Foods to boost your metabolism (with a shopping list & budget)
Want to boost your metabolism? This is what it’ll cost per day.
Food! Oh, how we all love food. It’s essential to life because it provides energy to run body functions and build blocks to grow and repair body tissue… Just a thought, don’t you find it annoying too that as youngsters you could have probably eaten anything and maintain your weight, but as you grow older, you barely look at chocolate or cake, and you can already feel the fat attack on your tummy, thighs and booty?
If there only was a magic pill to pop morning, midday and night for the essential nutrients while making weight loss easy and permanent. We’ll give scientists more time on this one, but healthy eating is your best bet until then. However, the trick is to choose foods that 1) keeps you full, 2) won’t cause serious spikes in your blood sugar, and 3) support a healthy metabolism.
Always remember that it’s important to eat and don’t starve yourself. By doing the latter, your body will go into ‘starvation mode’, and there ain’t no calories going anywhere, leaving you tired and sluggish. This is when you feel you need that sugary treat or fatty burger, and well, basically it’s downhill from here because your body will gather all those skipped calories just like a shepherd with its sheep… nicely tucked away! Which is the opposite we desire.
Foods to boost your metabolism
It’s not a can of worms, really; all you need to remember is to keep the items below, neatly tabled for you, by hand when doing your daily/weekly/monthly shopping. We’ve included daily needs without any meats, so feel free to mix and match, and multiply according to your eating habits.
Foods | Quantity | Average Cost Per Day |
Avocado | 1 (use half an avo for lunch or one quarter if you’re trying to lose weight) | R16,00 |
Chilli Pepper | 30g pack | R2,00 |
Beans/Legumes | ¾ of a cup each day | R6,00 |
Whole Grains
(Whole Grain Bread, Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Popcorn, Whole Grain Pasta, Whole Grain Cereal, Whole Wheat Pita, Quinoa) |
5 to 8 servings per day (141g to 223g) | R47,00 |
Eggs | two eggs per day | R13,00 |
Flaxseeds | 20g raw or 60g cooked | R2,00 |
Lentils | 40g raw or 100g cooked | R7,00 |
Ginger | – | R5,00 |
Green Tea | As much as you like | R5,00 |
Broccoli | 100g | R9,00 |
Spinach/Kale | 100g | R13,00 |
Total | R125,00 |
R125,00 per day is reasonable, isn’t it? There are, of course, other foods to cut back on when it comes to metabolism, including refined grains, sugary or sweetened drinks, alcohol, granola, and soybean oil. Also, don’t fear artificial low-or no-calorie sweeteners – they are totally safe!
Now, we’re quickly covering the other factors, which we know you know already (wink-wink). You can either stick to the golden rule of drinking 2 litres of water per day or, to help you remember, drink 500ml before each meal. Sleep is essential for metabolism and overall health, so ensure you get in a proper 7 to 9 hours per night. Finally, strength and resistance training two or more times per week allow people to gain and retain muscle mass and burn fat. You thought that we were going to skip this one, weren’t you… Not a chance!
Our last thought is to eat these foods as part of a balanced diet for optimum results. You’ve got this – Kapow!
Disclaimer:
This blog provides general information and discussions about fitness and health subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.
If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something that you have read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.
The opinions and views expressed on this blog and website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, health practise or other institution.