When it comes to getting the best results from your workout and becoming healthier overall, speeding up your metabolism can play a huge role. It’s important to eat the right foods before exercising to maximize your workout. When you eat, enzymes in your body’s cells break down the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your mind thinking, and your legs moving during exercise. Believe it or not, having a fast metabolism is not completely based on age, gender, or genetics. There are ways to naturally boost your metabolism so that it works harder and faster all day long, even while you’re sleeping. The key is to eating more foods that are filling, nutritious, and naturally fat burning.
With summer just a few weeks away, we’ve compiled the following list of metabolism-boosting foods to add to your shopping cart. Eat these foods before a workout, and you will be well on your way to a leaner, healthier you.
Egg Whites
Not only are egg whites high in protein and low in fat, they are also packed with iron and essential amino acids (protein building blocks used by your body to manufacture everything from muscle fibers to brain chemicals) that help keep your metabolism stoked. Egg whites help you stay energized during a workout and also help you feel satiated for a longer period of time.
Try: Scrambled egg whites with diced tomatoes, asparagus, and a dash of salt & pepper.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is also a great way to start your day. It is rich in fat-soluble fiber, which requires a lot of calories to break down. Your metabolism ends up revving itself up and burning off even more calories. The complex carbohydrates in oatmeal also help you feel fuller longer. Oatmeal has also been shown to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Be sure to go for steel cut oats or rolled oats instead of instant oatmeal to get the most benefits out of it.
Try: Plain rolled oats topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries. Sweeten with a dash of stevia or honey.
Broccoli
This healthy vegetable is full of nutrients linked to aiding weight loss. In particular, it contains calcium and vitamin C, which is an extremely effective metabolism-boosting duo. Calcium acts as a metabolic trigger, while vitamin C helps your body absorb more calcium. Studies have shown that vegetables such as broccoli can increase your body’s ability to burn fat by as much as 30 percent. Broccoli also has a high water and fiber content, which will help you feel full longer. On top of all of that, broccoli contains antioxidants that help boost your immunity.
Try: Broccoli sauteed in a pan with fresh garlic and hot chile/red pepper flakes.
Yogurt
Dairy products have been shown to boost weight loss efforts. The calcium in yogurt can fire up fat melting and discourage fat storage. The high levels of protein in yogurt also require a lot of energy to break down. These nutrients found in yogurt can keep you energized throughout the day, and help build lean muscle. In addition, probiotics – healthy bacteria in both regular and Greek yogurt – aid digestion.
Try: Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt topped with berries and a dash of honey.
Grapefruit
This super fruit lowers the insulin levels in your body that trigger your system to store fat. It also aids in breaking down proteins so that they are ready to be used more quickly. It is rich in fiber, which means that your body must burn extra calories in order to break it down. Always eat the fruit instead of just drinking the juice, as most brands of grapefruit juice tend to be high in sugar.
Try: Grapefruit and Arugula salad dressed with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
