Our bodies convert food to the energy our bodies need via the process of metabolism. If our metabolic rate is high, our food is broken down into the energy we need when we need it. This can help inject energy into everyday life and help our bodies dig deep when we push it through exercise – having the added benefit of aiding unwanted weight loss.
There are several factors affecting our metabolic rate. Some of these are outside of our control like age and gender. Some we indirectly have control over if we live a healthy lifestyle, such as our gender, stress and levels of emotion. The three key factors we do have control over are sleep, exercise and diet.
We’ve focused on food, listing the metabolism-boosting ingredients and explaining how they help you make metabolism work harder for you.
Contents
List of Foods That Will Boost Your Metabolism
Vegetables
- Beans and Pulses
Are you full of beans, bursting with energy and raring to go? If not, maybe you’re missing beans and pulses in your diet. They’re a great supplement to meat and fish to increase your protein intake, important for repairing your muscles after exercise, and fibre that’ll help keep your digestive system working as it should. - Broccoli
Broccoli’s metabolism boosters come in the form of calcium and vitamin C. They are low in calories and saturated fats, but high in fibre for keeping our guts healthy. They also contain vitamins A and K, and host minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. - Lettuce and Leafy Greens
Lettuce and other leafy veggies have incredibly high nutrient to calorie ratios – brimming with vitamins A, B, C and K and a whole heap of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese and potassium. It has a high water content, keeping our bodies hydrated, and has builds our resistance to a range of diseases. Keep an ear out for asparagus, as it has added vitamin E and is a natural diuretic – helping our bladders function properly with all that hydration! - Oats
If you’re going to have grains in your diet, consider the humble oat. They’re comprised of complex carbohydrates, providing a slow-release of energy and keeping us fuller for longer, and are full of fibre. Instead of using milk to make your morning porridge, consider using a combination of water and whey-protein. This’ll help kick-start your day with protein and complex carbs, to keep you fighting fit till lunchtime. If you’re having other grains in your diet, make sure you choose 100% whole grains – as they’ve got higher proportions of complex carbs. - Spinach
Spinach may have given Popeye his infamous muscles; but it might not have the same effect on you! However, like our other greens, its low in calories and high in its vitamin and mineral count – including vitamins A for our eyesight and K for healthy bones. It’s also loaded with anti-oxidants, helping repair damaged muscles and combat cancer.
Spices
- Chillies and Cayenne Pepper
Along with coffee, spicy foods are one of the better-known metabolism boosters. What you might now know is how: spicy foods raise our internal body temperature, forcing your metabolism to kick in to regulate your body down to a cooler temperature. Regulating temperature requires energy, burning off excess calories. We’re not encouraging you to eat a curry every night, especially not with all their calorific creamy sauces, but why not try a salsa and add them to your seasoning? - Ginger
Ginger has been shown to boost our metabolic rate by up to 20% three hours after consumption. It’s also a great inflammatory, explaining why people take it when they’ve got a headache. This means it can also help reduce inflamed muscles after exercise. Try adding Lemons and ginger together with some hot water – the lemons add extra vitamin C, have antibacterial properties and cancer-fighting antioxidants (learn how antioxidants fight cancer here).
