Boost your Metabolism with Supercharged Snacks and Drinks
Whole-Grain Cereal and Oats
Complex carbohydrates and fibre. High insulin levels signal the body to store fat, so fibre and complex carbs help the metabolism in a roundabout way by keeping insulin levels low.
Chillies and Cayenne Pepper
The chemical capsaicin, which gives chilli peppers their sting. The capsaicin in spicy foods (such as jalapeno chillies and cayenne pepper) stimulates the production of adrenaline, which speeds up the metabolism.
Green Tea
A chemical called EGCG. Drinking green tea on a daily basis boosts the metabolism, as the brew promotes the oxidation process of breaking down fats into energy. EGCG also triggers the brain and nervous system to work faster, helping the body burn more kilojoules.
Lean Beef, Pork, Chicken and Turkey
Protein. Proteins take longer to digest than fat and carbohydrates, so the body uses more energy to process them. People who ate a high-protein diet burnt more than twice as many kilojoules in the hours following their meal as those eating more carbs.
Salmon, Tuna and Sardines
Omega-3 fatty acids adjust the levels of the hormone leptin, and recent studies suggest that leptin directly influences whether the body burns kilojoules or stores them as fat.
Mushrooms
Eating white button mushrooms could boost the immune system and protect the body against infections, according to a study by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in the US. The study found that white button mushrooms may promote innate immunity (the immunity we're born with, and the body's first line of defense) as well as acquired immune-system health against tumors and viruses. This is because these mushrooms have antitumor, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Innate immunity is increased by heightening the activity of natural killer cells, which form a vital part of the body's immune system.
Booby Traps
What – and how – you eat and drink can affect your breasts in alarming ways.
Yo-Yo Dieting makes Breasts Sag
Falling into a cycle of losing and regaining weight stretches the connective tissue in your breasts, making them looser. (As little as 5kg can be enough for sag to set in.)
Caffeine makes them Ache
Experts aren't sure why, but caffeine-rich foods and beverages contribute to PMS-induced breast tenderness. Cutting back on chocolate, coffee, tea and cool drinks containing caffeine in the week before your period will help ease discomfort.
Breast Cancer
Drinking two beers, two glasses of wine or two shots every day makes you one-and-a-half times more likely to develop the disease.
Fat
Premenopausal women who consume animal fat, mainly from red meat and dairy products, are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.
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