That Speed Metabolism?

March 15, 2009 by Mary

Foods that speed metabolism are great if you intend on losing weight and getting in shape. Certain foods, such as the B vitamin Biotin, helps the body not only metabolize amino acids, but produce energy as well. Biotin can be found in many different foods such as barley, egg yolk and in milk products. Biotin can also be taken in pill form.

If you have a slow metabolism, eating foods rich in Omega-3 can help speed it up. Some foods that contain Omega-3 are flax seed oil, meat from grass-fed animals, salmon, tuna fish and walnuts.

Eating fiber is another way to increase metabolism. Since fiber releases slower than sugar does, it sustains energy over a longer period of time. Here are some foods that speed up your metabolism and are high in fiber:

whole grain breads, buns, bagels, muffins
whole-wheat pastas
whole grains such as barley, popcorn, corn and brown rice
bran cereals such as All-Bran, 100% Bran and Raisin Bran
dried fruits such as figs, apricots, dates, prunes and raisins
berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
cherries, bananas and carrots
broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, green peas and other dark green leafy vegetables
dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed beans, chick peas and lentils
nuts and seeds such as almonds, whole flax seed and soy nuts

You should remember not to eat less than 1200 calories per day. If you do, your body will think it’s starving and it will slow down the metabolism as a survival tactic.

Boost metabolism with healthy bran cereal

You must also remember to eat breakfast. While we sleep at night, our metabolism slows down since our bodies don’t require much energy. In order to boost it back up you need to eat something. Your metabolism will not increase until you eat that first meal of the day, so be sure to eat it early.

A good idea to keep your metabolism working throughout the day would be to eat six smaller meals instead of 3 big ones. You should concentrate on eating lean protein, fruits and vegetables. Your body works harder breaking down proteins than it does carbohydrates and fats, so eating nuts, yogurt, low-fat cheese and lean meats such as chicken and fish helps increase your metabolic rate.

Calcium can also speed up your metabolism, so don’t forget to add dairy products into your daily diet such as low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Foods rich in vitamin C also help in burning calories. Some of these foods are sweet potatoes, collard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, broccoli and snow peas.

Food isn’t the only thing that can boost metabolism. Water and green tea can also do a good job at this.

Keeping your body well hydrated will help you function properly at an optimum energy level. When you lack proper hydration your body has to work harder, which will take up more energy, leaving less for metabolism. Be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. If you work out, it is very important to drink water before, during and after your workout.

Drinking freshly brewed green tea that doesn’t contain caffeine is a good way to boost your metabolism. Green tea contains certain chemicals, which increase the rate at which the body burns calories.

You shouldn’t have any trouble increasing your metabolic rate eating the foods that speed metabolism provided for you here in this article. Losing excess weight and getting in shape will surely follow.

Filed under: Metabolism
Tagged: foods that speed up your metabolism, slow metabolism, speed metabolism, speed up your metabolism