Spicy Foods: Foods with a spicy kick to them have been known to increase metabolism while contributing to feelings of satiety. Capsaicin, an ingredient found in spicy foods has a thermogenic effect meaning it promotes weight loss. Studies suggest that hot foods revved adult men’s metabolisms’ for up to 20 minutes after a meal.
Work For Your Food: Not only are pistachios, shelled peanuts, edamame and sunflower seeds good sources of unsaturated fats, they’re also food you have to work to eat. Research shows that when people work for their food, they eat less of it. Opt for unsalted nuts though, too much sodium will cause you to retain water and bloat.
Keep Booze Clear: Vodkas and Gins have a much lower sugar content than their golden tinged counterparts. Mix them with seltzer and tonic water instead of juices and sodas to lessen sugar intake.
Eat Juicy Fruits: Fruits like watermelon, tomatoes and cucumber are delicious and nutritious ways to stay full longer. These foods are high in their H2O content which means your hunger is satiated for longer and you eat less as a result.
These tips are most effective when practiced in combination with the right food intake. Eating appropriate portions of the right stuff will help promote greater weight loss and will aid in making workouts more efficient. The following foods are the basis of a healthy, workout fueling diet.
Carbohydrates: A diet that gets at least 50% of calories from carbohydrates allows muscles to store glycogen which helps your body keep up with the demands of physical exertion. Stick to wheat and whole grain breads and pastas for an excellent source of fuel. Read more about carbs in our article “The Truth About Carbohydrates.”
Fiber: Beans, oatmeal and bran cereals provide volume to food without adding a lot of calories. Soluble fibers can especially help with stabilizing blood sugar, thus, better controlling hunger.
Lean Protein: Chicken breast, egg whites, tofu, crab and shrimp are all great examples of proteins which can help speed up metabolism and help your body with muscle growth and repair. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism will run, helping you burn more calories. The resting metabolic rate in people with more muscle is much higher than in people with less muscle. In fact, every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself.
Unsaturated Fats: Fats can also provide your body with energy for a workout and additional health benefits. Stick to unsaturated fats like nuts, fatty cold-water fish and vegetable oils to avoid throwing your caloric intake or cholesterol out of whack. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are critical to maintaining optimal health and good fats like Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) can help your body metabolize fats and build muscle.
In addition to these nutritious options, you can complement your diet with a natural supplement like Menscience’s 24 Fit System to support decreases in body fat content, burn more calories and support the increase of lean muscle mass.
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