A Doctor Tells Us How To Boost Your Metabolism Through Your Diet
Losing weight can be a daunting journey–especially as you age. Several factors play into our weight as we get older, from activity levels (check out some metabolism-boosting exercises!) and the foods we eat to hormones and genetics. Luckily, there are a few healthy items you can incorporate into your diet to get a faster metabolism and start losing weight (even over 50!).
We spoke with Dr. Sarah Mathis, a board-certified family medicine physician, about foods, supplements, and drinks that boost your metabolism. She said adding collagen, okra, berries, and green tea to your diet can help you lose weight because they’re all high in protein. Read on to learn more!
Collagen
Collagen supplements are a type of protein supplement that provides your body with the amino acids it needs to produce collagen. This protein is found basically everywhere in your body, including your hair, joints, nails, and skin. Specifically, collagen is helpful for achieving youthful-looking skin. It's what makes young skin bounce back. As you age, you lose a lot of collagen so your skin loses its elasticity and begins to sag.
Mathis says adding collagen supplements to your diet also helps boosts your metabolism, "It is a great and easily digestible protein that is easy to add to smoothies, tea, or soups and boosts your protein." Protein helps build and maintain muscles. Muscle tissues burn more calories than fat tissue, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. And, protein keeps you feeling fuller longer, which can prevent overeating later in the day. Protein is crucial for boosting your metabolism. And, collagen is an excellent source of protein.
"If you are concentrating on making sure you get around 20-30g of protein per meal and 10-20g of protein in your snacks, you will feel fuller. Protein takes longer to digest so it will satiate you for longer," Mathis explains. "Always pair your fats and carbs with protein. And make sure you mix up your proteins too! Don't just eat chicken breast and protein powder. That will get boring really quick. Protein takes longer to digest and it increases your thermal metabolic burn. Also, it will help to improve your muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism." Noted!
Okra
Okra is a vegetable high in fiber and protein, low in calories, and full of vitamins (including vitamin C, which minimizes blemishes like dark spots!). This vegetable is usually served fried and while frying is usually not the healthiest way to prepare vegetables, you can still get all the benefits okra has to offer fried.
Mathis says, "This may sound crazy, but okra can fill you up [because of] the amount of fiber in it. It is a high source of folate, which is great for energy and creating new cells. This helps to improve your metabolism!" If you don't want to eat it, you can blend it into your smoothies for added nutritious benefits!
Berries
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, oh my! Berries are low in calories and high in fiber. Fiber promotes overall weight loss by reducing your appetite. Studies have shown that berries also help your body produce adiponectin, a hormone that's been linked to lower glucose levels and boosted metabolism.
"They are the best fruit for weight loss. They are the lowest in sugar and [prevent] raising blood sugar levels," Mathis says. "They are a high source of vitamin C and antioxidants that help to shed fat. They help your body produce the hormone adiponectin which helps to lower glucose levels and improve metabolism." Yum! And, berries are one of the best fruits to keep your mind sharp.
Green tea
Want to give your body's fat-burning process a boost? Consider drinking green tea. According to Mathis, "It has a mild amount [of] caffeine to help support a metabolic boost. [It] also contains Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a unique plant compound found in green tea that has been shown in studies to improve metabolic effect so you can burn more calories while you sleep." Oolong tea is also known for its metabolism-boosting effects! It's been known to help enhance weight loss by speeding up metabolism and burning fat.
Bottom line
At the end of the day, losing weight and boosting your metabolism is about more than just eating a few good foods, drinks, and supplements. It's always important to make sure you're remaining active and keeping a well-balanced diet. However, if you're looking for some foods and drinks that are as metabolism-boosting as they are delicious, incorporating collagen, okra, berries, and green tea into your everyday diet is never a bad idea!
