How to speed up metabolism and 55 food items to boost our metabolism

The only reason not losing weight !

Don't you feel envy (at least little) of those people who can eat like a horse or a pig or any wild animal and still,I repeat "STILL", don't gain an ounce of weight and you or let's say ME,gain weight just at the mere sight of any food item . Hai re kismat (Meena Kumari ishtyle)/Oh my !! ...And it may not only give you a small dose of anxiety/panic attack/depression but also may ironically inspire you to just eat whatsoever,after all,you are gonna gain weight anyways...Deep sighhh !! (My story !...but I wanna change!)

And I need only a fast metabolism !

Do you know what makes those people with wild-eating-yet-no-weight-gain habits ,go lucky and people like the latter,unlucky - "Apt METABOLISM!!!"....Those lucky ones are blessed with fast metabolism and (bad news) the unlucky ones like me are cursed with slow metabolism.

So,if you are a weight watcher (not the popular weight losing program) or health conscious,you know how important it is to have the apt metabolism-VERY IMPORTANT !!

If you are not or are curious to know,you will be scratching your head - Now,what is this metabolism ?

My dear friend,simply put,metabolism is a complex biochemical process in our body that converts the food we consume, into energy, that is then used to carry out the over all functions in side the body to keep it active and alive . However, some people inherit faster metabolism than others because an optimum level of metabolism also depends upon some factors that are beyond our control for example - Genetic ,gender,age ,health issues ,physical activity,hormones etc .

For example,men have more metabolism than women .Similarly as we age ,mostly after 40,it is not that easy to lose weight as it was, when we were 20.The more active a person is,better his/her metabolism will be .Hormonal imbalance or any health issues can have a bad impact on our metabolism if we don't seek the right medical care at the right time.

Better the metabolism,better the body has the capacity or energy to burn calories faster ,lose weight ,help us to stay in shape ,be healthy and happy .

So,in short metabolism is an inbuilt personal trainer that is continuously, utilizing all the energy in side our body to keep on burning calories and shedding fat .

Even though not all are blessed with good metabolism in their DNA, good news is that,there are ways to improve and increase the metabolism so that our body works harder,24 hrs a day aptly ,providing us the energy,stamina and strength to drop weight and lead a healthy life forever.

So,now you will be wondering,how to boost or speed up our metabolism ? Here is the list that will guide you to have a fast metabolism :

How to boost metabolism
1. Never skip a breakfast – Eat a high fiber,nutrient filled breakfast on time.
2. Drink coffee or tea -A cup of brewed tea can rev up the metabolism by 12% ~ Japanese Study.
3.Increase your fiber intake ,at least 25 gm ,which can help to get rid of fat from the body.
4.Include protein in your diet- Research shows that protein can rev up post meal calorie burn by almost 35%.
5. Take foods rich in Vitamin D and Omega .
6.Eat iron-rich foods especially women,who lose iron through menstruation or are anemic .
7.Consume dairy product like milk,yogurt (low fat and organic )to overcome any calcium deficiency especially in elderly or people suffering from bone problems
8.Green Tea or Oolong tea has metabolism friendly caffeine and catechins ;Drinking 2-4 cups can slash 17% calories
9.Eat spicy foods often (in moderation).
10.Don't try to reduce the calorie intake drastically to reduce weight ,instead eat small, in intervals ,like 6-7 meals a day.
11.Drink water,colder the better,like 8 or more glasses of water and stay hydrated always; German researchers found out that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day can raise metabolism as body works more to warm the water to the body temperature.
12.Eat organic foods;Research shows that pesticides in non-organic foods can lead to weight gain and can even slow down the metabolism even if one loses weight.
13.Do high intensity aerobic exercise ;it revs up metabolism post workout.
14.Do strength training and build muscles, as calories burn constantly even after workout.
15.Laugh when you can,stay stress free and sleep well .
16.Keep your home/office in cool temperature (when possible);A research showed that people who slept in climate-controlled-cold rooms had increase in brown fat ,
which works like muscle,burns calorie constantly.
17.Use coconut oil for cooking as they contain medium chain fats that can increase metabolism.
18.Eat nutritious diets ,have physical check ups done annually ,do meditation/yoga,stay happy whatsoever.

