10 Foods That Are Great for Your Metabolism

 

Metabolism is a tricky thing. When we were younger our metabolisms seemed to be through the roof, and we could eat seemingly anything without gaining an ounce. But once we got older they began to slow down, making it harder and harder to lose weight, and keep it off.

So what is metabolism, exactly? According to WebMD, "Metabolism is the process of breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to yield the energy your body needs to maintain itself." In short, it’s how quickly your body breaks down the foods you eat and turns them into energy. Your metabolism is at its highest when the body needs energy — namely, when we’re exercising and right afterward — but unless you’re a professional athlete, there will be plenty of downtime, when the foods we eat aren’t converted into anything except a bulging belly.

Aside from exercise, eating every two to three hours is also a great way to boost metabolism, because it tells our bodies that we aren’t going to starve and that it doesn’t need to store foods we eat as fat (if we eat barely anything during the day and have a huge dinner, for example, our bodies will store fat out of fear that the next meal will never come).

Apples
Apples are low in calories and high in fiber, which takes energy to break down. They also help to keep us fuller, longer.


Oatmeal
Oatmeal is full of fat-soluble fiber, which takes a long time to break down in your body. As a result, your body’s insulin level (which tells the body to store fat) lowers, and your metabolism speeds up.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon has a host of compounds that are super-healthy for you, including ones that help the body metabolize sugars more quickly.

Broccoli
Broccoli contains calcium and vitamin C, both of which help speed up metabolism. Calcium triggers the metabolism, and vitamin C helps the body absorb more calcium.

Spinach
Not only does spinach speed up metabolism, it contains high levels of vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium, iron, and magnesium.

Grapefruit
Grapefruit is good for metabolism for two reasons: first, it lowers insulin levels, and second, it’s high in fiber, which takes extra energy to break down.

Yogurt
Grapefruit is good for metabolism for two reasons: first, it lowers insulin levels, and second, it’s high in fiber, which takes extra energy to break down.

Almonds
Almonds not only contain a lot of protein, but they also have plenty of essential fatty acids, both of which help boost metabolism.

Lean Protein
Lean proteins like turkey need energy to break down, and they convert into muscle tissue. The more muscles we have, the faster our metabolism tends to be.

Spicy Foods/Chile Peppers
Spicy foods and chile peppers contain capsaicin, which requires extra calories to digest. You break a sweat when eating spicy foods for a reason!

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