Diet Induced Thermogenesis and Thermogenic Foods

Many of you may not have heard of the term diet induced thermogenesis and put simply, it is the process of rapidly increasing your metabolism through the intake of certain foods. Some of these foods that promote this effect, which are referred to as thermogenic foods, have been recommending for those with the particular goal of weight loss. If you have a weight loss goal in mind, understanding the power of thermogenesis and thermogenic foods, may help you jumpstart your fat smashing journey.

Thermogenesis and the Thermic Effect

As you can probably guess from the root word “thermo”, thermogenesis has to do with the process of heating up your body internally. Certain thermogenic foods have this power to increase your temperature and this effect may have various health benefits. Whenever you eat something, your body is using energy to chew, swallow and metabolize the item for storage. The total amount of energy used throughout this process is called the thermic effect of food. Some foods are therefore, more thermogenic than others and as you may guess, most of these are lower calorie options. The list of thermogenic foods are those that often require more energy (calories) to metabolize compared to the amount of calories contained in the food item.

Through thermogenesis, people not only have the power to boost their metabolism and see weight loss results, but there also is the additional benefit of increased energy. You will be ready to blast through your workout or simply tackle the various obstacles of your daily routine. Most of the processed foods we eat today are dragging us down and turning us into lethargic creatures. By replacing some of these foods with natural thermogenic ones, you will likely notice a big difference in your attitude, energy and your waistlines.

Weight Loss and Fat Burn through Thermogenesis

Because many of the thermogenic foods are low in calories, you can understand why switching these in for more calorie dense options will give a weight loss advantage. In general, the average food has the thermic effect of about 10%. So for example, if you consume 1,000 calories worth of food, it may take you 100 calories to burn that food, on average. Truly thermogenic foods can increase this effect to 20% as seen with high fiber fruits and veggies, and even 30% with protein.

Thermogenic  foods

Some of the yummy foods that you can indulge in to achieve the thermic effect are the following:

• Hot Peppers & Salsa: If you are a spicy-food lover, then you will be happy to know that some of your favorites may help boost your metabolism. One study shows that consuming salsa may even increase your metabolism by 15-20%. Just remember to try and pair your salsa with a healthier alternative than fried tortilla chips.
• Tobasco and other pepper sauces: Chilis are known for their thermogenic effect, and Tobasco sauce, in particular, has been shown to raise one’s metabolism and subsequently burn up to 76 calories thereafter, compared to a still impressive 45 calories with other chili sauces. The Tobasco sauce also helps clear fat out of the arteries, which is an unexpected additional health bonus.
• Low-fat Protein: Protein in general, is going to rack up more calories than fruits and veggies, however about 1/3 of those calories are expended during the metabolic process. So choose lower calorie options like lean white meats, low-fat dairy and legumes in order to get this bonus.
• Green Tea: This tea leaf has become very popular for reasons of high antioxidant value as well as metabolism-boosting star power. It is no surprise that it is also another thermogenic food item as many studies have supported this theory.

Supplements

In addition to these natural food options, there are of course supplements that are available for you to take. Obviously, a green tea supplement may have a similar effect as the natural source. Other options include guarana, which also increases stamina and endurance. Chromium picolinate is another substance that affects the glucose in particular, so it consequently effects the metabolism of carbohydrates. Other related supplements are choline, hydroxycitric acid, CLA, calcium, EFA, and 5-HTP. Doing a little additional research on these and their specific effects may help you narrow down a selection that is right for you.

Considerations

Remember, there is no magic bullet for weight loss. If you have a goal in mind, integrating some of these thermogenic foods may definitely help you, but there are also other aspects of diet and exercise to consider. Although thermogenic foods tend to be low in calorie and high in thermic effect, there is no such thing as a negative calorie food, which is often a myth that comes along with this topic. The key to weight loss is a holistic approach, which requires diet and various lifestyle changes. Take this into consideration when trying to boost your metabolism through some of these thermogenic foods.