A List of Top Metabolic Burning Foods

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.” (Ecclesiastes 8:15)

 

If you are like me your eye is captured by “lists.”  You know, “the 100 best movies of all time,” “25 favorite vacation destinations,”  “50 most affordable places to live” . . .  So in that spirit, here is a list of my favorite spicy, fat-burning foods.

I want to emphasize that spicy foods increase metabolism only in a small way.  They are not miracle cures. Statistics from studies have shown however, an increase of 45 – 76 calories burned over three hours. Therefore it’s still valuable. More importantly, the nutrients found in all these foods improve health which is the significant reason for consuming beneficial nutrients in the first place.

But what does metabolism mean in dog years? Well, your body is a bunch of chemicals, food’s a bunch of chemicals. Metabolism is how your body biochemically reacts to what you place in your mouth. Garbage in – garbage out. Want to run like a well-managed machine? Then treat yourself like a Ferrari, not a Pinto.

My Favorite Hot, Spicy, Therapeutic Foods:

Hot spicy foods do jumpstart one’s metabolism. Now I’m not giving you license to go out and eat a bucketful of Buffalo wings. But do try hot chili spices, cayenne peppers, red pepper (capsaicin), paprika, curry, horseradish, wasabi, banana and jalapeno peppers on your cuisine.

Ginger is another wonderful spice that assists with the burning of calories. Biochemists discovered through an 1980s study that fresh and dry ginger burned up 20% more energy in animal tissue. Further studies demonstrated it has also worked effectively in humans due to its thermogenic ability to raise metabolism one degree.

Hot spicy mustards not only are a metabolism booster but mustard also contains turmeric which is one of the most therapeutic nutrients for healthy living!  I even add a small (pinch) amount of turmeric to my coffee for a very smooth tasting beverage.  Strange but true. You might think that it would taste “mustardy” but I can assure you it does not.

Hot spicy foods provide many benefits:

1. Anything that will make your eyes and nose water will open up your lungs, allowing you to breathe easier.
2. Spicy foods reduce inflammation, reducing pain in one’s joints.
3. Hot spices will thin the blood.
4. They can even increase resistance to cancers.
5. They work well for headaches and pain relief. The brain releases serotonin (a feel-good neurotransmitter) into the brain’s pain receptors.  This is a natural way to reduce pain without the side effects of ibuprofen. (All medications have side effects.)
6. They also kill bacteria so are beneficial in fighting off ulcers.
7. They improve moods. Hot spicy foods act as little firemen who run to dispense the neurotransmitter serotonin into your brain’s pain receptors and make you feel better.
8. When you are not feeling pain, you have less stress on your system. Less stress means steadier insulin production and thus makes you less hungry.

But if you protest, “But then I’ll get hungrier,”  please understand the First Law of Thermodynamics: It takes energy to make energy! God’s balance again. By spicing up your high fiber foods, (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and herbs) insulin will be released more slowly into your system and thus balances out the uncontrolled eating frenzy.   Experiment with spices and enjoy God’s Bounty of Flavors!