9 Foods That Boost Your Metabolism
Excessive weight gain has been linked, at least in part, with a lowered metabolism. To start off, metabolism is the means by which your body breaks down foods and fluids that you consume into usable energy. Your body then takes this energy and applies it to various forms of activity such as exercise and working. But even when you are sitting still your body still uses energy.
A higher metabolic rate means that foods you consume are processed and burned more quickly along with any stored fats in your body. It is possible to raise the metabolic rate through exercise, but it’s also possible to influence it it by simply changing your diet. Here are some great foods to jumpstart your metabolism!
Drinking More Water
A simple way to improve your metabolism is to stay hydrated. When your body has enough fluids, it runs more efficiently and makes it easier to transport that energy throughout the body. Scientists also recommend drinking cold water, as it forces your body to burn calories to warm it up before use.
Eggs and Egg Whites Especially
Eggs are rich in protein, which is great booster for a increased metabolic rate. Eggs are also chock full of the vital vitamin D.
Lean Meats
Iron deficiency can lead to a slowed metabolism, so keeping a regular intake of iron is key to improving that rate. Some iron-rich foods include chicken, fish and shellfish, and even tofu are great sources of iron.
Chili Peppers
Eating spicy foods has been a practice of trying to boost metabolism for many years. Spicy foods like chili peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin which can turn up the dial on your metabolism.
Coffee
Coffee has been noted as a significant booster of metabolic rates. The caffeine that gives you the extra energy to push through the day is also a great metabolism amplifier. Some studies suggest that consuming caffeine can lead to an increased calorie burn rate by an extra 100 calories a day.
Green Tea
Tea also contains caffeine, but also has catechins as well. Catechins have been linked with an increased metabolism and fat burn rate. In particular green and oolong teas have been associated with increased fat burning beyond other types of teas.
Whole Grains
While any kind of processed grain can help boost metabolism—like pasta and white bread—those that are most effective are the darker grains. Brown rice, oatmeal, and whole grain breads are more difficult for your body to break down, causing it to work harder and burn more calories. These grains also contain more fiber which assists in improving your overall digestive health.
Lentils
In addition to the iron provided by leaner meats, lentils are packed full of iron. Legumes such as peas, chickpeas, beans, and peanuts are also great sources of iron. All of these options contain a decent amount of proteins and dietary fiber as well, meaning they can work on many different levels towards improving your metabolic health.
Seaweed
Seaweed is finding a increased usage in current diets recently. In general, seaweeds contain a significant amount of iodine, which is necessary for your thyroid to produce and balance hormones. These hormones go a long way towards regulating metabolism, and improving your thyroid health is a great way to increase your resting metabolic rate!
A Quick Review
While incorporating one or two of these options can help boost your metabolism, we recommend trying some of each, and mixing and matching to find what works best for you. Introducing new dietary options is a fantastic way to improve your metabolism, but it can take time to see results. Make a habit of including these foods in your everyday meals! As always, if you have a concern about your metabolic rate, consult with a licensed professional about your options moving forward.
When it comes to hot flashes, there is a ton of information out there, so it can be difficult to parse out what’s most relevant to you and your experience or the experiences of someone you know. To figure out what are the possible causes of a hot flash, let’s break down what a hot flash actually is.
What Is A Hot Flash?
A hot flash usually consists of a wave of heat, discomfort, sweating, and flushing of the face and skin unrelated to the actual temperature around them. What is not typically known is that hot flashes can focus on different parts of the body—hands, chest, legs, face—or they can affect the whole body if they are quite severe. There are also varying degrees of hot flashes.
You may experience something as minor as a vague tingling and warming of your hands, or as intense as feeling like you’re in a pot of boiling water.
When Do They Start?
Though normally thought of as a menopausal issue, these can occur years before and after menopause occurs. The several years before menopause is called perimenopause. It is during this time the body is beginning to deal with various changes in hormone balance and blood flow among other things.
Once these flashes start, they usually continue through menopause and for some time afterwards. Most people who experience these notice a gradual reduction in severity and frequency over time.
What Causes Hot Flashes?
Over the years, research has indicated that decreased estrogen levels or other hormonal imbalances characteristic of menopause are to blame for these unpleasant waves of heat.
There are also other theories that it may also be caused by changes in circulation in the brain. As bodies age, and hormones that regulate heart rate and blood flow change in balance, this can cause bodily reactions, like hot flashes, to happen.
What Are Likely Triggers?
Though it is difficult to completely prevent hot flashes once they begin, identifying what triggers them can be helpful. Here are some of the most common causes:
Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol dilates blood vessels and can already cause a feeling of warmth to spread across the body. It makes sense that this would increase the chances of a hot flash.
Caffeine
Increased heart rate can affect your ability to regulate your body temperature normally, and raising the likelihood of a flash.
Smoking
Smoking lowers estrogen, and so can increase the frequency of hot flashes.
