While there is yet to be a magic pill that instantly results in a smaller waist-line, you can encourage your body to burn fat quicker by eating certain foods – along with a balanced, healthy diet and regular exercise of course.
By adding these eight foods to your diet you’ll not only be giving your metabolism a boost, you’ll experience better overall health and even improved fitness performance.
Tea
Both green and black teas have been found to give the metabolism a kick and even detoxify harmful chemicals. Studies, including a Japanese report published in 2008, “Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism,” found that those who drank green or black tea lost more weight while lowering “bad” or LDL cholesterol and increasing “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels.
Tree nuts
Tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews and pine nuts are loaded with good fats and fiber. The essential fatty acids found in most tree nuts works to raise the metabolism while providing plenty of healthy antioxidants.
Calcium-rich foods
Studies have found that those who include 1,200 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium in their daily diet may lose nearly double the amount of weight than those who don’t by increasing metabolism and decreasing body fat. You don’t need to eat dairy to get your calcium; dark, leafy greens, flax seeds, beans and quinoa are all rich sources.
Wild-caught salmon
Fish is packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids that work to lower levels of the hormone leptin; increased levels of this hormone result in a metabolism that can slow to a crawl while lower levels boost metabolism and cause the body to burn fat quicker.
Choose wild-caught salmon to avoid toxins found in farmed fish which can lead to weight gain. If it’s out of your budget or you just don’t like fish, taking fish-oil supplements can work almost as well.
Spice things up
Be sure to use plenty of spices every day – many offer a host of healthy benefits in addition to raising the metabolism. Cayenne pepper and cumin boosts fat-burning ability by up to 25 percent, while cinnamon has been shown to reduce sugar levels, lower blood cholesterol and help you maintain an ideal shape or loose stubborn abdominal fat that tends to accumulate with higher insulin levels.
Spicing up your meals with peppers, especially habaneros and jalapenos, gets the heart rate and body temperature up, increasing the metabolic rate. Peppers work so well that they’ve been used as part of a successful obesity treatment program.
Soup
Eating healthy soup (organic chicken or grass-fed broth and tomato based soups filled with organic vegetables are ideal) with your meal, will help to reduce overall calorie intake as well as to raise metabolism.
Water
The age old advice to drink plenty of water still holds true. This beverage is natural appetite suppressant that can help increase the body’s fat-burning capabilities. Starting your day out with a glass of water with an added squeeze of lemon can reduce insulin spikes and get your metabolism fired up for the day.
– The Alternative Daily