Losing fat is not as simple as reducing your diet or keeping diet constant and going to the gym more. Actually it is somewhere in between the two. But there is more to the picture than you think. Some foods contain nutrients which have the ability to raise metabolic rate. And as a result of this the body burns calories. These foods have a thermic effect and are known as thermic foods.
This helps you shed more weight than usual, maintain the weight, keep the body from storing unwanted fat, and these foods also reduce the risk of health issues like obesity. But that does not mean you don’t have to workout if you eat such foods. So, don’t slouch now, keep your workout shirts and shorts ready for the workout. Let us have a look at what those foods are.
Protein-rich Foods
Foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, lentils, nuts and seeds increase our metabolic rate for a few hours. It is because they need more energy to get digested so the body’s metabolism is raised until they are digested. According to research, these foods increase the thermic effect of food by 15–30%, compared to carbs and fats which have 5–10%, 0–3% respectively. These also reduce the metabolic drop rate which keeps you full and prevents overeating.
Iron, Zinc and Selenium-rich Foods
Our body needs iron, zinc and selenium to function properly. These different nutrients have one thing in common, they require proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Diet low on these can cause less production of hormones which is controlled by the thyroid which can slow down metabolism and cause fat gain. Meat, seafood, legumes, nuts, and seeds are the foods which help you with this. Check out arbonne protein shakes reviews to lose more weight.
Chili Peppers
The chemical found in chili peppers, i.e capsaicin, helps boost the metabolism, increasing calories and fat burnt. According to a research, the capsaicin can help burn up to 50 extra calories per day, rest assured everything else remains constant. While one study says that this effect can be achieved with 135–150 mg of capsaicin per day, the same effects with as little as 9–10 mg per day are reported by other studies. Naturally found in chili peppers, capsaicin can help you increase metabolism and act as a fat oxidant.
Coffee
Coffee has caffeine which helps increase metabolic rate by up to 11%. Good news for coffee loves, now you can enjoy coffee daily and let the fat suffer. Having coffee a little before the workout can act like a performance boosting drink. Careful, not to take too much because it can have adverse effects. The results and benefits of coffee varies from person to person. Last but not least, it is better not to add sugar or sweet cream in your coffee, otherwise you might be gaining fat instead of losing and burning it.
Tea
The combination of caffeine and catechins in tea acts in a similar way coffee does, with these you can burn an extra 100 calories a day. Oolong and green can also help burn the stored fat in the body effectively, increasing the fat-burning rate by up to 17%.
Other ways to boost metabolism
But this is not just it. There are more ways to increase your metabolic rate like drinking water, sleeping, and working out.
Drinking more water daily helps decrease BMI, which causes water-induced thermogenesis increasing metabolism. Getting enough sleep daily is important for metabolism and health. Lack of sleep increases and causes obesity, diabetes, other metabolic and health issues. Try to make and follow a good night sleeping schedule.
Bottom line
Thermic foods boost metabolism and can help you with weight loss and maintaining healthy weight easily. However, that won’t be good without working out. Working out is important to get and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat right and don’t ignore workouts.