Thermogenic foods and supplements speed up your metabolism by helping your body burn calories and fat without exercising. Thermogenic foods require more calories to digest than they contain. Thermogenic supplements are often stimulants such as caffeine or ephedrine. According to Weight Loss For All, one of the most popular thermogenic supplements is called an ECA stacker and contains ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin and it may increase calorie expenditure by up to 8 percent. Side-effects such as nervousness, tension, increased blood pressure and heart palpitations are associated with using stimulants. Do not introduce any kind of supplements or stimulants into your diet without consulting your doctor first.
Step 1
Add spice to your life. Capsaicin, found in spicy chili peppers is a naturally thermogenic substance. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that capsaicin may increase stomach acid, which could interfere with certain medications. It may also decrease the effectiveness of aspirin as a pain reliever.
Step 2
Eat these thermogenic foods: celery, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, kale, spinach and mushrooms. Adding them to your diet increases the fat-burning potential of any meal, suggests Food and Weight Loss.com. Foods low in calories, but high in fiber force the body to use more calories in digestion than the food itself contains.
Step 3
Try a supplement. A study performed by the Department of Human Nutrition, Centre for Advanced Food Studies in Denmark found that a combination of tyrosine, capsaicin, catechines and caffeine stimulated the nervous system and promoted thermogenesis and fat-burning.
Tips and Warnings
- Protein has the highest thermogenic effect of any of the macronutrients -- protein, fat or carbohydrates -- but is often high in calories, hindering weight loss efforts.
- Discontinue the use of thermogenic stimulants if you experience anxiety, insomnia, dizziness or heart palpitations.
References
- WeightLossForAll.com: Increasing Thermogenesis to Lose Weight
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Possible Interactions with: Cayenne
- Food and Weight Loss.com: Top 10 Thermogenic Foods - The Dieters Secret Weapon
- PubMed: Body Fat Loss Achieved by Stimulation of Thermogenesis By a Combination of Bioactive Food Ingredients: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-blind 8-Week Intervention in Obese Subjects
Member Comments