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5 Foods to Instantly Boost Your Metabolism

All foods are not created equal. These choices pack extra punch when it comes boosting your metabolism.
lemon and kale boost metabolism

SUMMARY

Interested in giving your metabolism a boost? Try adding citrus, high-fiber crackers, whole grains, kale, and dried fruits to your grocery list.

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A new season is in full swing, which means Summer Fridays, two-pieces, and beach reads.

With the seasonal change and our systems still adapting, we could all use a little boost to our metabolisms to help speed up the journey.

Making the right food choices will nourish the body, helping with your weight-loss journey and making sure everything stays in tip-top shape.

Next time you make a pit stop at Whole Foods, don’t forget to add these 5 metabolism boosting foods to your grocery list.

It’s not summer without citrus

Lemon contains iron, potassium, and antioxidants, making it a vehicle for defeating colds, clearer skin, and faster metabolism. Eating a lemon, by itself, won’t be the most pleasant of tastes, but there are multiple other ways that you can enjoy citrus. Another great citrus fruit is grapefruit, which has shown to aid in weight loss with a low-calorie diet.

Tip: Squeeze 1/4th of a lemon into your water every morning for a revitalizing spritz! Use the rest of the lemon throughout the day as a finishing touch to your salad or salmon.

The best snack for your handbag

Perhaps the most underrated snack of all, the Scandinavian “GG” crackers, have become a favorite amongst your favorite models, bloggers, and influencers. Packed with high-fiber, they make a great low-fat alternative the next time you’re salivating for a pizza or ham and cheese. Although there is no evidence suggesting that these crackers improve metabolism, they’re still a great low-calorie snack to replace with heavily processed crackers.

Scandinavian GG crackers

Tip: Top your GG crackers with Rao’s all-natural pizza sauce, mushrooms, shredded bell peppers, and vegan cheese for a low-calorie pizza.

Going for the grain

Maybe you’re cutting out white rice or pasta from your diet, but are still craving something just as appetizing. Whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, or quinoa lessen the number of calories you retain. This helps to boost your metabolism, toning down your midsection and contains digestive benefits.

Tip: Add in oats along with flaxseed into your next batch of cookies for a health-giving gym snack.

Make ups-kale salads

Don’t overlook your greens if you’re looking to trim down this summer. Besides being dubbed as the “most LA” snack, kale is a great source of iron, helping spike up your metabolism and cognitive functions. Kale contains 33 calories per cup, making it an ideal mix for smoothies and salads.

Tip: Create your own vinaigrette salad dressing for your kale salad by blending olive oil, your choice of vinegar, and salt or pepper.

Revamp your sweets

So, you had to omit chocolate from your diet (gasp!). Fasting from certain sweets may be an arduous task, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them at all. Dried fruits, like mangoes or cranberries, are a good source of fiber, helping to boost your metabolism and detox your body of its waste. Fruits still contain sugar so you still need to watch your sugar intake. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men.

Dried fruit speed up metabolism

Tip: Choose dried fruits with the “no sugar added” labels on their packs for a low-sugar “sweet” snack.

Bonus metabolism hacks

  • Sprinkle chili peppers onto your scrambled eggs or lettuce wraps. Capsanthin, a pigment found in red peppers, is its secret sauce, being an antioxidant that might help control your appetite.
  • Consider this your permission to get caffeinated. Coffee surprisingly boosts your metabolism and physical performance, serving as the perfect supplement to your daily workouts.
  • It’s time to kick back! End your night with an essential oil and oolong tea. As a traditional Chinese tea, oolong tea is believed to be correlated with trimming down your waistline.
  • This one seems like a no-brainer, but drinking enough water is essential to boosting your metabolism. A simple trick: divide your weight in half — you’ll get the number of fluid ounces to drink in one day!

As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid acidic foods – such as meat, dairy and alcohol – and eat more alkaline-rich foods to improve the pH level of your body. All the recipes used in our healthy meal service support a wholesome diet, improve digestion, and may even give you a little kick of energy throughout the day!

Now that you’ve unlocked all of this summer’s secrets, you can take a breather knowing that you’ll be prepared, come your next poolside trip!

What food tips and tricks have worked for you on your weight-loss journey? Share below in the comments!

Expert-approved

Pari Ghodsi, MD