Foods to kick start your metabolism

September 8, 2016
by HelloFresh Get To Know Us

    You’ve found new discipline in gym attendance. BAM. Your eating habits are fresher and healthier than ever before. Smashing it out of the park. What’s the next weight-loss challenge?

    There’s no food, or magic pill even, that will make you lose weight. Broadly put, weight-loss is a calories in/calories out equation. But there may be some fine-tuning of your diet to really kick start your metabolism.

    don't skip breakfast

    Your metabolism, the chemical reactions by which your body derives life from food, can be fired up to compliment your exercise efforts. A good metabolism will have your body performing, and shedding calories, at both rest and play.

    There are a few foods, and a few habits, which will give your metabolism a helping boost.

    Firstly up is to kick the gears into motion every day with a good breakfast.

    HF160701_EXTRASHOT_US_Breakfast_ 60_low

    It can be tempting to skip meals to save time or reduce your calorie intake. Uh-oh, bad idea. Skipping meals, and breakfast in particular, not only affects your general health can give you a seriously sluggish metabolism.

    Without a proper meal, especially coming out of the overnight recovery period, can shift your body into fasting mode. Basically, you’ll be trying to conserve your energy stores for lean times ahead. This is the opposite of what you want. A healthy breakfast is essential to a fast metabolism for both weight-loss and maintaining energy to keep active throughout the day.

    The other important habit is water, water, water! Calorie burning means staying well hydrated. Down a glass of water before each meal, drink before you get thirsty throughout the day, and snack on fruits with high water content rather than salty snacks.

    Considering specific metabolism stoking foods, it can be helpful to think about a well-functioning machine. A well-functioning machine will be warmed up, well fuelled and running clean.

    Warm foods get your heart rate up and have been shown to significantly increase your energy expenditure hours after your meal. Increasing your intake of foods high in capsaicin and caffeine will leave you flushed with a calorie burning glow.

    HF160607-EXTRASHOT_USA_COFFEE & TEA_2_low

    Try swapping out that coffee for a green tea!

    Apart from the obvious of hot chillies and too many cups of coffee, make sure you include a variety of spices including cinnamon, peppers and mustards, as well as drinking green tea. Apple cider vinegar is a boost, whilst a healthy dose of ginger is not only for the flu season.

    When increasing your intake of warming foods, make sure you also keep up your water intake to avoid dehydration. Also try to avoid that sweet with your coffee, and ginger snaps don’t count as a healthy dose!

    Keeping up your energy levels is not an excuse to dope up on sugar. The challenge here is to maintain the rise-and-crash cycle of sugar consumption that’ll see you reaching for a second 3pm chocolate bar.

    HF160219_AUS_Fruitbox_V3_lowSnacking on citrus fruit not only avoids refined sugars but also provides a thrust of Vitamin C whilst providing hydration. So much love! Apples and pears provide similar goodness.

    A diet with adequate complex carbohydrates will also keep insulin levels steady and provide slow release energy over the day, this is what you’re after. Including bread or grains in your breakfast, or brown rice or quinoa in other meals, will have you feeling fine-tuned and high-stepping throughout the day.       

    If you can't bear plain water, infuse it!

    If you can’t bear plain water, infuse it!

    We’ve repeated the importance of drinking water ad nauseum, and we’re not about to stop yet. Water is key to keeping your digestive system clean and transferring toxin build-ups from your body.

    Taking water with a dose of citrus or apple cider vinegar can take this to another level. Both have positive benefits on your digestive system and help you take more nutrition from the food you eat, meaning that you crave less and waste less.

    The exciting thing is that these tips aren’t outrageously different to other healthy eating plans. Forewarned is forearmed, and with this information about firing up your metabolism, your closer to your health goals and weight loss.

     

    Previous post
    Foodie Instagrams to fall in love with Foodie Instagrams to fall in love with
    Next post
    Healthy dinners for lazy people Healthy dinners for lazy people

    Related posts

    1 comment

    Barbara Hitches says:

    Do you supply recipes and whatever is required to make them into satisfying meals?
    I am 22 kgs overweight and desperate to lose it. I am 84 years old and I don’t think it unreasonable to think I could go from 107 kg to a healthier 85 kg. A couple of years ago I broke my leg and had to spend five months in a rehab hospital. As I couldn’t walk I had to spend the time in a wheelchair – hence the weight just piled on. If you can help I would be vary pleased to hear from you.