Metabolism boosting foods(FactFriday #9)

I don't know about you, but I get very frustrated when I see my aunt eating everyday near the point of puking and not getting a pound heavier. She obviously has a fast (light speed) metabolism. On the other hand I drink half a glass of water and I become a land whale.

I have a very slow metabolism and I hate it. So recently I have been starting to look into foods that can make me digest food faster so I can burn calories more efficiently.

Firstly, metabolism is the process of breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to yield the energy your body needs to maintain itself. The rate of your metabolism depends on the interaction between the number of calories you consume, the number of calories you burn while eating and exercising, and the calories you burn based on your individual genetic makeup.

Naturally,the metabolism slows down with age but we can help boost it if, like me, years of dieting and putting your body into starvation mode has destroyed its natural rhythm.

Here is a list of 10 well known metabolism boosting foods. These are not only good for you but also are very delicious!

• Egg whites, they are rich in branched-chain amino acids, which keep your metabolism stoked.

• Lean meat, it is full of iron. Deficiencies in the mineral can slow metabolism. Eat three to four daily servings of iron-rich foods, such as chicken or fortified cereal.

Skim milk VS whole milk (FactFriday #4)

As I started talking about the good and bad fats, I saw that many, many, many, many people don't know that dairy products are better left whole. Because I cannot cover all of them I will start with the most basic of them all: MILK!

So...which is the healthier choice?

Fats, good or bad? (FactFriday #1)

For some years now, I have been hearing that fat is bad. And I agree to a certain degree with this. You should definitely not pour a tub of lard in your mouth, but some fats are good.

If you think about whole milk and you are under the impression that the "skinny" version is healthier, you are sorely mistaking. The milk is more processed so that the fat can be eliminated. The natural, from the cow, whole milk is just pasteurized (like in the olden times), so that all of the bad bacteria can be killed. I remember my mum buying from farmers milk and boiling it! It was so good and helped me grow and be a healthy kid (that is until my dad and I found McDonalds).

If you think about it, all foods contain some amount of fat. Our bodies know how to handle fats that come from natural places. In moderation fat:

• is a source of energy. We store some of it so when their is a hunger, the body consumes what fat is in the body. This is why we create a deficit when we try to louse weight, so the body can use up all the fat that is stored away safely.
• is actually an essential fatty acid. These are the very known omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that are found in fish. These help us inflammation,  mood and behavior. 
• helps with the good functioning of our nervous system and brain. The nerve cells are actually covered in a fatty material that acts like bike oil. Actually our brain contains a lot of essential fats.
• helps maintain healthy skin and other tissues. The cell membrane contains a bit of fat, which is perfectly acceptable. When the amount of fat in these membranes gets out of hand, that's when we become overweight. 
• helps for steroids, which are needed for many different processes.

So all in all, fat is not that bad. But which type should we avoid at all cost? Well the saturated and trans fats are bad. They raise your cholesterol and increase the risk of heart diseases. On the other hand, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower your cholesterol and help fight heart disease. 

Good fats

• Monounsaturated

• Polyunsaturated