Ok, another food post.....but this one's even more important...I promise! Thermic effect of food...

In one of the fitness groups I am a member of, a lady with a vast knowledge on fitness posted on this particular topic. She, and a lot of your questions about food are the inspiration behind this post. If you're serious about weight loss and maintenance, food is the one thing you MUST pay attention to. If you're serious about getting those chiseled abs, Abs are made in the kitchen, so listen up. 

So what is the "thermic effect of food?"

'Thermic' derived from 'Thermal' relating to heat and temperature...translation...burn! The expression describes the energy expended (burning calories) by our bodies to consume (bite, chew and swallow) and process(digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. 5 - 10% of the body's energy each day goes into processing ingested food. Getting interesting? Read on!

Generally, protein requires the greatest energy to process it....up to 30% of the calories contained in the foods. Carbohydrates are next on this list requiring 15 - 20% and the last are fats  with a thermic effect of only 2 - 3%. 

Sooo...in layman's terms? If you eat 100 calories of lean protein, only 70 will be left for you to use up after digestion e.t.c However, if you have the same in fats, up to 98 will be left for you to use up...and if you don't use them up, they will likely end up stored in some fatty tissue in an area you don't want...like your belly. :-(

High quality protein: 
Apart from having a high thermic effect, these foods also help by making you feel fuller longer. How so? They keep blood sugar levels stable preventing the highs and lows associated with hunger pangs. Ideal foods are milk, egg whites, lean beef and pork, lean chicken and turkey and fish. 

High Fiber Carbohydrates
To increase metabolism, increase consumption of high fiber carbs which includes but not limited to yams, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread, brown rice, broccolli, spinach, salad greens, apples, pears, oranges, sweet melon, beans and oatmeal. 

In effect, you can increase your metabolism and reduce hunger pangs just by changing what you eat and how you eat it. I hope this helps some towards understanding how important it is to really be conscious of what you eat. 

Have an active weekend!