Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories for all the processes it goes through in life. This includes voluntary actions like getting out of a chair and stacking wood, and involuntary actions like breathing and digesting food. A metabolism booster diet is used to make your body more efficient at using calories for energy.
Features
When you eat a large meal, your body uses some of the calories for energy and the rest is stored as fat. On the other side of the coin, when you eat very little and wait long periods between feedings, your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to stored fat for energy. This can cause your metabolism to slow down. A metabolism booster diet falls in the middle of these two approaches, and it is designed to prevent weight gain or promote weight loss.
Types
Foods that slow down metabolism are also high in saturated fat, processed and refined. Cakes, cookies, burgers, onion rings, pizza, processed meats, doughnuts and white flour breads are examples of these. When you are trying to boost your metabolism, these foods should be avoided. The foods you should eat are high in nutrients and they are quality sources of protein, carbs and fat. Chicken breasts, lean beef, eggs, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans are a few examples.
Size
Meal size and timing is key when you are trying to boost your metabolism. Small, frequent meals should be consumed every two to three hours throughout the day. This gives you enough food for energy without any excess calories to be stored as fat. Your body is also constantly burning calories to digest food, which is how your metabolism gets elevated. Every meal should have a balance of protein and complex carbs. A whole wheat wrap with a chicken breast, chopped up veggies and olive oil dressing is a midday meal example.
Breakfast
When you get up in the morning and walk out the door without eating anything, your metabolism can remain slow and your mental capacity can be compromised. When following a metabolism booster diet, breakfast should not be neglected. You can have an egg white scramble, a bowl of high fiber cereal with low-fat milk or you can walk out the door eating a granola bar. The important thing is to get some form of healthy nutrients into your stomach first thing in the morning.
Benefits
Following a metabolism booster diet can not only help with weight control, but it can come with other benefits as well. Your blood sugar levels will remain regulated, you can have sustained energy levels, your appetite will be under control, you can prevent heartburn that comes with overeating and you can also get more vitamins and minerals in your body.
Expert Insight
To make it easier to fit multiple meals into your day, you can resort to meal replacement bars and shakes. These can conveniently be packed into your brief case, purse, or backpack and taken with you to work or while traveling. You can also get dried fruit, nuts or any form of jerky to have meals on hand.
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