Fruits, Nuts and Seeds
- Almonds and Nuts
Like beans and pulses, nuts are packed full of protein. Having variation in the types of proteins you consume helps ensure your body has the building blocks it needs to repair cell damage – especially our muscles. Out of all the nuts, almonds win the race. Like other nuts they’ve got good fats, protein and fibre – but what makes almonds unique is they’ve got just the right balance of essential fatty acids needed to raise your metabolism. Coming in just after almonds in our nut race are pine nuts, cashes and walnuts. Just remember: nuts are full of energy, so eating too many could increase your calory intake significantly. As a helpful guide, a dozen almonds is approximately the right serving to incorporate into your daily diet. - Apples
Crisp, juicy and renowned for keeping the doctor away – apples are also good at keeping unwanted weight away. They contain 15% of your recommended daily fibre, helping slow your body’s absorption of glucose and thereby regulating your blood glucose levels. Other active ingredients in this healthy snack are phytonutrients – acting as antioxidents – and they’re also the only fruit containing phlorizdon, proven to improve the functioning of our lungs. - Avocados
These creamy fruit are great in a breakfast smoothie or as a guacamole side sitting for combating your spicy salsa! Their key ingredient for boosting metabolism is l-carnitite – but their fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants have massive health benefits. They include vitamins B5, B6, B9, C and K and minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. All of this helps to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation and fight heart disease. - Berries
Are you in need of a sweet treat, or wanting a natural way to sweeten your smoothie? Berries provide the answer. They’re full of metabolism-boosting vitamins and phytochemicals. If you’re wanting some additional health kicks, blueberries and raspberries contain lutein to keep your eyes sharp. Raspberries are also a berry-winner in dieting against cancer, so give them a try! Learn more about the benefits of berries here. - Watermelon
As the name suggests, watermelons have high water content for keeping us hydrated. They also have plenty of electrolytes, helping our boost our body’s energy levels in exercise. They also are a great source of vitamin A and C, plus minerals magnesium and potassium.
Protein
- Chicken and Turkey
If you’re seeking to boost your metabolism, you should be combining a healthy diet with exercise. Each time we exercise, or indeed just in our everyday lives, our cells become damaged – especially the muscles we’re punishing. Chicken and turkey are a great source lean source of protein, meaning they provide a higher proportion of what we need – and less of the fats we’re trying to shift. - Eggs
Eggs are an excellent form of protein, especially their egg whites. This part of the egg contains no fat or cholesterol but does contain Vitamin B2, activating our metabolism and improving energy formation. You can eat lots of egg whites, but limit yourself to 3-4 egg yolks a day – otherwise you might inadvertently raise your cholesterol. - Oily Fish
Oily fish, especially the slippery salmon, contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids stimulate our bodies in secreting leptin – a hormone that helps regulate our bodies intake and absorption of food and helps our bodies break down unwanted fatty tissues. Fish oil also helps keep our joints running smoothly and decreases inflammation.
Beverages
- Coffee
Love it or loathe it, coffee contains caffeine – which, as the lovers will know, gets our hearts racing and provides us focus. This all requires energy, helping us fight the flab and boost our metabolism. Not only does it boost our metabolism, it also is packed full of nutrients including B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, niacin and those all-important antioxidants. A little word of warning though: don’t consume more than four cups of coffee a day, otherwise you could run the risk of rising cholesterol and other negative health impacts – and remember to combat coffee’s dehydrating effects with a cool glass of water. - Cold Water
Drinking cool or even iced water not only hydrates our bodies; it also lowers our internal temperature. This causes our metabolism to kick in to raise our temperature back-up, helping burn extra calories. Similarly, for our hardy readers, a cold shower has a similar effect! - Green Tea
Green tea not only contains zero calories and pushes our body to regulate our temperature – it also contains catechin polyphenols, boosting our metabolic rate and supressing our appetite, and a host of antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C and E! The benefits of all of these also help prevent blood clots, regulate blood pressure and fight bad cholesterol. It’s also thought to fight cancer and have anti-bacterial properties helping protect us from infections and diseases. Learn the types and benefits of tea here.
How Can I Remember What To Buy If I Forget My Shopping List?
The key things to remember if you’ve forgotten your shopping list are:
- Eat lots of green vegetables – maybe mixed with red vegetables for added colour and the cancer-fighting health benefits they bring
- Mix your protein between eggs, poultry-meat and oily fish
- Swap calorific alcoholic drinks with green tea and coffee
- Fruits and nuts are great snacks – be sure to stock up on nuts, berries and avocados
- Purchase low-calorie, filling foods.