Since writing this article I have revisited the topic of eating and metabolism. At the time of writing I thought that eating more frequently could boost your metabolism. However, after further reading I have realised that my initial assumption was wrong. For the full details you can read my up to date article on how eating affects your metabolism.
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As I have discussed in previous articles you can boost your metabolism by making simple changes to your diet. Increasing your consumption of lean proteins is one of the ways you can fire up that metabolism.
Lean proteins can be found in poultry, fish and white pork and most importantly they can help the body burn through energy faster. Studies have shown that diets which are high in protein burn an increased number of calories after eating, compared with diets high in carbohydrates and sugars. According to a study by McArdle et. al (1986) [1] up to 25% of the calories consumed when eating a meal consisting of pure protein can be burned during the digestion and absorption process.
The reason that lean protein helps increase your metabolism is that your body requires more energy to process high quality proteins. Therefore, more calories are burned during the digestion process if your diet is high in protein. There is also less chance that proteins will be stored in the body as fat and extra calories.
Increasing your intake of protein can be beneficial but there are certain things you need to be aware of when consuming a high protein diet. Firstly, you do need to consume carbohydrates. You can reduce your intake but do not completely cut them out of your diet. Instead, lower your intake of carbohydrates to a minimum (it is advisable to consult a dietitian regarding this) and then replace fattier proteins with leaner options. The list below provides some advice on increasing your protein intake effectively:
1) KEEP LEAN MEATS LEAN:- Lean meat is a great source of lean protein. However, if you fry it in large amounts of oil this can add a lot of additional fat and calories. Instead, bake or grill your lean meats to ensure you are maximising their metabolic benefit.
2) SELECT DISHES CAREFULLY:- When selecting your side dishes you need to be careful that you are not overloading on carbohydrates. Fruits or vegetables are usually a suitable side dish which contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates. With breads try and get the whole grain fiber option instead of white bread. Breads that are whole grain and high in fiber require more calories to digest than white bread and therefore help increase your metabolism.
3) EAT SMALLER, MORE FREQUENT MEALS:- You are probably sick of hearing this now but smaller, more frequent meals really are the key to boosting your metabolism. If you cook a large chicken breast do not eat it all at once. Instead split it up and eat half right after cooking and half a few hours later. If you add some vegetables, you have now created two mini-meals from one main meal.
Increasing your metabolic rate is not easy. However, by making the correct changes to your diet it is possible. Increasing your intake of lean proteins is one change that can help boost your metabolic rate.
Losing weight and increasing metabolic rate is more than possible when the right foods and actions are taken. Lean meats can help a great deal along the way.
References:
[1] McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., Katch, V.L., (1986) Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance Lea and Febiger Philadelphia p. 134, 135