Not to mention,nutrition is the key to a good metabolism and that is something we must never under estimate .Even if you are blessed with an amazing gene of speedy metabolism and you think it is fine to eat whatever you want ,eventually your calorie intake will cause uncontrollable weight gain and your body will not be healthy inside out.So,it is very important to make sure that you eat right .

So,here is the list of foods that boost metabolism .We don't have to just restrict our diet to this list but if we mix and match these food items and make it a part of our daily menu and create new dishes or give a new twist to any old dishes ,we will enjoy the food as well speed up the metabolism in our body .

Vegetables	Fruits	Others
Artichoke	Apples	Almond
Asparagus	Berries	Cocoa
Avocado	Grapefruit	Coconut Oil
Broccoli	Oranges	Coffee
Beans	Pears	Cottage cheese
Brussel Sprout	Pineapples	Cinnamon
Carrot	Water Melon	Curry
Cabbage		Egg
Cayenne Peppers		Flax seeds
Chilli peppers		Fish – Salmons/Sardines etc
Cucumber		Herbs – Oregano,Parsley,dill,mint etc
Lime/Lemon		Lean proteins – Lean beef/chicken/any meat
Mushrooms		Low fat Yogurt
Ginger		Oatmeal
Garlic		Peanut Butter
Jalapenos		Spices – Mustard ,Turmeric,Pepper etc
Spinach		Soy Milk
Sweet Potato		Tea/Green Tea
Seaweed		Vinegar
Soy Bean		Water/Iced water
Tamarind		Walnut
Tomatoes		Whole grains

So,if we keep all the above mentioned points in mind,make some smart lifestyle changes and incorporate them into our day to day life , we will kinda infuse the right metabolism in our DNA (not literally,but you know what I mean right)...Let's try I say ! ..Let's kick start our metabolism,drop pounds - keep it off,look better and most importantly,stay healthy always  .

"The secret of change is to focus all your energy,not on fighting the old ,but on building the new ." ~ Socrates

Hail metabolism !

P.S. I am collecting all these vital health related info (from reliable sources all over internet) ,for my personal use and storing it at one place as guidelines for good health .So that I don't have to google it always .So,these are otherwise strictly for informational purpose only and not to be substituted for any professional medical advice. .

REFERENCE - Health.com,Mayoclinic.com,Webmd.com,prevention.com

List of negative calorie foods - Lose weight fast and healthy !

Mr.hunky chocolatey Calorie-"Will U marry me ?"....Lady replies -"No way "!!

 Medicalnewstoday.com defines "Calories as a unit of energy. In nutritional language,calories refer to energy consumption through eating and drinking and energy usage through physical activity ."

Our body requires the right amount of calories to survive .Without energy , our metabolism will lag, our immune system would suffer,our cells would perish,our hearts,lungs,brain would stop functioning and we will be dead.

If we consume right amount of calories ,our body will be healthy and flourishing .If it is less or more than required, then it will create complicated health conditions one by one and the billion dollar pharmaceutical industry will be the only one who will be quite thankful to us but "we",we will be totally screwed in and out .

So,the question arises,what is the apt amount of calories one is supposed to consume ?

The apt amount of calorie consumption will depend on several factors like individual's general health,sex,height,weight,shape,physical activity etc.

According to US health standards,an average man requires 2700 calories per day and an average woman would require 2,200 cals.

However, NHS (National Health service ),UK recommends 2500 and 2000 cals respectively.

And the FAO (Food and agriculture Organization) suggests that ,the average adult should consume no less than 1,800 calories per day.

The main types of calories are derived from: Carbohydrates, Fats and proteins .When we consume foods (carbs,fats,proteins),they get converted in the body into heat energy.

Depending upon carbs,fats and proteins ,they can be further classified as high calorie,low calorie,empty calorie AND negative calorie foods ...

High calorie foods are like fast foods or foods loaded with sugar,fats etc ,low calorie are the foods with moderation like low fat yogurt,cheese etc,empty calorie are foods that adds up calories but empty up/provide no nutrients ..

