Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Foods to Increase Metabolism

There are several foods to increase metabolism. Metabolism refers to the processes in our body which are required to maintain life. These processes lead to our growth and reproduction of cells. They are divided into two categories catabolism and anabolism.  Metabolism determines what food is nutritious to our body and what food is poisonous. Low metabolic rate could lead to ill health. The metabolic rate is extremely important for good health. 

Water to Increase Metabolism

One important natural metabolism booster is water. Water suppresses hunger and boosts the rate of metabolism. It is necessary to drink water at regular intervals right through the day.  Water also helps to flush out all the toxins from the body.  Drinking water also reduces the pangs of hunger. It is essential to drink at least two liters of water a day.

Vegetables boost Metabolism

Several vegetables help to boost metabolism and convert food to energy efficiently. Some of these vegetables are leafy greens like turnip greens, spinach, kale and collard greens. They help the blood cells to transport the nutrients right through the body.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal has abundance of dietary fiber. Most of it is soluble fiber, which is more effective than insoluble fiber to boost metabolism. High fiber foods are more filling and curb appetite. Water soluble fibers lower the levels of insulin and help to breakdown fats more efficiently.   

Chilies

Eating spicy foods like chilies raises the body temperature. This helps to boost metabolism. Spicy foods also suppress appetite. Some peppers like jalapeno and cayenne contain capsaicin which helps to increase metabolism and burn more calories.

Fruits to Increase Metabolism

Most fruits contain abundant quantities of fiber. They contain natural sugar which is different from the sugar we use for coffee and cooking. Some of the fruits that help to increase metabolism are apples, oranges, plums, peaches, blackberries, apricots and melons.

Grape fruit has been considered to be a healthy food from a long time. It is fiber rich. Fiber is hard to breakdown and requires more calories to so. This results in weight loss. Grape fruit lowers the levels of insulin in the body. Higher levels of insulin induce the body to store fat. Grape fruit also contains folic acid, vitamin C and potassium. They provide a boost to the immune system.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids boost metabolism. Some important foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids are

  • Fish
  • Vegetable oils
  • Eggs
  • Meat
  • Butter nuts
  • Walnuts
  • Pecan nuts
  • Linseed oil
These are some of the natural foods to increase metabolism and help to reduce weight.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Do You Burn Calories When You Sleep?

There are several foods that burn calories even when you sleep. They burn more calories than they contain. Including these foods in your diet will help you to burn calories faster. These foods are called negative calorie foods. To get better results include exercise in your daily routine.

Most of these negative calorie foods consist of fruits and vegetables. They do not burn calories in the exact sense of the term. They speed up metabolism or break the components of fat.  These foods are rich in fiber and contain more water. It is better to eat most of these foods without cooking in the raw state.  These foods burn calories when you sleep.


Burn Calories with Green Tea

Green tea is a very effective metabolism booster. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols which are said to aid the fat burning qualities of the herb. It is said that the strongest of these catechins called EGCG reduces the calories that are absorbed from the diet and helps to burn fats faster. It also prevents the storage of fats.  It has thermogenic properties which help to burn off the calories.

Vitamin C

Citrus fruits contain vitamin C.  They help to dilute the fats and push them out of the body. They also speed up metabolism. Some of the citrus fruits that aid weight loss are lemon, orange, sweet lime, grape fruit and tangerines.

Legumes

Legumes have large amounts of protein and very high fiber content. Examples of legumes are soya beans, brussels sprouts, French beans, kidney beans and lentils. Some of them can be included for breakfast. Bean soup or salad for dinner will help to burn calories when you sleep.

Diary Foods

Milk, yogurt and other dairy foods contain calcium which breaks down fat cells and aid weight loss. Milk has an abundance of complex carbohydrates which helps to keep the insulin levels low. Low insulin levels help to boost the metabolism rate. Human body requires about 1200 to 1300mg of calcium daily. Drinking skimmed milk will help to burn fat without the addition of any unnecessary calories.

Whole Grains

Whole grains have carbohydrates in abundance. They are also rich in fiber. They increase the rate of metabolism and help to burn more calories and fat. Eating oatmeal for breakfast in the morning will boost your energy levels and also help to burn more calories. Some of the whole grains that would help to burn off fat are brown rice, wheat bran, whole wheat, barley and wheat germ.

You should include in your diet some of these foods that help to burn calories when you sleep. 

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Natural Remedies for Upset Stomach

Natural remedies for upset stomach due to indigestion are banana, ginger ale and mint tea. You should also make sure that you drink plenty of water.

An upset stomach could be due to a variety of reasons. Some of the common reasons are indigestion, motion sickness, food poisoning and heartburn. Indigestion could be due to greasy or oily food. Heartburn can also cause indigestion.

  • You have to identify the cause of upset stomach. If a certain food is causing stomach upset you have to stop eating it.


  • If the cause of upset stomach is indigestion then ginger candy, ginger ale or ginger tea would be a very effective cure.


  • If it is due to heartburn then antacids can be taken.


  • Take half a glass of water and add half tea spoon of baking soda and stir it well. Drink it two to three times at an interval 2-3 hours.


  • Banana is a very good natural remedy for upset stomach.


  • Mint tea is also a very good remedy.


  • If the upset stomach is due to stress or emotional disturbance then take a hot bath and go to sleep.


  • Another effective remedy is drinking butter milk with two teaspoons of amla powder added to it.


  • Light exercises like walking is also good for the problem.

Food poisoning can cause upset stomach. Contaminated and unhygienic food could be the problem. If you are suffering from diarrhea, fluid intake has to be increased. If the fluid lost is not replaced it may cause dehydration.

Things that have to be avoided when you have an upset stomach are aspirin alcohol and cigarettes. Eat as little as possible. If you are hungry eat fruits and vegetables. They can be digested easily as the have fibers. Avoid all diary products including milk.


These are some of the natural remedies for upset stomach