Top 10 Metabolic Enhancing Foods
A more efficient metabolism will translate to better fat loss, muscle gain, and even quicker recovery. It is something that we should all aspire to improve as much as we can. Even when bulking, a fast metabolism is recommended – we can simply offset by taking in a surplus of food, obviously.
So, if we want to work on improving our metabolism, we need to make sure we are eating all the right foods. Surprisingly, it’s not just a matter of a healthy or unhealthy diet. There are actually certain foods that change the body’s metabolic rate. For example, alcohol will dramatically lower metabolism.
Some of the metabolic enhancing foods can be understood with common sense. Meanwhile, there are a few that may have flew under the radar. If you want to enhance your metabolism, you should definitely take a look at this list and make some changes to your diet accordingly.
Here it goes, the top 10 metabolic enhancing foods…
1) Almonds
Serving as one of the greatest superfoods out there, almonds are highly effective when it comes to improving metabolism levels. The great thing about almonds is that they’re incredibly nutritionally dense. A small serving size will provide a great amount of macronutrients. While there are also a fair amount of calories in almonds, these are good, high quality calories. Almonds are especially rich in vitamin E and fiber. They also contain heart healthy fats.
2) Blueberries
Being one of the healthiest fruits, and another great superfood, there is definitely a place for blueberries in the list of the top 10 metabolic enhancing foods. Blueberries offers some of the most efficient and strongest antioxidants available in dietary form. These antioxidants support removal of harmful toxins and free radicals. This contributes positively towards your metabolism as the prevention of free radical accumulation will translate to optimal body health.
3) Salmon
If we wanted to eat healthy, salmon would be on the list. If we wanted to lose weight, salmon would still be on the list. If we wanted to gain muscle, you got it! Salmon, while more calorie dense than the majority of whitefish, is viewed as being the primary choice of seafood for health reasons. It does not have a substantial amount of saturated fat and is it rich in protein, as well as essential fatty acids. Filled with nothing but good nutrients, you can’t ever go wrong with some salmon in your diet, and your metabolism boost will prove just that!
4) Spinach
While not the most appealing option on the menu, there is no denying that spinach is indeed healthy. It is one of the greatest leafy green vegetables out there. It also has many health benefits, such as prevention of arthritis, cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and much more. Brain functioning reductions caused by age may also be cut back with a healthy diet that contains regular servings of spinach. Plus, a recent animal study even showed that spinach helped improve both motor skills and learning capacity in animals!
5) Oatmeal
First off, make sure you are not picturing oatmeal as the stuff in a packet of “flavored oatmeal” within a box containing many packets. No, this refers to oatmeal in the most basic form – rolled oats. Oatmeal is rich in fiber, and in both soluble and insoluble types. It helps to eliminate toxicity of bile acids through its anti-cancerous traits. The soluble fiber is known to single out and reduce LDL cholesterol (bad) levels. These fibers also reduce the speed of starch digestion, which can help lower the risk of insulin spikes in diabetics. Further, frequent oat consumption is said to promote a healthy heart.
6) Turkey
If you want to get some meat in your diet, then the first and healthiest choice is turkey. Every ounce of turkey flesh contains approximately one gram of fat. By taking in 10 ounces of turkey in a day, you will have hit nearly your full day’s requirement for folic acid. You will also get a considerable amount of vitamin B, B1, and B6, as well as potassium and zinc. As a regular food in your diet, turkey will help to regulate blood cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of birth defects, and lower the chance of both heart disease and cancer, as well as many other things.
7) Green Tea
While it was first viewed as a form of Chinese medicine, green tea has quickly hit the mainstream on an international level. Fair enough, it offers a substantial amount of EGCG and other types of catechin polyphenols, which are recognized for their antioxidant-like effects. These are believed to lower the chance of cancer and cardiovascular disease. The antioxidant benefits of EGCG in particular are getting green tea noticed as a very diet-friendly beverage. In fact, studies proved that when comparing green tea, coffee, and a placebo, on average, test subjects that consumed green tea had saw a greater amount of calories burned.
8) Hot Peppers
Here’s one that will come as a bit of a surprise. Hot peppers are actually very support of a better metabolism. Capsaicin is a type of chemical that’s found in jalapeno and other hot peppers. This particular chemical is recognized for supplying vegetables with heat, which, when consumed, results in an increased metabolism. It puts the body into calorie-burning mode, even a few hours after the meal. Given the low amount of calories, simply throw hot peppers into your meals whenever suitable.
9) Low-Fat Yogurt
A low-fat yogurt will help tremendously to improve your metabolism. It provides the body with energy, allowing it to battle through the day and achieve maximum size growth. It supports proper health of the digestive tract. Low-fat yogurt is also rich in protein and calcium.
10) Broccoli
Broccoli contains a considerable amount of vitamin C and calcium. In synergy, these two nutrients effectively improve the speed and efficiency of your metabolic system. It’s an interesting dynamic, as your metabolism is triggered by calcium, but at the same time, vitamin C is promoting higher calcium absorption.
Conclusion
These are just 10 of the many great foods that support a faster and more efficient metabolic system. It is very important to create a diet that focuses around quality metabolism. While the foods that you should eat are vital to consider, it is also important to weigh in on the foods that could ruin your metabolism as well. Also, don’t forget about how important water is on your metabolism as well!
