Metabolism Boosting Foods to Speed Up Weight Loss

 Foods to Speed Up Weight Loss 

When it comes to losing weight and being healthier overall, increasing your metabolism plays a big part. A faster metabolism helps you with digestion, and helps burn off fat and pounds, even while you’re sleeping. Conversely, a slow metabolism can thwart your dieting and weight loss efforts and leave you in a state of frustration, feeling like you’re genetically programmed to be heavy. Here are foods that have been shown to help give your metabolism a boost and get you on your way to a fitter you.

1.Cruciferous Vegetables
The B Vitamins that are contained in foods like Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and others has a healthy effect on your metabolism and can really start to turn things around if you previously didn’t give much care or attention to the matter. These aren’t the easiest veggies to increase your intake of, but if you look for recipes that contain them they’ll usually include them with other ingredients that make them taste better than eating them straight.

2.Berries
All fruits are a good idea due to their carb and fiber content, both of which are important tools for boosting metabolism. But Earthbound Farm’s Registered Dietician, Ashley Koff, highlights the powers of berries in particular, which she says are rich in “antioxidants, like vitamin C, which helps combat damaging free radicals generated during exercise.” Berries help you heal more quickly.

3.Almonds
You don’t want to go too big on the almonds, because their fat content can undo any boost they have to your metabolism, but research suggests that almonds and other tree nuts can help you out due to the essential fatty acids they contain. The good thing is they taste great, so you can use them as a snack to hold you over until your next meal, or you can chop them up and use them to top a main or side dish. Green beans are one vegetable that lends itself well to slivered almonds. And if you want to liven things up you can get similar benefits from other nuts like walnuts or cashews.

4. Chia Seeds
Vance also loves chia seeds, calling them “the reason I became a nutritionist.”
“I decided if one food could do this much, I had to study more about the power of foods as medicine and fuel,” she says.
While chia seeds have lots of different characteristics, metabolism-wise, chia seeds offer a few specific benefits.
“Chia seeds are high in fiber, protein and healthy omega 3 fats,” says Vance. “When you have all three together, it is very powerful.”

5.Asparagus
Some claim that asparagus is a negative calorie food, requiring more calories to chew and digest it than it contains. While this may or may not be the case, it’s clear that its caloric load is low, while it nutrient load is high. It makes a great food for dieting because of its unique and delicious taste. It’s a great side sitting next to a lean meat. Get the organic kind if available, as this will help keep it a very healthy vegetable to assist you in your efforts.