Foods that boost metabolism for flat stomach

How does metabolism work

Metabolism is a process inside your body that spends energy and burns calories.  It operates at all times to maintain survival.  Even when you're resting or sleeping, the metabolism keeps going to convert the food and nutrients you consume into energy.   Our body needs the energy to breathe, move, grow and repair cells, and everything else for us to survive.

The process of metabolism works at different levels for different people. How much your metabolism works for you is largely determined by your genes.  Also, age plays a part in metabolism, as it slows down when you get older, even if you have a fast metabolism when you are young.

Having said that, there are ways to improve your metabolism.  The speed of metabolism affects how hard for people to gain or lose weight. A slow metabolism burns fewer calories, that s the reason why it is more difficult for some people to lose weight, while some people can eat a lot and don’t get weight. 

Ways of improving metabolism

If you have a slow metabolism, is it possible to improve the slow metabolism that comes with your gene?  Research shows that you can manipulate your metabolism to a degree.  It is often a small change and a small change added together that helps you burn more calories. A small change can mean having a healthier diet and taking certain exercises

What are healthier diets that help metabolism?  One thing is to eat protein. The metabolism speeds up whenever you eat, digest, and store food.  It is a process called the thermic effect of food. Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbohydrates and fats because protein takes longer for your body to burn and absorb.

How do foods boost metabolism?

According to the Mayo Clinic, energy needs for the body's basic functions (metabolism) stay fairly consistent that does not change easily.  However, shifts in diet and exercise can alter the body's functioning.

It is very important to maintain the minimum calorie needs for your body daily. Eating too few calories, such can actually slow down the metabolism.  If your body does not feel it has enough energy, the body begins to conserve energy which can lead to a series of undesirable side effects including fatigue, lack of concentration, moodiness, decreased immunity, and reduced muscle because the body breaks down the muscle to meet its energy needs.

On the other hand, taking too many calories can lead to other metabolic issues. It leads to a large waistline, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, as well as high fasting blood sugar that can become metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome not only interferes with normal biochemical processes in the body but also increases the risk of health issues such as diabetes and heart disease.

As such, it is good the choose the right foods that can boost your metabolism.  You can burn more calories even if you are resting.  

Foods that can boost metabolism

Green Tea

Studies have found green tea contains an ingredient called epigallocatechin gallate, which can increase the calories and fat your body burns. A 2011 meta-analysis published in Obesity Reviews found that consuming about 250 milligrams of epigallocatechin gallate (the amount in about three cups of green tea) helped boost metabolism enough to burn an average of 100 extra calories a day.

Research shows that taking exercise in combination with green tea extract reduced symptoms of metabolic syndrome and diet-induced obesity more significantly than either treatment alone.

So, make a cup of green tea every day for your health, on top of the antioxidant it offers.  It pays to drink green tea each day as it increases your body’s fat metabolism.  

Coffee

There is one more good reason to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning! The caffeine in coffee not only wakes you up but also speeds up your metabolism. 

A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic found that caffeine appears to increase energy use, which burns calories, even when you’re at rest. It stimulates a process called thermogeness, which is the way your body generates heat and energy from digesting food.

It just makes sense.  Caffeine is a stimulant, it increases your energy levels by speeding up your central nervous system. It's the same reason people get "jittery" after consuming too much coffee. While the caffeine is affecting your body, you are naturally burning more fat, even while at rest. 

Lentils

Lentils offers the benefits of being high in protein and fiber, low in fat, and rich in slow-digesting carbohydrates that keep you feeling full and satisfied longer than other foods.  Lentils may help improve blood sugar levels and lipid metabolism in both diabetic and healthy individuals. 

Adding high-protein foods like lentils to your meals will keep you full all day. Lentils are also rich in fiber to keep your gut healthy and metabolism humming along.  You can simmer lentils for a bowl of hearty lentil soup or adding cooked lentils to your lunch salad.

Chili Peppers

Studies have shown that on average a meal containing a spicy dish, like a bowl of chili, can  increase metabolism for a while by about 8 percent over a person's normal rate of metabolism.

The chili peppers have an ingredient of capsaicin, that can make your eyes watery.  But it also has the benefit to boosts fat burning. Research has shown that eating chili peppers can increase metabolism while reducing feelings of hunger. 

Ginger

Ginger is a plant that is mostly cultivated for its root, an ingredient commonly used in cooking and baking. Ginger also can be used to decreases inflammation, stimulates digestion, and suppresses your appetite.

A 2018 study found that consuming fresh ginger promotes weight loss and faster metabolism. It has also been found to improve insulin and cholesterol levels.  Studies suggest that ginger may boost your metabolism by as much as twenty percent for about three hours following a meal. 

Protein Shakes

Most weight-loss programs recommend increasing your protein intake, because it will keep you fuller longer, and you'll be burning more calories with greater protein consumption. The reason is that eating adequate amounts of protein is more difficult for the body to process, and the body burns more calories in order to process the food.

Eating small portions frequently during the day is a great way to keep your metabolism high, but not everyone has the time to that arrangement. Protein shakes are a great way to help you to take in high-quality nutrition without having to stop and eat a meal.  That way you can keep your metabolism high while on the go.

The bottom line is that eating more protein can boost your metabolism because it has a higher thermic effect, meaning your body is going to have to work harder to digest, break down, and store it.