Changing the Foods You Eat Can Speed Up Your Metabolism
Negative Calorie Foods: Can You Really Increase Your Metabolism By Eating More?
The “thermal” effects of food, i.e. that eating foods can increase calories burned, has been a popular Internet subject. Consequently there is a lot of misinformation. The theory is that you can lose weight by eating lots of these negative calorie foods and thus speed up your metabolism. Proponents claim, for example, you will burn 80 calories digesting a 25-calorie piece of broccoli, for a net loss of 55 calories. Celery is another commonly cited example of a negative calorie food because it's made mainly of water and cellulose, an indigestible vegetable fiber. Other foods sometimes labeled as negative calorie include asparagus, berries, cauliflower, grapefruit and cabbage. These very low calorie foods do require a large amount of energy to digest compared with the amount of calories they provide, however, this does not mean that it is significant enough to result in weight loss.
Here is a List of Foods, Where the Energy to Digest Them, Might Exceed the Total Calories:
•Salsa
•Hot Peppers-Cayenne peppers
•Ice Water, green tea, apple cider vinegar drinks
•Cabbage, Celery
•Brussel Sprouts
•Broccoli and Cauliflower
•Lemon or Vinegar
•Vinaigrette Dressing
•Grapefruit, Berries
•Fish
All of these can help in any weight loss plan because of the bulk they provide. But they are not a magic bullet for weight loss. Some of the speed up of metabolism seen in the HCG diet may be due to the fact that all of these foods are used in large amounts in this diet.
Increasing Your Metabolism by Adjusting The Protein, Fat and Carbs:
The concept of thermal effects of food and thermogenesis can play a large role in increasing metabolism when the emphasis is placed on making better food selections. Our chief nutrients are found in three groups: fats, proteins or carbohydrates. They are called macronutrients because they are our source of calories and energy.
Protein Three Times A Day Helps HCG to Increases Metabolism
What Are Proteins?
Protein is the principal element of our organs, muscular tissue, all our living cells, and is present in all body liquids. Proteins are amino acids stitched together in chains. Twenty amino acids are needed and must be present in sufficient quantities in order for body processes to function. Eating proteins protects people from hunger as it speeds up their metabolism.
Increasing Metabolism Means Eating More Protein.
“Nearly every recent study reveals that eating plenty of protein can increase your metabolism, causing you to burn an extra 150 to 200 calories a day”, says Jeff Hampl, Ph.D. "Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to break down [than fat and carbs], so you burn more calories getting rid of them," he explains. When you eat a 300 calorie chicken breast, it may take up to 90 calories to break it down, digest and absorb it. In reality, the 300-calorie chicken breast can end up being only 210 calories. Not bad, “you get your chicken and eat it too.” Trying to achieve at least 0.8 grams of protein per lb. body weight provides a lot of support for your metabolism On the “new” HCG diet, you need to have protein for breakfast and for snacks Aim to have a serving of protein, a hard boiled egg, a stick of low fat string cheese, a small can of tuna, a turkey or ham roll, or even a small protein bar as a snack. More about the need for protein, at breakfast is found in Chapter 7. Most research studies indicate that metabolism begins to return to normal about 3 hours after the ingestion of the food.
Fat: The Good, Bad and the Ugly- Most Are Eliminated from the HCG Diet
Fat, like protein, is necessary part of building body organs and cells, and it a helps in the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. And just as there are essential amino acids, there are essential fatty acids which must come from food sources. The secret is to consume as much of the unsaturated “good” fats and avoid as much as possible the highly saturated “bad fats:” the fat needs to be trimmed off the beef, the chicken breast is eaten without the skin (the dark meat of chicken contains much more fat), and salmon with its high fat is avoided. All other fishes are good...
HCG Diet Is Based On Eliminating Most of the Carbohydrates Because They Slow Down Your Metabolism
Carbohydrates are chains of small, simple sugars that are a major source of energy. When consumed in the body, they are broken down in the stomach by various enzymes and absorbed as sugar or glucose into the blood circulation. When carbs are eaten in excess, some of them are stored for future use in the liver as glycogen, the rest are turned into fat. This process explains why everyone wakes up in the morning, often after 15 hours of no eating and the blood sugar is not zero. It’s also the difficulty you might have if you attempt to exercise vigorously on the HCG diet—you simply have little sugar stored in the liver which is needed immediately for exercise. Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple sugars like glucose, fructose, lactose and sucrose which are small molecules and are quickly absorbed by the stomach and raise blood sugar. Other carbs are larger molecules and take longer to process. The latter group includes starch, and cellulose. They are found in vegetables and unrefined whole grains. Carbohydrates are rapidly absorbed from the stomach, and elevate the blood sugar. If not used for fuel by immediate exercise, insulin pours out of the pancreas to lower the blood sugar by turning it into fat. In the HCG diet, eliminating almost all carbohydrates is the key to increasing metabolism and preventing hunger.
How Many Times a Day Should I Eat on the HCG Diet?
The traditional answer is to eat every 3 or 4 hours, or six times a day, since this will increase your metabolism. The problem is that people struggling to lose weight need to eat less and become less fixated on food. What happens to most people when they eat 6 times a day, is the calories and snacks get out of control and they gain weight. Is metabolism really increased by frequent meals? The answer is YES, but not very significantly. Any small benefit can be easily be cancelled out by the increase in food. The answer in the HCG diet is to have a high protein breakfast, lunch and dinner. Avoid the carbs. Have a high protein snack late in the afternoon and one in the evening if you chose. That’s 3 meals and 2 snacks a day—a perfect combination.
Caffeine and the HCG Diet
Caffeine is America’s Drug: Almost 90% of Americans Ingest Caffeine
Caffeine increases energy and mental alertness. Does it have long term negative consequences? Does drinking caffeine loaded beverages have heart or blood pressure problems? Does caffeine help or hinder weight loss? Does caffeine increase metabolism? Can you have caffeine on the HCG diet? More than half of all American adults consume more than 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine every day. Caffeine is naturally found in chocolate, coffee and tea, and is added to most colas and “energy” drinks. It’s also found in diet pills and some over-the-counter pain relievers and medicines. Fifty six percent of Americans drink coffee everyday. The U.S. Food and drug Administration list caffeine as a "multiple purpose generally recognized as safe food substance." Adrenaline, the first hormone identified is produced in the adrenal gland. It acts as a chemical messenger between cells and is released by the ingestion of caffeine. It also is released by intense fear, anger or stress and provides us with energy, increases our