It is a fact that certain foods can help give your metabolic rate a boost. This refers to the number of calories burned by the body. It becomes easier to lose body fat when you add these foods to your routine and it can also prevent excess weight gain. But, you should bear in mind that eating more of these foods cannot guarantee that you will lose weight; instead, they can complement a balanced and calorie-restricted diet for promoting weight loss as well as regular exercise. Some of the best foods that can help give your metabolism a boost are outlined as follows.
Protein-rich foods
You can give your metabolism a boost for a couple of hours with protein-rich foods. This is due to the fact that your body does not need more energy for digesting them. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF), which refers to the number of calories your body requires for digesting, absorbing and processing the nutrients within your meals. Foods that are high in protein include eggs, fish, dairy, lean meat, nuts, beans and legumes and seeds. Eating protein-rich foods can also reduce the decline in metabolism that happens during weight loss because it helps the body in holding onto its muscle mass. Plus, protein keeps you full for longer, which can prevent overeating.
Mineral-rich foods
Minerals, such as selenium and iron, play different roles in ensuring the proper functioning of the body, but they are equally important. But, they do have one thing in common; they are both needed for proper functioning of the thyroid gland that regulates your metabolism. A diet that is too low in selenium, or iron might reduce the ability of your thyroid to produce sufficient amount of hormones and this can slow down your metabolism. To ensure proper functioning of your thyroid gland, you should include foods rich in iron and selenium, such as seafood, seeds, nuts, legumes and meat in your daily menu.
Coffee
You can also increase metabolic rate with the caffeine in coffee. Some compounds in the coffee are helpful in regulating the body’s metabolism of fats or lipids. In addition, caffeine also helps your body in burning fat for energy. This can be immensely helpful in boosting your workout performance.
Chili peppers
You can give your metabolism a boost with a chemical called capsaicin, which can be found in chili peppers. It speeds up the rate at which calories are burned. In fact, capsaicin can actually help in reducing body weight and also improve overall health. It is also known to have appetite-reducing properties.
Tea
Catechins are health-boosting compounds that can be found in tea and they work with caffeine for boosting the metabolic rate. You can increase fat oxidation by drinking matcha green tea and oolong tea and it can also help you burn extra calories as part of your exercise plan. Moreover, drinking these teas can help your body in using the stored fat in the body more effectively, which increases its fat-burning ability.
