When you are trying to lose weight and begin to have difficulty, your metabolism may be the culprit. When your metabolism is slow, your body will not burn calories at the same rate as it would if your metabolism were working at a high level. Luckily, there are numerous foods you can eat that are healthy and will give your metabolism the boost you're looking for.
Grapefruit
The citrus found in grapefruit is loaded with vitamins and is able to lower the insulin levels in your body. This is beneficial because spikes in insulin levels send signals to your body that it should begin storing fat. By eating grapefruit on a regular basis, your metabolism should increase and provide an improvement to your weight loss. Before increasing your consumption of citrus fruits, you should seek the advice of your doctor as grapefruit may lead to negative complications with various prescription medications.
Almonds
Almonds contain protein, fiber and healthy fats. Because the almonds are loaded with essential fatty acids, simply consuming this power food causes your body to naturally raise its metabolism. When eating almonds or any other nuts, it is important to note that while they do contain healthy fats, they are still fats and will contain a significant amount of calories. Because of this, you will only want to eat about a handful each day. To increase the amount of antioxidants and healthy fats you consume, you can mix almonds with walnuts, cashews, peanuts or pine nuts.
Berries
Berries are natural, sweet and can be eaten by themselves or with a variety of other foods. Berries are completely loaded with antioxidants and are an excellent food choice to keep your metabolism operating at a maximum level while helping you keep your healthy lifestyle on track. Berries can be eaten fresh or frozen. You can add them to your favorite fruit smoothie recipes or you can use them as a natural sweetener in your oatmeal or cold cereal.
Green Tea
Green tea is not a food but it is a drink that can give your metabolism a strong boost. This caffeinated beverage naturally speeds up your nervous system, leading to more calories being burned. Many of the health-related benefits of green tea can be attributed to catechin polyphenols, powerful antioxidants found within the drink. One of these antioxidants, known as epigallocatechin gallate, is responsible for stimulating your metabolism, allowing your weight loss to be accelerated.
References
- TeensHealth: Metabolism
- Mayo Clinic: Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Green Tea
- "The Power of Your Metabolism"; Frank Suarez; 2009
- "Ultra Metabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss"; Mark Hyman; 2008
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