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I know you've heard it all before. This is the real deal though. There are foods (or groups of foods) that actually will keep your metabolism high and help you lose weight. They actually used to be a natural part of our diets, before we became the industrial sludge suckers that we are today. How? How can they keep our metabolisms high enough to do any real good? By revving up your engine and keeping it higher, in a nut shell anyway. All the groups work differently, so read on.
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1. Spices. Spices have all kinds of healing powers. Is it really that far fetched that they can help us lose weight as well? Hot, spicy peppers are at the top of the spice list, but even cinnamon, black pepper (along with its white, green, and pink, cousins), capers, and nasturtium, fall into play here. If it has made you sweat, they you know it's working.
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2. Whole grains. For those who aren't diabetic, whole grains will help. They are very dense and hard and require a lot of fuel to break down. This forces your metabolism to go higher. That's bad for diabetics, because of the extra insulin needed for the breakdown, but good for everyone else.
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3. Apples, pears, and other "pom" fruits. I know there are a lot of foods that get it in the throat every year and the humble apple has not been overlooked. When it became fashionable to be diabetic, apples were out. Apples will help your metabolism helping you slim your waste. They will also make you feel fuller. Not only that, diabetics pay attention here, they will also help lower your blood sugars when you eat them consistently, over time. Besides they are high in fiber and who doesn't need more of that.
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4. Broccoli and Cauliflower, are actually related despite their appearance. They are also flower buds, not veggies. Although the stocks are actually a veggie. You can eat the entire plant and some people find the stocks to be quite pleasant. It's often the curds and buds that they object to because of the texture. Both are loaded with vitamens and minerals that you need to stay healthy, but they also have the extra fiber you need to keep your metabolism going full bore.
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5. Dairy. All real dairy, not the fake imitation stuff will help give your body a boost. When your body is using the readily available fats in dairy as fuel, it doesn't feel so starved and so it doesn't try to store fat for fuel to use later. Scientists think there may be a connection between calcium and calorie burning too.
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6. Omega-3. That's right those fatty blobs that you find in nuts and fish. Apparently they aren't just good for your brain. Scientists have found a correlation between consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids and weight loss. What are you waiting on, those guppies and anchovies won't eat themselves!
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7. Citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. Those are the common "citrus" fruits, but I think that tomatoes and bell peppers need to be mentioned here as well, because they contain many of the same beneficial compounds and then some. They are all especially necessary for men's health, and they are all low in calories themselves. In fact most of these fruits have a negative calorie count by the time you are done eating them, or at least very low calorie counts. So what are you waiting for? Don't just stop with one!
There you have it 7 food groups that you should definitely not go a day without. They are good for the heart, head, and soul, so go on, eat your fill.