You’ve tried everything to lose weight, yet you can’t seem to figure it out.
It’s time to stop counting calories, slaving away on the treadmill, and looking for the next miracle diet. Your metabolism holds the key to your weight loss struggles.
Metabolism experts might not agree on everything, but one fact holds true: The slower your metabolism is, the harder it will be for you to lose weight.
The good news is there are hundreds of ways to speed up your metabolism.
Boosting your metabolism begins with getting rid of the foods that are responsible for slowing it down.
Avoid these 6 foods or risk having a sluggish metabolism for the rest of your life:
1.) Edamame
Over 90 percent of the soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically modified, so most soy protein comes from altered beans. This means most soy is chemically modified, processed, and filled with pesticide.
Aside from the majority being genetically modified, here are 3 reasons to re-consider your soy consumption:
1.) Soy contains goitrogens, which are substances that block the synthesis of thyroid hormones and interfere with iodine metabolism, thereby interfering with your thyroid function.
2.) Soy contains phytates (phytic acid), which bind to metal ions, preventing the absorption of certain minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc — all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in your body. This is particularly problematic for vegetarians, because eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates (so it is helpful—if you do eat soy—to also eat meat).
3.) Soy contains isoflavones genistein and dadzein which can affect and inhibit thyroid peroxidase which is necessary for the production of T3 and T4.
2.) Canola Oil
Canola oil AKA rapeseed oil is another heavily genetically-modified “food.”
Developed through the hybridization of rape seed, canola oil is actually a delicate oil that turns rancid very quickly. That’s why the vegetable oil industry has a little-known trick that they don’t make public. Deodorizers are typically used in the making of canola oil.
In your body oxidized means damage to your cells and tissues, especially to the areas rich in fat like your brain. You know what happens when an apple is exposed to air? Oxidation is the process that turns it brown and makes it go bad. If you eat vegetable oils that are already oxidized from heat and light in processing, you are exposing your own healthy tissues to a volatile substance which will damage them….
Canola oil is 25% Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, the most dangerous fatty acid for the health of your metabolism. Here’s why…
1.) PUFA block glucose (our primary fuel source) from entering the cell, causing cell damage= accelerated cell aging
2.) PUFA slow down your metabolic rate = hypothyroid and lowered metabolism
3.) PUFA cause insulin resistance = diabetes
If you’ve been eating canola or similar oils for a significant portion of your life, you shouldn’t wait a second longer switching over to a more stable/no-oxidation oil.
It will take some time and effort but you can eliminate the toxic oils from your body.
3.) Cereal
The only thing healthy about cereal these days is the toy inside, but I would suggest buying a toy without the cereal! If you care about the health of your metabolism, you’ll want to find a cereal that contains the opposite of what I’m about to reveal.
Generic cereals are usually made from the genetically modified grains, wheat or corn.
Since the processing of cereal destroys any naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, most cereals are enriched and fortified with synthetic nutrients, that our bodies don’t recognize.
Next time you’re at the grocery store, turn around a few random cereal boxes and you’re guaranteed to find most of them loaded with either high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and/or artificial sweeteners, genetically altered vegetable oils like canola, soybean, and/or corn, and preservatives, additives, colorings, thickeners, binders, and dyes.
Not ingredients you’d want to put in your or your children’s delicate bodies.
The other problem with cereal is the very poor quality or complete lack of protein. Spiking your blood sugar first thing in the morning without adequate protein and fat is a recipe for insulin resistance and developing a fat-storing body.
To top it off, people use conventionally fed milk to eat cereal, which multiplies the potential negative consequences and inflammation caused by cereal. Let’s explore why pasteurized dairy makes this list of foods that are slowing down your metabolism.
4.) Pasteurized Dairy
Pasteurization is a process that heats liquids and foods to kill viruses and harmful organisms. In theory, this sounds like a great invention since it kills “harmful” bacteria that can make you very sick.
Unfortunately, pasteurized dairy is still making you sick.
What you haven’t been told is raw milk (the milk before pasteurization) is completely harmless to the majority of the population.
In other words, milk ONLY does a body good if its RAW, un-pasteurized from organic, grass-fed cows.
Pasteurization destroys active enzymes in milk, diminishes the vitamin content, denatures (kills) fragile milk proteins, and kills beneficial bacteria.
Everything “healthy” about milk is destroyed through the process of pasteurization leaving you with a “dead” food that can cause inflammation.
An inflamed body leads to a sluggish metabolism, which leads to a host of problem including weight gain, fatigue, and bad skin.
