5 Foods That Slow Your Metabolism

Okay so let’s begin with some good news and the good news is that what we eat or drink helps in boosting our metabolism. From drinking green tea to eating spicy food, our body’s metabolism increases naturally when we consume such stuff.

Just like eating or drinking; the right stuff gives a boost to our metabolism, similarly there are foods and drinks which slow down our body’s metabolism and hence fewer calories are burnt. This results in gaining weight and I’m sure majority of the people would not be happy with gaining weight.

Here is a list of 5 foods that slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain.

Image: HealthyVogue

Let’s have a look at 5 foods which slow down our metabolism.

1. WHITE FLOUR

White flour and white pasta are preferred by majority of the people for their good taste. They taste better than whole wheat flour and pasta but have fewer benefits as compared to whole wheat. White flour is basically wheat which has been processed.

Processed wheat loses all of the best qualities of wheat like fibre and antioxidants. When wheat is processed, it is washed of these two attributes. This processed wheat will have fine texture and good taste but will not be very nutritious. Something even worse is that white flour has almost no fibre and this slows down digestion. Due to the absence of fibre in white flour, our body breaks it down very quickly and no extra calories are burnt in the process of digesting it. This will result in slowing down the metabolism.

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On the other hand, foods that are rich in fibre, like whole wheat bread, boost metabolism. They are difficult to digest and our body has to work harder to digest it and as a result more calories are burnt. This boosts the metabolism too.

2. FARMED BEEF

Farmed beef has lots of more antibiotics than grass-fed beef. Cattle that is raised on mixed feed having steroids will thus have beef with a lot of antibiotics, while the cattle that is raised on farms and are fed on grass produce beef that is healthy and free from antibiotics. Initially people were unaware of the harmful effects of beef that had antibiotics in it but now gradually they are getting aware of the health issues related to it. Study conducted in 2013 and published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health found out that antibiotics in the farm-raised beef have harmful effects on the bacteria that is good for our body. The results of this change in good gut bacteria is such that it increases our weight as the antibiotics drastically effects the way our body processes food. Consuming meat that has antibiotics, or in other words having farm-raised beef makes us gain weight. It is always better and healthy to eat grass-fed beef.

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3. CONVENTIONAL APPLES

The famous proverb goes like “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” but it can go wrong if the wrong type of apple is consumed. A study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives and it found out that the fungicide sprayed on fruits and vegetables caused weight gain in mice and it was anticipated that it would do the same to humans too. So just when one would think that they are going all healthy with their diet, it’s actually the other way around and they are eating something that is going to slow down their metabolism and result in weight gain due to the fungicide sprayed on it. One should limit their exposure to pesticides by buying organic fruits, vegetables and even chicken and meat too. Everyone should make it a habit to wash fruits and vegetables before eating to make them clean from any bacteria and dirt.

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4. OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS

Many of you would have heard of the magical benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids that are present in walnuts, salmons and chia seeds. But one should be careful not to confuse it with Omega-6 fatty acids. This is found in butter, pork, chicken thighs, cookies and many other foods. Omega-6 basically slows down the metabolism. In the past, our diet used to have a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 but now the markets everywhere are flooded with vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils. Both these oils cause inflammation and are correlated with obesity. A study published in the journal Nutrients stated that high consumption of Omega-6 or high consumption of the ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 result in an increase of the weight while high intake of Omega-3 decreases the chances of gaining weight. The results of this study are said to be true for both humans and animals. The same study has shown that a resistance against insulin is developed by Omega-6 fatty acids. This creates a resistance for our body to store sugar from the carbohydrates that we consume for our future use. This turns the consumed carbohydrates into fats and results in weight gain.

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5. SODA (High Fructose Corn Syrup)

This is nothing new to know that one should stay at an arm’s distance from high fructose corn syrup. If it is consumed, it causes metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of conditions which include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, stroke and a few more. Fructose is very commonly present in many foods and drinks. It is cheap and very damaging for the body. Fructose consumed in the same amount as other sugar is more damaging for us. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has stated that consuming high fructose corn syrup makes one obese due to the adverse effects it has on one’s metabolism.

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From all this discussion, it has now become very clear which foods and drinks should be avoided to keep our metabolism good. All processed foods effect our metabolism and slow it down. These foods are unhealthy and cause many other health issues too.

One should try their best to avoid processed stuff and should eat organic food. Preference to organic poultry, drinks, fruits and vegetables should be given to keep the weight in the right place.

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