The thermogenic (thermic) effect of food is the cost of digesting food and therefore the effect it has on your metabolism. A lot of people consider highly thermogenic foods to be "negative calorie" foods, and I'm sorry to say, but that's a myth. There are however foods with a significantly higher thermogenic effect than others, and while they aren't going to make you burn more than what you're ingesting, they will help you minimize your calorie intake by satisfying hunger cravings and by providing your body with tools that can aid your body's ability to burn fat.
The most commonly referred to “negative calorie” food is celery and the reason for this is because celery doesn’t really contain much of anything. Yes, it does contain various vitamins and minerals that have a lot of health benefits, but those same vitamins and minerals can be found in other vegetables (leafy greens for example) at much higher rates and with other similarly beneficial nutrients as well.
First and foremost, the food with the highest thermogenic rating is protein. Protein has a thermogenic rating of about 30% meaning that 30% of the calories you consume will be going towards digesting it. Not only that, but protein is the most satiating and is imperative for maintaining muscle and if there’s one thing that burns fat more than anything else, it’s muscle. Basically, lean protein is the best food to eat if you want to lower your total caloric intake and increase you metabolism. After protein, carbohydrates have a thermogenic rating of between 15 and 20% and fat has a rating of 2 to 3%.
Capsaicin and caffeine are handy in that, while they don’t have a thermogenic effect when it comes to digestion, they do have the ability to naturally speed up you metabolism and therefore increase your daily caloric expenditure. The best source of caffeine is green tea, coffee and black tea, and the best source of capsaicin is anything spicy such as chili peppers. Capsaicin however has added benefits which caffeine doesn’t; it decreases cholesterol absorption, increases the enzymes that metabolize fat, produces an endorphin rush that acts as a stress and pain reliever, can be used for psoriasis to decrease itching and inflammation, has been proven to help prevent prostrate cancer and some preliminary studies have shown it to help with appetite suppression.
So, if you're not sure what to have for breakfast, lunch or dinner here are some spicy dishes to get your metabolism revved!
Breakfast (serves 2)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 small red onions, chopped (2 to 3 cups)
2 fresh green chili peppers (such as jalapeño or serrano), finely chopped, with seeds if desired
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tomatoes, diced
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds, or more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
844.5 Calories, 44.2g Protein, 78.86g Carbohydrates, 57.9g Fat
422.25 Calories, 22.1g Protein, 39.43g Carbohydrates, 28.95g Fat per person
Lunch (serves 2)
Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon ground fresh chili paste
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup green onion strips
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
553.3 Calories, 27.7g Protein, 25.1g Carbohydrates, 38.8g Fat
276.65 Calories, 13.85g Protein, 12.55g Carbohydrates, 19.4g Fat per person
Dinner (serves 2)
2 red snapper fillets (6 ounces each)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch basil
1 pinch thyme
413 Calories, 76g Protein, 3.7g Carbohydrates, 12.1g Fat
206.5 Calories, 38g Protein, 1.85g Carbohydrates, 6.05g Fat per person
I recommend serving all of these with some vegetables or a side salad.