Combine this “sugar milk” with cereal and you essentially eating a bowl of sugar/HFCS with very little nutrition.
The Weston A. Price Foundation has even linked pasteurized milk to health problems including allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer!
Raw dairy products (from cows eating fresh grass, NOT silage) contain plenty of essential fatty acids, substances that can help you build muscle mass and lose body fat, provide probiotics to your microflora keeping your immune system strong, and provides vital proteins, nutrients, and minerals that keep your metabolism fast throughout the day.
5.) Whole Wheat Bread
I bet you didn’t know whole wheat bread can spike your blood sugar levels more than a Kit-Kat Bar?
Before you say “Gimme a Break.” Let me explain…
Whole grain bread does not actually have whole grains in it. Flour is formed in a process where grains are broken down into a powder form like flour.
Since it is in a powder form, the body can rapidly digest the bread and let it enter the bloodstream as glucose. This raises the fat-producing hormone known as insulin. Whole grain bread even has a higher G.I (Glycemic Index) score than most candy bars such as snickers.
The starches in bread get broken down quickly in the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream as glucose. This causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin levels eventually increasing appetite. This causes a perpetual cycle of eating, getting hungry then eating again.
If this insulin resistance creating effect wasn’t bad enough, bread contains a lot of gluten. This protein has glue-like properties (hence the name gluten) responsible for dough’s “sticky” properties.
Evidence is mounting that a significant percentage of the population is sensitive to gluten, which causes inflammation throughout the body. The perfect cocktail for a slow metabolism.
I’m not done…
Processed breads (all bread) contains chemicals, preservatives, sugar, and/or high-fructose corn syrup that can overload your liver.
Most grains also include the “anti nutrient” phytic acid. Phytic acid is a molecule that strongly binds essential minerals like calcium, iron and zinc, preventing them from being absorbed. Most people stuck on the soy bandwagon are consuming far more phytate by the sheer volume through mass consumption of things like soy milk, tofu, cereals, and processed foods. Soy oil and soy lecithin are both common ingredients in many breads.
To top it ALL off, bread isn’t a very nutrient dense food.
Processed breads (all bread) contains chemicals, preservatives, sugar, and/or high-fructose corn syrup that can overload your liver.
Most grains also include the “anti nutrient” phytic acid. Phytic acid is a molecule that strongly binds essential minerals like calcium, iron and zinc, preventing them from being absorbed. Most people stuck on the soy bandwagon are consuming far more phytate by the sheer volume through mass consumption of things like soy milk, tofu, cereals, and processed foods. Soy oil and soy lecithin are both common ingredients in many breads.
To top it ALL off, bread isn’t a very nutrient dense food.
There is NO nutrient in bread that you can’t get from other foods in even greater amounts. Whole wheat bread will literally reduce the absorption of nutrients from other foods. By damaging the intestinal lining, gluten decreases the absorption of all nutrients.
Calorie for calorie, whole grain breads contain a low amount of nutrients compared to real foods like vegetables.
6.) Whey Protein Powders
I used to be one of those nutritionists that thought protein shakes were the ultimate MUST have for fitness success, until I actually researched what was in them. Don’t you ever think, seriously HOW did my chicken breast get into powder form?
Well, processing and refinement, that’s the answer. And at what cost?
The cost of your health. Most protein powders and shakes are derived from conventionally fed animals, meaning these animals are mistreated, stressed out, fed genetically altered grains (corn, soy, grain) and the protein quality is much lower than that of a organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised animal.
If the powder protein source isn’t coming from a conventionally fed animal it is coming from GMO soy, which is an even worse option.
Just like all of the other processed foods, products like these contain added preservatives, synthetic vitamins, flavor enhancers, and unnatural ingredients that generally do NOT promote health.
To avoid the inflammatory, metabolism-lowering result of eating poor quality whey protein powders, opt for a grass-fed whey, gelatin, egg white protein, or rice/hemp based vegan protein powder.
The first step I take my clients through when helping them to lose weight and boost their metabolism is remove these 6 foods (and others).
For more metabolism-focused healthy fat loss tips and to learn how you can access how your metabolism is holding up, take my 10-Minute Metabolism Audit
This post was written by Nick Garcia. He believes that everyone can achieve a healthy lifestyle and the body of their dreams. That’s why he is dedicated to helping people eat real food, exercise smart, and transform their habits using simple strategies anyone can do. Follow him on Facebook or subscribe to his Youtube channel.