4 Foods that Slow Your Metabolism Down

You don't want to slow your metabolism, but instead you want it racing. 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. 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 awhile 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 slow down 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.

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