Your metabolism is all the chemical reactions involved in maintaining your living, breathing body. It’s often thought of as your body’s engine that runs at a certain rate. A high metabolism burns more calories over time than a slow metabolism.
Much of your metabolism is determined by your genetics. Your metabolic rate is largely predetermined by your genetic factors. Nutrition is also a vital part of metabolism as the body needs nutrients for its chemical reactions. The food you eat influences your metabolic rate.
If you want to lose weight you do have to take in less calories than you burn. If you take in too few calories your body will slow its metabolic rate to conserve the fuel it has. You may start burning your muscle for fuel because you’re not taking in enough calories. Your body composition can become fatter.
Eating the right number of calories in the right ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrate helps your body efficiently and keeps your metabolism running optimally. There are foods which promote a more efficient metabolism. Here’s some of the foods you may want to add to your diet to keep your engine running clean:
Egg Whites
Egg whites contain around 67% of the protein in an egg. They are rich in branched-chain amino acids which promote your metabolism.
Water
There’s lots of reasons to stay hydrated. Your metabolism slows when you’re dehydrated. Keep your body hydrated and keep the motor running.
Coffee
The caffeine in coffee can keep your metabolism burning a little higher. It’s a short-term effect. One or two cups of coffee a day is all you need to keep the metabolism up.
Milk
Milk is a great source of calcium which may help your body metabolize fat more efficiently. Three or more servings of dairy foods a day can speed up calorie-burning.
Lean Protein
The more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolic rate. Lean protein helps to maintain or build your muscle mass. The body also uses more calories metabolizing protein. Lean protein includes chicken, fish, and certain beans.
Spinach
Spinach contains a lot of iron and iron helps carry oxygen our muscles need to burn fat. It also helps the muscles to recover after a workout.