Foods to boost metabolism!!!

We all want to be healthy and have more energy but some very simple steps can lead us to be more energetic and some very simple things we do on a day to day basis can be making us tired.   In the simplest terms, metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories. Very few people have a fast metabolism.   The bottom line is that increasing your metabolism will enable you to level your diet and weight.

WHAT IS METABOLISM?

When I learned about metabolism in school, I always heard of the Krebs Cycle.  I can remember learning it for a test but now I cannot remember much more than how sugar and carbs are formed.  Kreb's cycle looks like this so take notes! 

Ok, got that?!!!  Just kidding and let me summarize it to you.

Metabolism is affected by your body composition. By body composition, I mean the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. For example, let's say you have two people who are the exact same height and weight. One exercises on a regular basis with weights, in addition to aerobic exercise, and has a low percentage of body fat. The other never exercises and has a higher percentage of body fat. The first person who exercises will have a higher metabolism than the second person. What this basically means is that person #1's body will use more calories to sustain itself than person #2.

So what can increase your metabolism....

1. Water Water Water!   I cannot stress how important water is to our body.   Researchers in Germany found that subjects of the study increased their metabolic rates (the rate at which calories are burned) by 30 percent after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water. Water is also a natural appetite suppressant that banishes bloat as it flushes out sodium and toxins. Drinking enough water will also help keep you from mistaking thirst for hunger. So drink up! Make sure that you are starting your day with a big big glass of water and drink throughout the day not just all at one time.  Make sure to get at least 64 oz of water

2. Green Tea! Studies show that green tea extracts boost metabolism and may aid in weight loss. This mood-enhancing tea has also been reported to contain anti-cancer properties and help prevent heart disease. It’s also a trendy drink among weight-conscious celebrities.

3. Hot Peppers! Eating hot peppers can speed up and boost metabolism and cool your cravings, researchers at Laval University in Canada found. Here’s why: Capsaicin (a chemical found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers) temporarily stimulates your body to release more stress hormones, which speeds up your metabolism and causes you to burn more calories.

4.  Protein - make sure to get a little protein with every meal.  Enzymes that are found in proteins are the catalysts of metabolism. Proteins are important in promoting repair, growth and maintenance of cells throughout the body, and they provide the amino acids human bodies cannot make naturally. All but a small percentage of the protein you take in is digested. Excess protein that is not used in cell repair or converted into amino acids is converted into sugars or fatty acids and can be burned as fuel.
Good proteins are lean turkey, fish and beans and legumes.

5. East enough!   Make sure to eat small meals daily.  When you eat less than you need for basic biological function (about 1,200 calories for most women), your body throws the brakes on your metabolism. It also begins to break down precious, calorie-burning muscle tissue for energy, says Dan Benardot. "Eat just enough so you're not hungry--a 150-calorie snack midmorning and midafternoon between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism humming."

Eat small, frequent meals. People generally eat less overall when they eat small yet frequently. Consider eating fruits , oats or anything with a "high volume to calorie content" , eating healthy snacks will also increase metabolism.  A common myth is that fasting or restricting your consumption of food will send your body into starvation mode. While there is little or no evidence that supports this it is true that malnutrition is never the solution to losing weight and may pose a serious risk to your health and have adverse effects in the long run.