A List Of Foods That Speed Up Metabolism - What The Diet Industry Is Trying To Hide

A friend recently asked me a question that made me take notice: "If someone gave you, at no cost, a list of foods known to speed up your metabolism; and if each of those foods were good for you, would you want to eat them?"

Chances are you would be shocked to see many foods you enjoy on that list. The chances are also good that you would find some foods you like, but choose to avoid because you've been convinced that they are not conducive to weight loss. For example, low-fat dieters often shy away from nuts because of their fat content. Those on low-carb diets stay away from most grains. And the most earnest low-carb dieters won't eat fruit because they contain natural sugars.

Something is obviously wrong with the diet industry. I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but they have a reason to keep people overweight. Think about it. With all of the low-fat, no-carb, "eat all the cabbage you want" diets that are out there, people are still gaining weight. At the very least it shows that the diet gurus do not have all of the answers, or aren't sharing them if they do.
 
The weight loss industry won't like me saying this, but you can lose weight by applying a decent amount of common sense. All you need to do is expend more calories than you take in. That's all. Take in fewer calories by eating less, and expend them by exercising more. To make things easier, you can eat certain foods that will help to boost your metabolism.

High up on the list for metabolism boosting foods are tuna, salmon and sardines. This is because they work to lower your body's level of the hormone leptin. Research has shown that lower levels of leptin make for easy weight loss. In addition, they are each high in Omega-3 fatty acids which are good fats for a healthy heart. Another source of good fat for increasing metabolism is olive oil. See, you really can have your fat and eat it, too!

Did you know that hot peppers like jalapeno, habanero and cayenne actually speed up metabolism. The same component that makes them hot, capsaicin, can also fire up your metabolism for three hours after you eat them. If you select spicy dishes that are also low-fat, you will come out even farther ahead in the battle to lose weight.  

Other foods that get the inner furnace stoked up include whole grains. Because they take longer to digest, the body keeps expending energy to move them along and they prevent spikes in blood sugar, too. Cinnamon can also regulate blood sugar levels and aids in revving up metabolism. Foods that are high in protein like lean meat, eggs, beans and nuts will have your body humming along. The final entry on the list of foods that boost metabolism for weight loss is to drink plenty of water. Not because it will help you feel full, or necessarily make you lose weight, but because it keeps everything else running the way it should.