Did you know that eating more frequently can help you weight less? Skipping meals may seem like a good way to cut calories or save time. However, there is overwhelming evidence that eating small amounts frequently is the best way to lose pounds or maintain a healthy weight!

Why you might think? When we skip meals, our metabolism slows down to conserve energy. Our bodies need calories to perform even the most mundane tasks (sleeping even burns calories!). When we do not give our bodies enough fuel, they slow down and wait for something to burn off.

To allow your metabolism to work most efficiently, eat small meals five or six times a day. This will keep your blood sugar stable and lessen the chance of eating unhealthy foods or huge portions due to being overly hungry.

Certain foods can also boost your metabolism! Here are some great choices to burn calories more efficiently:

Green Tea: Known for its fat-burning properties, green tea is a great choice to speed metabolism. Swap your coffee for green tea: tea has more health benefits (like lowering cancer risk!) and less chance of a “crash” when the caffeine wears off!

Whey Protein: this complete protein is great for increasing your metabolism. Every time you take in protein your body feels full longer and revs up its metabolic rate.

Natural Yogurt: The pro-biotic cultures in yogurt aid in healthy digestion. Yogurt also has protein to keep you full and energetic…try it with fruit for a great mid morning snack!

Almonds: Almonds contain essential fatty acids that help raise your metabolism. Their healthy fat content keeps you satiated…just remember that even good fats are high in calories so limit your portion to ¼ to ½ cup (about 200 calories).

Rolled Oats: This healthy breakfast choice fuels your body and brain with slowly digested carbohydrates. Try a little sliced banana, flax seeds and agave nectar on top for a delicious breakfast!

Eggs: Eggs are packed with protein. Try them in a vegetable omelet or with whole-grain bread for great morning fuel! Suggestion, try egg whites or if you are an egg lover do ½ egg whites and ½ whole eggs.

Salmon: This healthy protein lowers levels of leptin, a hormone responsible for whether you burn calories or store them as fat. Lower leptin levels are consistently linked to faster metabolisms. A recent Mayo Clinic study of two African tribes (one of which regularly consumed fish, the other of which did not) found that the frequent fish eaters had five times less leptin than those who did not eat fish!
HINT: Try ONI’s Misoyaki Salmon with Vegetable Coconut Rice!

So eat smaller amounts more frequently and add these metabolism boosters to your diet to burn faster, look leaner and feel your best!

To Your Health,
The Optimal Nutrition Team
www.optimalnutritioninc.com

Sources:

“Foods that Speed Metabolism | Speed up your Metabolism.” Exercises, Fitness, Nutrition, Diets, Metabolism Workouts. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. http://www.myfit.ca/foods_that_speed_metabolism.asp.

“Fat Burning Foods |.” Nibbledish. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.