10 foods to boost your metabolism

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Speeding ​​up your metabolism by eating specific foods, is that possible? Yes, to some (limited) extent.

WHAT IS METABOLISM?

Metabolism is, simply put, the set of processes that your body carries out to keep you alive and to support your physical activities. To this end, it uses the energy you ingest in the form of food.

Several factors determine the rate of your metabolism, including: your gender, your body size and composition, and your age.

People who want to lose weight want to speed up their metabolism. After all, the faster the metabolism, the more calories are burned, the more fat you can lose.

Frustratingly, the metabolism actually slows down when you’re dieting. The less energy your body has at its disposal, the more it will cut back on the energy it uses. As soon as you start eating more, your metabolism will speed up again. We also call this phenomenon metabolic adaptation.

The degree of metabolic adaptation varies greatly from person to person, but eventually everyone will have to deal with it while dieting. Your maintenance level will gradually decrease and you will have to eat less or exercise more to keep burning the same number of calories.

SPEED ​​UP METABOLISM THROUGH EXERCISE

It is possible to speed up your metabolism and thereby reduce metabolic adaptation. The main way is exercise: when you exercise, you burn more calories than at rest, and you also burn some calories afterwards (the so-called afterburn).

However, exercising (or doing cardio) has its limits, because as a strength athlete you should only do a limited amount of cardio to prevent it from interfering too much with your strength training.

What you can also pay attention to is your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). This includes your spontaneous, often unconscious movements. You can increase your NEAT by, for example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking to the supermarket instead of by car.

SPEED ​​UP METABOLISM THROUGH FOOD

Not only exercise, but also food increases the metabolism. Your body needs energy to process food. We also call this thermogenesis, or thermic effect of food (TEF). You can increase thermogenesis by consuming specific foods. Expect only a small effect, because thermogenesis only makes up 10% of your total metabolism.

Under the guise of every little bit of help, we give you an overview of foods that can boost your metabolism. After all, during a long, heavy cut, every little bit of help is more than welcome.

1. CAFFEINE

Caffeine is a powerful stimulant known to help you “wake up” and boost your metabolism. The latter is due to the mildly stimulating effect that caffeine has on the central nervous system, as well as on fat oxidation (the reaction of fat with oxygen) [ i ] . Studies show that caffeine can increase resting metabolism by 3–11%, depending on the size of the dose. In addition, caffeine has a thermogenetic effect, which means that it increases the previously mentioned thermogenesis [ ii ] .

To get caffeine, you can of course drink coffee (a 125 ml cup contains an average of 80 mg of caffeine), but the substance is also found in tea, such as green tea (an average of 30 mg per 125 ml cup).

Due to its beneficial effects on fat burning, caffeine is now the main ingredient in fat burn supplements, where it was once the now banned ephedrine. The daily dose of caffeine in fat burners varies from 200 to 500 mg.

2 EGGS

Protein-rich foods are generally a good option for boosting metabolism. This is because proteins have a higher thermogenesis than carbohydrates and fats [ iii ] . People who get 29 percent of their total calories from protein, according to researchers, have better metabolisms than people who only get 11 percent from protein [ iv ] .

There are many protein-rich foods that you can add to your diet with confidence. But eggs are our number one: eggs have a high biological value, a relatively high content of the amino acid leucine, which is important for muscle growth, a high degree of saturation and a high digestibility. The yolk also contains valuable nutrients that may even enhance the proteins in stimulating muscle protein synthesis. A hard-boiled egg contains 6.2 grams of protein.

3. FLAXSEED

Flaxseed is known as a ‘functional food’: you may not eat this food for the great taste, but it is very healthy. Flaxseed is full of protein, vitamins, fiber, omega 3 fats, antioxidants and other important nutrients that boost your metabolism [ v ] . Thus, flaxseed helps to prevent conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis [ vi ] .