 It (calorie) is simple yet complicated and so is misused ,abused or unused properly .

Not to mention, calorie is a dreaded word when it comes to weight loss . Ignorance can be anti-bliss here.Everyone wants to look slim,trim and in shape and calorie is kinda considered to be akin to fat promoting stuffs to our body .Some may assume,lesser the calorie intake,more easily one can lose weight and they may think and wish, the calorie never existed at all or may somehow disappear into thin air .

Concentrating on the big picture of losing weight super fast ,we may knowingly or unknowingly opt for wrong types of calories or may even take inadequate calories which may hamper our health in the long run.

So,in such cases,negative calorie foods plays the vital role and should be the "go-to" calorie foods for losing or maintaining weight in a healthy way.

Now,negative calorie foods or also popularly known as zero calorie foods, doesn't imply that they have no calories or less than 0 calories.In fact,negative calorie foods are those foods that requires more energy to be digested in the body ,in which case, more calories are burned than what they actually possess.So,it is kind of giving all the vital nutrients to the body yet burning calories side by side.That's what we call the "Smart choice" of foods with a negative calorie effect in the body.

So, basically, negative calorie foods are whole unprocessed foods - low in calorie,rich in fiber,proteins,high in water contents that possess thermogenic properties meaning ,producing heat in the body when consumed,that boosts the metabolism ,aids in enzyme production and thereby burning more calories and aiding in losing weight effectively. They are basically plant based - vegetables and fruits ,grains ,legumes and spices (with exceptions though).

SO,imagine a diet plan, that will not only make you look beautiful outside, but also from inside . So,here are the negative calorie food items that you can include in your diet plan for losing weight efficiently ,effectively without compromising your health in and out.

Negative calorie food list – Eat these friendly calorie foods to lose weight fast and healthy !!

Fruits	Vegetables	Herbs &Spices	Drinks
Apples	Asparagus	Anise	Water
Apricots	Aubergine/Eggplant/Brinjal	Black Pepper	Plain Tea
Blueberries	Artichokes	Cayenne	Plain Coffee
Blackberries	Beet Roots	Cardamom	Natural Lemonade with no sugar
Cranberries	Broccoli	Cinnamon
Cantaloupes	Brussels Sprout	Cumin
Clementines	Cabbage	Cloves
Cherries	Cauliflower	Coriander
Grapefruits	Carrots	Dill
Grapes	Celery	Dry red chilli
Guava	Cucumbers	Fennel
Honey Dew	Corn	Flax seeds
Lime/Lemon	Chicory	Mustard seeds
Mango	Chard	Turmeric
Oranges	Chilli Peppers
Peach	Fennel
Pears	Garlic
Plums	Ginger
Pomegranates	Garden Cress
Papaya	Green Beans
Pineapple	Horseradish
Raspberries	Lettuce
Rhubarb	Leek
Strawberries	Kale
Tangerine	Mushroom
Watermelon	Onion
	Okra
	Peas
	Peppers
	Pumpkins
	Parsley
	Radish
	Spinach
	Squash
	Tomato
	Turnip
	Watercress
	Zucchini

According to brainyweightloss.com,the health benefits other than weight loss are :

• Boosts metabolism,immune system and energy .
• Suppresses appetite and hunger pangs.
• Gentle diuretic ,helps in eliminating excess water from the body .
• Stabilizes blood sugar and cholesterol.
• Cleans liver,the fat burning organ.
• Anti inflammatory effect .
• Lowers stress,anxiety,depression and improves mental focus and clarity.
• Sound sleep.
• Clears complexion,promotes shiny hair and strong nails
• Good overall health.

To lose weight aptly ,brainyweightloss.com suggests, we must eat atleast 2-3 pounds of combination of these foods daily and make sure that they are organic,fresh and raw as much as possible and try not to mix with any empty calorie food and spoil the purpose as well.


So,if you are dieting,DON'T STARVE YOURSELF instead go for these foods with negative calories and fat burning effects in a healthy,vibrant way and if you are not dieting ,you can as well opt for these foods as a part of a balanced diet for taking care of and maintaining an optimum health forever ,getting rid of any diseases (prevention is better than any cure!)  ,there by reducing any hospital visits or frustrating bills and never forgetting that "Health is indeed wealth !" (I learned it hard way !!)