Decreasing Severity and Occurrences
In addition to avoiding these triggers that can cause more frequent and intense hot flashes, there are some steps you can take to improve your body’s ability to handle these experiences:
Hydrate Well
Having more water in your system is always a great idea for overall health, but especially when dealing with hot flashes. Being more hydrated improves blood flow which is important for temperature regulation.
Control stress
Hot flashes can be caused by stress, but they can also cause stress. It’s a vicious cycle! Using calming techniques to slow your breathing and recognizing that the waves of heat will pass can help calm your mind and body and allow your body to return to its natural balance quicker.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
For many people experiencing hot flashes, carefully directed hormone therapy is a fantastic solution. Through the use of similar or biologically identical hormones, the symptoms and severity of hot flashes can be greatly reduced, as well as the other associated effects of perimenopause and menopause.
Though a serious issue that many women face, it is not insurmountable, nor does it need to be a lonely experience. Seek the advice of your doctor or a hormone specialist if you are experiencing hot flashes.
What Do Hormones Do?
Hormones are chemicals naturally produced to send signals throughout the body. When hormones are working in balance, hormones allow our bodies to function effectively and efficiently. Hormones regulate body temperature, muscle growth, and metabolism among other things.
What Happens When They Aren’t Balanced?
A hormonal imbalance happens when these chemicals are not in proper proportion. When you experience a hormonal imbalance, you may have a variety of different bodily reactions depending on which hormones are out of harmony.
These effects are often closely connected and influence each other. This kind of snowball effect can lump many minor signs and symptoms into one big problem. That’s why it’s important to constantly monitor your own personal health.
Who Else Experiences This?
Countless people experience hormone imbalances at different times in their lives for the same number of reasons. While every situation is unique, that does not mean anyone who experiences an imbalance is alone. Many others are having the same or similar problems, so don’t fret!
Here are some signs and symptoms that might indicate a hormone imbalance. This list is not exhaustive, but can go a long way to helping you identify what your particular concerns may be
The Telltale Signs of Hormone Imbalance
Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
This usually occurs with women experiencing menopause, but can affect women of any age. When signals that are supposed to regulate your body get crossed, it can get quite uncomfortable.
Breast Tenderness
Throughout the menstrual cycle, fluctuating hormones can lead to soreness or tenderness of the breasts.
Increased Hair Growth on Face, Neck, Chest, or Back
When some hormones are not being properly distributed, this can lead to hair loss or even hair growth.
Weight Gain
As stated before, hormones help regulate metabolism as well as other bodily functions. When these regulatory hormones are in short supply or at least are being overpowered by other factors, fluctuations in weight can be the result.
Fatigue
When you find yourself more tired than normal, but unable to get restful sleep, you could be experiencing a hormone imbalance.
Mood Swings
Some hormones are regulators of mood. When combined with other issues usually associated with hormone imbalances can lead to anger, irritability, and feeling of hopelessness.
Monitor Yourself!
As every person functions differently, these can vary from body to body in terms of occurrence and severity. If you notice something that feels out of the ordinary, talk with your doctor about your concerns. Never forget, you are not alone in your situation, and there are treatments available to get your hormones back in order!
Do Men Experience Hormone Imbalances?
Men are equally susceptible to hormone imbalances as women. While it’s fairly well understood that women have a monthly hormone cycle, what’s less commonly known is that men also have a hormone cycle. These hormones do quite a bit to regulate much of what makes up everyday life.
What Happens When They’re Wrong?
If a man’s hormones are thrown out of ratio, there can be a chain reaction throughout the body. The compounding effects of a hormone imbalance can easily overwhelm, but there are solutions out there. The key to finding which solutions are best for you is to identify which symptoms you are exhibiting. These will help determine what specific hormone imbalance you could be experiencing.
Do Many Men Experience This?
It’s important to realize that you are not alone in this experience. Most people experience some level of hormone imbalance at some point in their lives, be it growing up, after a significant life change, or as a random occurrence. There are solutions and help out there, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you believe you have a hormone imbalance.
The Telltale Signs of Hormone Imbalance
Reduced or Irregular Sex Drive
When hormones that regulate libido are not in proper balance, a reduced sex drive is usually the result.
Reduced Body Hair Growth
As the growth of body hair varies from person to person, it’s important to understand what is normal for you, isn’t normal for everyone. If you notice a significant change
Osteoporosis
Without the hormones maintaining bone growth, they can become weak and brittle. This often presents itself as severe bone pain or slumped posture.
Reduced Muscle Mass
This can be a tricky thing to identify as not exercising can also result in a loss of muscle tone and definition. However, if this loss occurs rapidly and without noticeable cause, it could likely be caused by a hormone imbalance.
Difficulty Concentrating
Often referred to as “brain fog,” this haze makes it difficult to focus on tasks. With this symptom, it’s common for short term memory to be affected. You may forget what you were doing on your way to do it.
Don’t Forget
These are not the only effects caused by a hormone imbalance, though they are some of the most easily identifiable. You may not be experiencing any of these symptoms, but if something feels off to you, it’s still worth talking with your doctor about why that might be. It’s possible that you are in the midst of an imbalance and don’t even realize it.