4. HOT PEPPERS

Good news for people who like spicy food. Spicy meals that contain fresh or dried chili peppers are healthy, satisfying and they help burn fat. The substance capsaicin, which is found in all pepper varieties, is particularly responsible for this.

Research shows that eating capsaicin modestly boosts metabolism [ vii ] . The research also suggests that the compound may contribute to weight management in other ways by increasing the rate at which the body burns fat and decreasing appetite. Another study previously showed that capsaicin helps the body burn about 50 extra calories each day [ viii ] .

Capsaicin also causes the burning sensation in your mouth when you eat spicy food. Some people can tolerate that better than others, but it’s also a matter of getting used to it.

5. LEGUMES

Beans and legumes are an excellent source of vegetable protein. They are also rich in fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Your body uses a lot of energy when it breaks down the fibers and proteins, and that keeps your metabolism up.

The high fiber content of beans also helps keep your blood sugar stable and stave off mid-afternoon sugar cravings [ x ] .

In addition, legumes provide iron, zinc and selenium. These are minerals that your thyroid needs to make enough hormones. Without these minerals, your metabolism can slow down or deteriorate.

6. GINGER

Not everyone likes the taste, but ginger offers many health benefits. For example, a 2018 meta-study shows the positive effects of ginger in overweight people [ xi ] . Adding ginger to meals, it turns out, can increase body temperature, metabolism and help control appetite.

Ginger also protects against a variety of diseases, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, may lower blood sugar levels and may help lower cholesterol levels [ x ] .

7. BROCCOLI

Speaking of healthy, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. For those who want to lose weight, the ingredient glucoraphanin is especially interesting. This substance has a beneficial effect on your metabolism by resetting it [ xiii ] . This substance in broccoli also helps to lower your cholesterol, which in turn can prevent various cardiovascular diseases.

8. DARK LEAFY GREENS

Spinach, kale and other green leafy vegetables can boost metabolism due to their iron content [ xiv ] . Iron is an essential mineral for metabolism, growth and development. Try combining leafy greens with a source of vitamin C — such as lemon, tomatoes, or winter squash — to increase the body’s absorption of this type of iron.

Many leafy greens also provide decent amounts of magnesium, another mineral that supports metabolic function.

9. WHOLE GRAINS

Whole grains are a complex carbohydrate made up of a longer series of sugars. It means your body takes longer to break them down, keeping your metabolism burning for longer. Researchers have found that consuming whole grains increases your post-meal energy expenditure by up to 50% more than eating processed foods [ xv ] .

Foods with complex carbohydrates tend to contain more nutrients, especially B vitamins. They play an important role in converting the food you eat into energy, which is the essence of your metabolic function. Specifically, vitamin B12 is often associated with weight loss because it boosts metabolism and provides sustained energy [ xvi ] .

So make sure you choose whole grains over processed grains. Think whole wheat flour, quinoa, brown rice, barley, corn and oats.

10. BRAZIL NUTS

Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium, a mineral essential for metabolism, reproduction and immune function. They also contain protein and healthy fats that make you feel fuller. Selenium is especially important for the thyroid, a gland that regulates metabolic function and produces several vital hormones.

Nevertheless, do not eat too many Brazil nuts., as they contain 68-91 micrograms of selenium, well above the recommended limit of 55 micrograms per day.

FINALLY

Because water is not really food, we have not included it in the list. But drinking plenty of water can also contribute to better metabolic function and fat loss in general [ xvii ] . People who drink water instead of sugary drinks are in any case more successful in losing weight and maintaining weight.

Drinking water can also temporarily speed up your metabolism [ xviii ] [ xix ] . This is due to water-induced thermogenesis. Studies have shown that drinking 0.5 liters of water increases resting metabolism by 10-30% for about an hour [ xx ] [ xxi ] . This calorie-burning effect can be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature [ x ] .

Last but not least, get a good night’s sleep too. Lack of sleep has been linked to a large increase in the risk of obesity, caused in part by the negative effects of sleep deprivation on metabolism [ xxii ] .

REFERENCES

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