Foods that increase metabolism?

FOODS THAT INCREASE METABOLISM

So, what are foods that increase metabolism?

Well, that is an interesting topic. It needs to be answered in sections because it depends on how far you want to boost your metabolism. You can add additional metabolism boosters through specific exercises if you are able-bodied. Nonetheless, you can still effectively use foods to increase metabolism if unable to exercise.

Therefore, lets begin with food and then move on to exercise.

A. The foods that increase metabolism are specific fat burning proteins because of the excellent "thermic effect" of these foods.

B. The foods that slow down metabolism are the refined processed carbohydrates.

If you are unsure what these types of foods are, at the bottom of this answer there are page links to a list of the specific fat burning proteins, plus detailed information about the thermic effect of these foods, and a link leading to a full list of refined processed carbohydrates.

Consuming the specific fat burning proteins, and eliminating refined processed carbohydrates (apart from an occasional treat) is an important part of achieving fat loss, and optimum health.

Over-consumption of refined processed carbohydrates will slow down your metabolism and negatively affect your health.

Moreover, over-consumption of refined processed carbohydrates is a major cause of heart disease, weight gain, obesity, insulin resistance, fat accumulating around the stomach or abdomen area, type 2 diabetes, borderline diabetes, hypertension, and many other diet related conditions and diseases.

FOODS THAT INCREASE METABOLISM KEY IDEAS ABOUT NUTRITION

1. The "thermic effect" of food (how hard your body has to work to deal with a particular food)
2. The order of macronutrients your body prefers to use
3. How to boost your metabolic rate

The three macronutrients of food are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The caloric cost for your body to use them differs. In relation to the thermic effect, refined processed carbohydrates and fats have only a 3% rate (approximately). This means that it requires only 3 calories for your body to use/burn 100 calories of refined carbohydrates and fats.

Some specific proteins, however, have up to a 30% rate! Hence, they are often referred to as fat burning proteins or the foods that increase metabolism. Moreover, some proteins are even better than other proteins are. Those are the super-charged proteins. You will find them all on the fat burning proteins page link at the bottom of this answer.

GUIDELINES ON USING & AVOIDING FOODS

The overall approach outlined on this page, and given in more detail via the page links at the bottom of this answer, is excellent for losing body fat, gaining more energy and boosting your metabolism. By making it habitual, you will lose body fat and you will keep it off. You will also be on your way to achieving optimum health!

First, eat a small meal about every three waking hours. Each of those five or six meals should contain at least 20 grams of protein per feeding for a male and at least 15 grams per feeding for a female. The proteins from natural sources (see the fat burning foods list) have good fats. Therefore, you do not need to worry about those fats.

Second, eliminate or strictly limit refined processed carbohydrates (apart from an occasional treat).

The diseases often referred to as diseases of Western civilization became pervasive in developed countries in the twentieth century primarily because of a diet high in refined processed carbohydrates. Our ancestors did not have these foods in their diets. Those foods did not yet exist.

Third, if you wish to lose body fat allow yourself 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates daily. Experiment, and decide how strict you need to be. Unlike protein and fat, there is no minimum daily requirement for carbohydrate for good health or to sustain life.

In other words, you would die if you did not eat protein and fats (this is why low fat diets can be detrimental to health). However, you would not die if you did not consume carbohydrates. Hence, there is no minimum daily requirement for carbohydrate. Nonetheless, natural carbohydrates such as vegetables and fruit have many beneficial phytochemicals and fiber, so eating some is fine. Get your carbohydrates from natural sources such as (preferably organic) unprocessed non-starchy vegetables such as leafy green vegetables, leafy green salad vegetables, and just a very few low carbohydrate (low sugar) fruits such as berries.

By itself, eating this way, and using the foods that increase metabolism, will boost your metabolic rate. In addition, drink plenty of fresh, clean water to help your body with the fat burning foods and the thermic effect of those foods. Individual needs vary. However, consuming at least 3 quarts of fresh water daily may be about right for you.

METABOLISM GUIDELINES FOR FOODS AND EXERCISE

In addition to the food guidelines, if you are able-bodied, you can add more metabolism boosters such as exercise. You can learn about these specific exercises, in more detail, by using the page links, leading to the free exercise plans, at the bottom of this answer.

For example, strength/weight training will increase muscle and more muscle will burn more calories, and allow you to eat more without gaining weight.

Muscle can be your METABOLIC FURNACE that burns extra calories 24 hours a day and not just when exercising. Do not worry; you don't have to build huge muscles (unless for some reason you want to).

In addition, cardiovascular (cardio) exercise will boost metabolism (burn calories) during and immediately after exercise.

Cardio exercise ranges from mild to intense. Any exercise, sport or activity that increases your heart and respiration rate for a specific period is cardio exercise. Brisk walking is an example of mild cardio exercise. Intense cardio exercises include running, interval training, and graded exercise protocol. Intense fitness training must always be brief.

