How to protect yourself from having to deal with slow metabolism

 

A slow metabolism makes it almost impossible to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight, so it's important to take the steps necessary in order to protect yourself from having to deal with this problem. In fact, the foods that wreak havoc on your metabolism are so common, you might not even know you're doing harm until your pants won't buckle anymore.

Below, the top 8 foods that slow down calorie burn.  By simply working out on a regular basis and learning to avoid the following foods, you can easily protect yourself from a slow metabolism.

1. Refined Carbohydrates

Refined foods such as white bread, pasta and rice are easily broken down by the body because the complex carbohydrates have been taken out of them. This means that your body doesn't have to work very hard in order to digest the nutrition found in these foods, leaving your metabolism at a crawl. Refined carbs don't offer a lot of nutritional value anyway, so you're better off consuming whole wheat breads, pasta and brown rice. These choices require your metabolism to work in order to digest the nutrients, so it helps to speed it up.

2. Sugars

Sugar creates a spike in blood glucose levels and is very quickly absorbed into your system. Both of these scenarios actually assist in the process to slow your metabolism, whether you realize it or not. Avoiding foods with excess sugar in them is the best idea, but consuming them once in a while won't hamper your weight loss journey in the long run. You might want to consider replacing some of your candy, chocolate and ice cream with fresh fruit, which will help to satisfy your sweet tooth without causing a spike in your glucose levels.

3. Fatty Foods

Foods that contain a lot of fat can easily hamper your metabolism rate. Fat is not as easily digested as some of the other foods that will slow your metabolism. High fat foods create a scenario where your body simply doesn't know what to do with it all. In this instance, your metabolism slows down and takes a break while your body starts saving the fat for future use. This results not only in a slower metabolism, but in an increase in body fat as well. Avoid fried foods and fast foods, and instead indulge in things like baked chips and low fat desserts to help keep your sweet tooth at bay.

4. Foods High in Pesticides

According to Prevention magazine, Canadian researchers have concluded that a slowdown in metabolism could be due to the chemicals found in fruits and vegetables that are believed to slow the fat burning process. In fact, some pesticides might even increase weight gain. In order to avoid this possible problem, purchase organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible, and always wash and peel the ones that aren't organic to help minimize pesticide exposure. Although this process won't eliminate the pollutants altogether, it can go a long way in reducing the chances of slowing down your metabolism.

5. White flour

Toss out that Wonder Bread. "Even though white bread and white pasta may taste better than whole wheat, that's where the pros end for white flour foods," says Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CPT, and CEO of New York Nutrition Group in New York City. "White flour is processed wheat that has all of the wheat grains' best attributes, like fiber and antioxidants, stripped away. As a result, you're left with something that might have a better taste and texture, but is incredibly low in nutrient quality." What's worse, because white flour has little to no fiber, which actually slows down digestion, your body breaks it down more quickly than whole wheat goods. "The body does not have to burn any extra calories to try to break down these easy-to-digest-foods, leaving your metabolism operating at a slower level," explains Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD, CEO of F-Factor in New York City. "Foods that are high in fiber like whole wheat bread ramp up your metabolism due to the extra work required to try and break down the indigestible fiber."

6. Farmed beef (vs. grass-fed)

"Conventionally farmed beef has more antibiotics than grass-fed beef," says Zuckerbrot. "For years, we were unaware what deleterious effects the antibiotics would have on our health." A 2013 study in the journal Frontiers in Public Health found that antibiotics in farm-raised beef can have a harmful effect on good gut bacteria. "This change in bacteria in the gut is correlated with an increase in weight gain, as it changes and negatively affects the way we process food," explains Zuckerbrot. "Simply stated, consuming antibiotics from meat can make us gain weight. Choose grass-fed meat as often as possible.

7. Omega-6 fatty acids

You may have heard of the outstanding benefits of omega-3 fatty acids—you know, the ones you find in chia seeds, walnuts, wild-caught salmon, and egg yolks—but those are not to be confused with omega-6 fatty acids. The latter, found in foods like butter, pork products, chicken thighs, cookies, and more, may be responsible for slowing metabolism. "The American diet used to be balanced in both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids," says Zuckerbrot. "But today, higher processing has left our country filled with vegetable oils and hydrogenated fats, both high sources of omega-6, which are pro-inflammatory, and the consumption of these are correlated with obesity." In fact, a study published in the journal Nutrients found that "A high omega-6 fatty acid intake and a high omega-6/omega-3 ratio are associated with weight gain in both animal and human studies, whereas a high omega-3 fatty acid intake decreases the risk for weight gain." What's more, that same study found that omega-6 fatty acids promote insulin resistance, a process in which our bodies turn too many of our consumed carbs into fat.

8. Soda (high fructose corn syrup)

It's no secret that high fructose corn syrup is an ingredient you should stay away from—consuming it can cause something called "metabolic syndrome," essentially a group of risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. "This sweetener, found in many processed foods and soft drinks, is as damaging as it is cheap," explains Zuckerbrot. "And it has been argued that fructose consumed in the same quantities as other sugar has more damaging effects on the metabolism." A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that high fructose corn syrup may lead to obesity because of its negative effects on the metabolism.

credit:http://www.prevention.com