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With so many brands out there claiming that their shakes, drinks, bars, and powders can help you lose weight, it’s hard to distinguish the real from the fake. However, instead of investing money into those products, nothing works better than natural foods and eating fresh.

There are plenty of foods that work just as well, if not better than, these quick-fix solutions. Eating or drinking simple produce is actually all you need. The bright colors on fresh fruit and leafy greens are key identifiers that they are rich in nutrients.

So let’s dive into some of the top foods that are sure to rev up your metabolism!

1. Salmon

Salmon is one of the best foods for increasing your metabolism. One reason being salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Basically, the omega-3s found in fish are known to regulate your metabolism. Unlike most other fats, omega-3 fats are considered “essential,” meaning you must get them from your diet since your body can’t create them. Some sources even say that eating salmon can actually increase your metabolism by up to 400 calories!

In addition to all this good stuff, salmon is rich in protein! What we know from the last blog post is that eating lots of protein is known to stimulate your metabolism too! So salmon is a 2-in-1!

2. Chili Peppers

Spicy food altogether definitely can rev up your metabolism, chili peppers particularly. Eating a spicy meal can actually speed up your metabolism by 25 percent for up to 3 hours. This is because the chemical compound “capsaicin” speeds up your heart rate and metabolism. Besides chili peppers, habaneros and jalapenos contain capsaicin as well. 

3. Green Tea

As you probably already know, caffeine gives you energy. How this happens is by freeing up fatty acid stores that can be burned for energy. This same component is found in green tea! Green tea has both antioxidants and caffeine. The ECGC in green tea helps the brain and nervous system to run faster, on top of spiking your metabolism, too. So if you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up that’ll give you energy AND kick your metabolism into gear, grab a cup of green tea. As for me, I absolutely love matcha!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

4. Lemon & Grapefruit

Citrus fruits, especially lemon and grapefruit are amazing for digestion. That being said, eating these two fruits can help you metabolize fat faster due to the vitamin C they contain. What’s more, lemons and grapefruit are also low in sugar and also have an antioxidant that helps lower your blood sugar response after meals.

5. Lentils

Legumes, such as lentils (as well as peas, chickpeas, beans, and peanuts) are also very high in protein. As we talked about above, protein requires your body to burn a larger number of calories to digest them, compared to lower-protein foods. Lentils also have a good amount of fiber that you’ll need for intestinal health. Why’s this an additional benefit? Well, the fiber will feed the good bacteria your intestines need. The act of doing this produces short-chain fatty acids which may help your body use stored fat as energy and keep a normal blood sugar level.

What Else Can I Do?

Eating these foods, and foods with these characteristics regularly may be the key to losing those pesky pounds you’ve been trying to lose for a while. On top of this, it can help you actually keep them off.

Now, during these difficult times of virus and illness, it is very hard to stay motivated and committed to your fitness endeavors. That being said, one thing that we must focus on is keeping our immune systems in optimal health. Trust me, all that toilet paper isn’t going to matter if your immune system is slow. Look out for my next post where I dive into what you can do to keep your immune system healthy.