Eating foods that boost your metabolism can help your body naturally burn fat and help you achieve your weight loss goals. These are known as thermogenic foods because they increase the amount of heat your body uses to metabolize them. This results in more calories being burned through digestion and metabolism. By incorporating fat-burning foods into your diet, you will be sure that your metabolism is working its hardest to burn fat and calories throughout the day.
Green Tea
Green tea contains active compounds known as catechins and polyphenols. These compounds exhibit thermogenic and antioxidant activity. Not only does drinking green tea increase metabolism, but it protects your body from free radical damage. The catechins in green tea exhibit antioxidant behavior by neutralizing free radicals and preventing cellular damage. Drinking green tea has been associated with lower risks of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
A cup of green tea contains 15 to 30 mg of caffeine. The amount of caffeine combined with the catechins has the potential to improve metabolism, maintain weight loss and oxidize fat.
Cayenne Pepper
Adding cayenne pepper to your meals increases your body's ability to burn fat. A diet rich in capsaicin, the active component found in cayenne and other hot peppers, increases lipid oxidation and heat production. This results in fat being used for energy. Capsaicin also plays a role in appetite suppression and weight maintenance. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2003, fat oxidation was greater and weight gain was prevented in subjects consuming 135 mg per day of capsaicin versus those who did not consume any capsaicin.
Apples, Berries and Other High-Fiber Fruits
Eating high-fiber fruits such as apples and berries is essential for weight management. Your body uses many calories to move these foods through your digestive tract. The extra roughage in high-fiber fruits also increases satiety to make you feel full throughout the day.
Apples and berries contain soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which are important for weight management and disease prevention. The soluble fiber controls your blood sugar levels and prevents cravings. The insoluble fiber keeps your digestive tract moving and operating efficiently. Other high-fiber fruits include oranges, grapefruits, apricots and pears.
Low-Fat Dairy Products
Eating low-fat dairy products is another way to rev up your metabolism and burn fat faster. The calcium and protein found in low-fat dairy products play a key role in burning fat and maintaining muscle mass. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2005 demonstrated that eating low-fat yogurt three times daily combined with a reduced calorie diet increased fat loss and reduced abdominal fat. Diets containing at least three servings daily of low-fat dairy products result in accelerated weight loss and lower body fat mass than diets low in these dairy products.
References
- Physiology and Behavior: Green Tea Catechins, Caffeine and Body-weight Regulation; MS Westerterp-Plantenga; April 2010
- British Journal of Nutrition: Effect of Capsaicin on Substrate Oxidation and Weight Maintenance after Modest Body-weight Loss in Human Subjects; MP Lejeune et al; September 2003
- International Journal of Obesity: Dairy Augmentation of Total and Central Fat Loss in Obese Subjects; MB Zemel et al; April 2005
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