As B.K.S Iyengar said," Your body is your temple.Keep it pure or clean for the soul to reside in."

Good luck and good health to you !

P.S. I am collecting all these vital health related info (from reliable sources all over internet) ,for my personal use and storing it at one place as guidelines for good health .So that I don't have to google it always .So,these are otherwise strictly for informational purpose only and not to be substituted for any professional medical advice..

References : DoctorOz.com ,Chewfo.com,BrainyWeightLoss.com,Livestrong.com..Thank You !

SOS list - Vegetables/Food/Snacks names in American English vs Indian (British) English for Indians in USA

Marriage is such a transitional phase for a girl ! It is like a rebirth -- as a grown up into a new home,new environment,new people,new beliefs,rules,rituals and a room that scares you the most,haunted and ruled by mother-in-law -The kitchen ! ....and you feel like a scapegoat ,ready to be butchered by the home minister,the M-I-L at any point of time especially if you don't no the A,B,C of cooking ...Well,that was me ...A cooking illiterate !! ...Of all the good things my parents gifted me,the one thing I really treasured the most was a diary and papers filled with cooking terms and conditions and recipes to save my back during any cooking emergency...

Since I belong to that creed of women ,old fashioned beliefs (yet funky ),I wanted and would always want to be a good wife,good daughter-in-law first and the foremost for sure (I try lol)..So,to become one ,I rephrased that a way to man's and his mom's heart is through the humble kitchen - the cooking,the food-is-apt-to-be-swallowed kinda...So,it was a struggle yet a learning phase for me ..However,I was not an elaborate cook may be initially but Thank God and Thank mom for nagging me every now and then to learn the basics at least....Needless to say, I was a Jhansi-ki-rani in the kitchen -fighting my fears and winning the daily cooking challenges...

However,,by God's esteeeemed grace, after a few months,we left India for good and landed in US...Yeah You are right ...What a relief !! ...Now you have a kitchen and you can make anything,however you want ,whatever you want and no one- expert ,will be supervising or judging you...Luckily,even though my hubby is a good cook by himself,he is very forgiving,adjusting and encouraging and well,by God's grace and his grace and support I became nothing less than a cooking scientist and experimented until I became good,praised by him and our friends..even though my mom is still my biggest critic .

So,yeah my culinary domain was totally under control ...But you know what,sometimes,happiness also takes a break and sends a setback as a replacement for a small or long duration...So,I was facing a major setback in my culinary adda/domain ...Guess what ,grocery stores in US woke up my idle brain ,I felt blood flushing through out every neurons I've inside ,I guess even new cells regenerated...How ?

Well,did you know a lot of vegetables are called differently here in US and a lot of them were kinda new to me that I never saw in India or may be since I was brought up in a small city ,I never saw them as long as I can remember .....

I felt like even plants were challenging my general knowledge ......Wanna know the vegetables or edible items that made my brain,tummy,kitchen,cooking,food idle to ideal...Here are they :

