When it comes to trying to lose weight people are willing to try all crazy things, including everything from crash dieting to not eating at all. But the reality is that the formula for achieving health and maintaining an ideal weight is actually incredibly easy, and comprised of only two things: diet and exercise. Good nutrition and an active lifestyle are the basic building blocks of health, and when approached properly, are a fail-proof method.
When it comes to exercise, the formula is quite simple: a consistent regimen including regular cardio and strength training will do the trick. As for the diet, things seem to get a little more tricky. Considering all the long, exhausting workdays and overly-busy schedules, it oftentimes seems hard to eat healthy consistently. However, it doesn’t have to be, and the truth is that it can actually be quite easy, as well as delicious!
Foods that speed up metabolism
One method to try for starters is to increase your consumption of foods that will work to boost your metabolism. Metabolism is basically the amount of energy (or calories) that your body burns to maintain itself, so ingesting a higher percentage of foods that increase metabolism is a great way to start creating and maintaining an ideal baseline weight.
Some great dietary options that may surprise you
Almonds full of vitamin E, protein, fiber, and a good kind of calories, almonds are a healthy choice for snacking in-between meals to sustain you.
Whey protein & wheatgrass – full of the best kinds of amino acids, whey protein, and wheatgrass are also great antioxidants and will help enhance your health and achieve optimal overall performance in your body.
Salmon & turkey – both naturally low in fat and high in protein, turkey contains high quantities of vitamins B1 and B6, zinc, and potassium, while salmon has large amounts of omega-3s, selenium, niacin, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and B12.
Spinach – one of the best foods you could ever feed yourself, period.
Water – almost two-thirds of our body weight comprises water, so it stands to reason that staying hydrated and consuming an ideal amount of water (eight 8-oz glasses a day) will help keep all of our internal systems running as smoothly as possible.
A few other great choices include blueberries, oats, spicy foods, broccoli, grapefruit, beans, legumes, and green tea.
