Losing weight has since become a trending topic in recent years. For both ordinary people and health experts alike, there is endless information about how to stay fit and healthy.
One subtopic, in particular, that relates to the premise of losing weight is metabolism.
Metabolism – What is it?
Metabolism is a word that has long since been associated with weight loss and burning fat in the body. But, what does it mean?
Metabolism is a chemical process that helps convert the food we eat into fuel required by our bodies. This, in turn, affects our energy levels, our weight, as well as our mood. It is also responsible for essentially keeping us alive. It does so by powering up our cells to maintain healthy blood circulation and heart pumping, a working digestive system and normal brain signal transmission. When our metabolism rate is fast, that is how we easily burn fat and lose weight fast.
Unfortunately, for some individuals, their metabolism rate does not pick up as quickly as others. It is because the rate of our metabolism is determined by certain factors like our age, gender, and body size. It is reported that the older we get, our metabolism starts to slow. Thus, this makes it difficult to lose weight as quickly as when we were younger.
What causes our metabolism rate to slow?
However, a slow metabolism rate is not necessarily a cause for obesity. A slowed metabolism is caused by our eating and lifestyle habits that we maintain.
Most of us have probably heard that when we eat certain foods or eating at a certain time, it can either increase or decrease our metabolism rate.
Additionally, when our body is constantly at rest, it accumulates more fat tissues than muscle tissues. This then causes our metabolism to slow down. Doing regular exercise is important. It is because being active helps build muscles. When we have more muscle than fat tissues, we burn more calories that way.
Our metabolism rate will also slow if we are affected by certain illnesses like diabetes. Diabetes is common among overweight individuals. When our insulin stops working normally, sugar will be stored in the body instead of being burned as energy.
What are the foods to eat to help increase our metabolism rate?
As the food we eat affects the speed of our metabolism rate, it is important to eat certain foods to help burn fat faster.
Below is a list of 10 foods to eat to help increase metabolic rate and lose weight faster:
- Fresh or wild-caught fish
Our bodies require selenium and iodine. Fish contains a good amount of these two minerals which helps our thyroid to function normally. So, health experts strongly suggest adding fresh fish like salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel to your diet to regulate metabolism.
- Herbs and spices
Certain herbs and spices contain properties that help boost our metabolism. Herbs like ginger and turmeric are said to have those properties as well as spices like chili peppers or cayenne. It is reported in several studies that adding this into our eating habit helps to lower cravings and hunger and make us feel full longer.
To do this, add grated ginger or turmeric powder into your hot drink daily and chili peppers or cayenne into meals.
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- A healthy dose of caffeine daily
Drinking a cup of coffee daily not only keeps us awake but does good things to our metabolism. Studies have reported an 11% increase in metabolic rate when consuming a good amount of caffeine.
However, coffee has different effects for certain people. So, it is important to take note that coffee should be drunk in certain amounts a day.
- Foods rich in lean protein
Research has shown that foods with a good source of lean protein can also help increase our metabolic rate for a couple of hours a day. It is because when we eat protein, our bodies will have to work harder to digest them. Thus, it makes us sated longer and helps our body to absorb nutrients effectively.
So, consume more foods like eggs, lean meat, nuts and seeds to help increase your metabolism.
This concoction has long been used in ancient times for its health benefits. It is because green tea contains both caffeine and catechins. These two properties found in tea can help our body’s metabolism rate to increase considerably.
However, drinking tea for certain individuals can also vary. So, it is necessary to take note of the amounts of tea to drink a day.
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- Green vegetables like spinach and celery
Spinach is not only tasty, but it is also healthy. It helps increase our metabolism rate through the iron contained in it. Iron helps transport our oxygen that is needed by our muscles to burn fat. Celery, on the other hand, contains plenty of fiber and water. It is also a diuretic. It means that our body’s energy used to produce more urine is also used to kick up the speed of our metabolism.
- Cacao
Cacao is also beneficial for our health is it is for our metabolism. It is because it is known to help maintain a healthy weight due to its low-calorie content. You can consume this by eating high-quality dark chocolate.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Many studies have also reflected the positive effects of apple cider vinegar has for the body’s metabolism. It is because it contains properties and enzymes that increase levels of fat to be burned off as energy.
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- Water
It is said for a long time that staying hydrated is good for losing weight. Moreover, drinking water is also said to boost metabolism temporarily. That is why it is essential to drink plenty of water to perk up our metabolism rate and maintain a healthy weight.
- Coconut Oil
In recent years, coconut oil has also gained popularity when it comes to losing weight. It is because of its high content in MCT or medium-chain triglycerides. Unlike other fats, when MCTs become absorbed by the body, it is transported directly to the liver. When this happens, the fat is then burned to become energy.
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The foods listed above can help boost metabolism. However, it is still necessary to consume them daily to help you achieve a healthy weight for a longer time.
Additionally, there are also ways to help you increase your metabolism rate that is not only by eating certain foods.
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