No matter what meal plan you are following to meet your health and fitness goals, introducing some elements to give your metabolism a boost can be helpful. A faster metabolism helps you burn fat even while your body is at rest, aids in digestion, and is even linked with better moods and increase immune system responses. Check out this list of metabolism foods and incorporate as many of them as possible into your meal plan:
- Avocado: According to Prevention.com, consuming enough protein helps you to protect your metabolism. Avocados offer not only protein, but also amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids for heart health.
- Almonds: These also contain healthy fatty acids, but OrganicAuthority.com suggests that you don’t overdo it, as they are also high in calories. Try 6-10 almonds with an apple for a good snack.
- Hot Peppers: These thermogenic foods including cayenne, jalapeno, habanero, scotch bonnet and others literally heat things up. As shared on globalhealingcenter.com, hot peppers contain a compound called capsaicin that causes the metabolism to spike. These spikes can last up to 3 hours!
- Blueberries: These smoothie-friendly or eat alone fruits are full of antioxidants. Jaime Filer writes on bodybuilding.com, ” Antioxidants help prevent this oxidation from taking place, and thus prevents the build up of free radicals.” This is crucial for overall health and wellness, and free radicals can inhibit fat loss, muscle growth, and increase risk of disease.
- Spices: Luckily, healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland eating. Spices such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin contain metabolism-boosting compounds and have antioxidant properties. So season away! If you want to know more about the ins and outs of why spices boost metabolism, check out this guide on muscleandfitness.com.
These are a few ideas to get you started with boosting your metabolism. Add these to your meal plan this week and let us know what results you get!