If you are able, do intense cardio two or three times per week in addition to two weight/strength training sessions per week. That's less than two hours of exercise per week. If you are not yet doing intense cardio, start with GXP. You can learn more about all this, at the bottom of this answer, by using the page link leading to the free intense cardio exercise plan.

If you are new to exercise, you may wish to begin with mild cardio, and then move on to intense. As stated earlier, an example of mild cardio is brisk walking (outdoors or on a treadmill). In total, there are page links to three cardio exercise plans (one easier plan, one slightly harder plan, and one intense plan) listed at the bottom of this answer.

If you are too overweight to exercise comfortably, simply begin with the specific fat burning proteins that speed up metabolism and avoid the refined processed carbohydrates (apart from an occasional treat). When you have lost enough fat to exercise comfortably you can then add exercises to your program.

FOODS THAT INCREASE METABOLISM, SUMMARY

For the free food lists, plans, exercises, and step-by-step guidelines, to guide you at your own pace, use the page links given below:

1. WHAT ARE FOODS THAT INCREASE METABOLISM, more detailed information
2. LIST OF REFINED PROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES that slow down metabolism
3. THE SPECIFIC FAT BURNING PROTEINS, & more about the thermic effect of food
   
4. TWO MILD CARDIO EXERCISE PLANS to increase metabolism
   
5. INTENSE CARDIO EXERCISE PLAN to increase metabolism
6. FOODS THAT SPEED METABOLISM EXTRAS
7. WEIGHT/STRENGTH TRAINING exercises (used in conjunction metabolism foods) suitable for beginners or more advanced, male or female, young or old
   

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(You may wish to seek the approval of your own physician/doctor/GP before changing exercise or eating habits, especially if you already have a known condition or disease)










*Paleolithic (Paleo) foods speed up metabolism 3 people found this useful Was this answer useful? Yes Somewhat No Thanks for the feedback!

Edit Answered by The WikiAnswers^® Community Making the world better, one answer at a time. In relation to "increase my metabolism", here are five excellent metabolism boosters. Everyone is different, but the following program will work well for most people. It is a fat burning program that can be sustained until one's dotage. Therefore, you will be able to lose body fat AND keep it off indefinitely. After all, why lose body fat only to regain. I'll begin with eating and then move on to exercise. First, eat a meal about every 3 waking hours (5 or 6 meals per day). You will not be eating more food; you will simply be spreading it throughout the day. Each of those 5 or 6 feedings should contain at least 15 grams of unprocessed protein (from natural sources) for a female or at least 20 grams per feeding for a male. Second, eliminate processed (refined) carbohydrates from your diet. Processed (refined) carbohydrates have negative effects on health. They also slow down metabolism. When digested all carbohydrates turn into sugar, and sugar becomes fat. Therefore, think of eating carbohydrates as eating sugar and think of eating processed (refined) carbohydrates as eating concentrated sugar. Half way down this page, listed under the 'Increase My Metabolism Related Links,' you will find the full lists of foods that speed up metabolism and the lists of foods that slow down metabolism. If you want to lose body fat, allow yourself only 40 to 70 grams of carbohydrates daily. Get those carbohydrates from natural sources such as (preferably organic) fresh vegetables and low carbohydrate fruits. There is no minimum daily requirement for carbohydrates, but they do have many beneficial phytochemicals and fiber so eating some is fine. Third, drink plenty of water. Increase your intake daily until you are consuming at least 3 quarts daily--and one gallon daily would be better. Fourth, begin a program of mild fitness exercise (cardio). There are two relevant kinds of exercise, namely, cardio and strength training. To significantly increase metabolism you should do both cardio and strength training. Let's first look at cardio and then look at strength training. The best mild cardio is brisk walking. For example, today go for a walk at the best pace you can manage until you are comfortably tired. Note how far you walked. The day after tomorrow, go for another walk but increase the distance slightly. Continue walking every other day until you are walking 4 miles. Once you are able to do that, slightly increase your pace with each walk until you are walking those 4 miles in just under 1 hour every other day. This will burn many extra calories during an immediately after your walks. If you prefer, you may break your walks into two or more sessions during the same day. Fifth, begin a strength-training program to build lean muscle and increase metabolism. Lean muscle is a METABOLIC FURNACE that will burn extra calories 24 HOURS DAILY. Male or female, young or old, everyone can lose body fat this way. Work out twice a week, using as much weight as you can safely handle, and concentrate only on the basic exercises such as squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, and chins. For more about 'increase my metabolism,' plus the lists of foods to eat, the lists of foods to avoid, the free fat burning walking plans and free fat burning strength training workouts, see the three page links, half way down this page, listed under "Related Links."

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