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This edible thing in American English =This edible thing in Indian/British English----Their Purpose
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1. Eggplant  /   Aubergine  =   Brinjal     - A vegetable in purple color/light violet color/green color (small ones)/white in color which I confirmed don't lay eggs...
2. Okra =    Lady'sfinger  - A vegetable that has got nothing to do with a lady's finger and in US stores (Non-Indian),Lady'sfinger means elongated oval shaped sugar cookies.
3. Sweet Onion/Red Onion/Yellow Onion/White onions  = Just Onion ! - A vegetable that can make you cry for no reason..In U.S., there are all those varieties with different taste and texture but in India,we call it simply onions regardless and red and yellow onions are the staple ones at every home.
4. Pearl Onions   = In India,it can be confused as shallots as both are mini types of onions and taste may not be that different even though their appearance are..
5. Chilli pepper = Chillies - Red chillies,green chillies etc etc..They don't have any qualities to chill you though...
6. Cilantro leaves = Coriander leaves - Leaves used for garnishing or tempering especially and making chutneys or drinks...
7. Yogurt = Curd - In USA,there are many flavored and low fat and fat free yogurts as well...and curd in US may be assumed as cheese in fact...
8. Buttermilk in US refers to "cultured milk" which has got nothing to do with the butter and is used exclusively to give flavor,body and as a leavening agent while baking and it is quite simple to make by adding little vinegar or lemon juice to homogenized,pasteurized milk and after a few minutes -voila,buttermilk is ready to use. However,in India,it is a quite popular "summer special dairy drink" made by simply adding cold water to the curd/yogurt and lightly churned and then seasoned simply with salt or spiced up with some cumin seeds,cilantro leaves/mint leaves and other variations likewise . It is more like a digestive drink or a summer cooler .
9. Pickle - In India is made with or without any brine (salty water solution) and  especially with lots of spices,oil and vinegar but in US, they are vegetables like Cucumbers,Dills,Carrots,Jalapenos,Onions etc soaked in brine and vinegar and left for a while for fermentation.
10. Peanuts = Groundnuts - The only nut that grows underground and is definitely bigger than a size of a pea and don't get confuse by the pronunciation as it doesn't pee of course...:P
11. Beets = Beetroots - The roots that won't beat you and it has got nothing to do with bee-s too...So many root vegetables are there,one among them is the one that can leave beautiful dark pinkish color and is damn nutritious...
12. Greens = Vegetables especially leafy ones - since they are mostly green in color ...Majority wins!...Go green !
13. Snap Beans /String beans = Green beans , yeah the beans with a string on each sides ,that once removed can be snapped into many pieces for Indian style of cooking.In US,the beans are just steamed completely to eat ,most of the time ..
14. Bell Peppers = Capsicum , yeah they do like closed bells or caps ...Big chilies would have been perfect - what say?
15. Cookies = Biscuits ,whether it is Britannia ,Monaco or Milano ,they are biscuits in India Whereas in USA,biscuits means a small scone shaped quick bread or hard bun.
16. Crackers = Thin Salt Biscuits or plain biscuits that don't compete with tea/coffee as to who is more sweeter...
17. Candy = Chocolate/Toffee - In India,anything that are not chocolate bar or Bubble gum/Chewing gum are chocolates or toffees but in US,Toffees are usually a candy made up caramelizing sugar or molasses along with butter and almonds and then broken into chunks.
18. Chocolate = Toffees or chocolate bars like Dairy milk,KitKat etc
19. Creamer is not equal to but kinda equivalent to the milk powder in India ,as the creamer is used in place of milk or cream while making coffee which doesn't have any milk in it .In US,they prefer,Half and half which is half creamer and half milk .
20. Garbanzos = chickpeas ,this lentil chick pees....:0)..(whoops..eh-choose me !):|
21. Mung Beans = Mung Dals - A dal/lentil that also falls under beans category and vice versa. 
22. Snap Peas = Green Peas ,they snap and then pee ..(Ohh my..bad again...X-qse me !) ,peas in a pod are quite healthy....
23.  Sweet Corn = Maize/Corn , how corn-y ! ...very healthy...
24. Green Onion/Scallion = Spring Onions - Small onion bulbs with looong leaves used for garnishing especially...
25. Zucchini = Courgette - A kind of summer squash , I always thought was a lady with an exotic name.... 

Then there are veges like Lettuce,Broccoli,Asparagus,Brussel Sprouts ,Avocados etc etc which I've never heard in my life ,before I came to USA...

These are a few major ones (for me), I can remember as of now,I may keep on updating it from time to time and if someone wants to add something or if I am wrong somewhere ,do mail me/let me know.

You will be wondering if I know all these, why the heckz I am writing it here.Well,I hope it will be helpful to newcomers in US who won't be in a situation playing dumb charades at any US grocery stores like I did and even if you are not in US,I bet it will be good to know right . Ohh and my corny descriptions ?..as always neva mind..Weirdness in me - Oh my -habits die hard!:| ..like all those different names...Thanks for your patience though !

S.O.S -I mean See you in Other Sarcastic post..

Keep smiling,