Eat To Raise Metabolism Naturally

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Although there's no short cut to getting your metabolism going (regular exercise and a balanced diet are not optional), knowing what foods to consume to give your metabolism a bit of a boost may help you drop those last few kilos, and keep them off.

But remember that however good and healthy the food may be, calorie count and portion control still rule. And much research is still needed to prove the potency of foods, as well as how much you have to consume to have significant impact on your metabolic rate..

MEAT INCLUDING LEAN BEEF, CHICKEN TURKEY

Protein takes more energy to digest than carbs or fat and this additional energy needed results in more calories being burned just to digest and use protein. also, protein keeps you feeling full longer and builds lean muscle tissue,which needs more calories to sustain than fat. So it's a 3-pronged approach towards weight loss.

WHOLE-GRAIN CEREAL, OATS

Complex carbs require energy for the body to break down and use, resulting in more calories being burned just to digest the food.These food, says senior dietitian Farah DiBa Khan, also take more time to be digested, thus raising the body's metabolism.

VEGETABLES SUCH AS BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, CELERY

Vegetables are high in fiber and bodies burn more calories digesting fiber than almost anything else. They also contain such few calories that the act of digestion in the body burns more calories than the amount of calories the food provides, resulting in a negative calorie balance. The increase in metabolism caused by eating negative calorie foods can help burn excess body fat stores and help with gradual weight loss.

SPICES LIKE CHILI, CAVENNE PEPPERS, JALAPENO

Various studies suggest that certain spices can increase the body's metabolic rate by raising body temperature.Capsaicin, which gives chili peppers their kick, increases heart rate, generates heat, and helps burn more calories immediately after a meal.

GREEN TEA

A study published in the American journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that ingestion of tea rich in cathechins,a major component of green tea extract, leads to lower body fat and cholesterol levels. Green tea may also inhibit the fatty acid synthase, an enzymatic system involved in the process of converting carbs into fat.

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