Some food-related chemicals were created by man with the purpose of improving your health. However, in many cases, they have the opposite effect. They're disguised within foods in one way or another, and it's important that you make sure they're not a mainstay of your metabolism boosting diet. The three food biggest culprits of this are trans fats, artificial sweeteners, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Trans fats
Trans fats are found in many common processed foods and are the most damaging for your cholesterol levels and heart of any fat out there. This is why they're being banned left and right from restaurants in major cities and in food products. But they might still be lurking in your kitchen.
The American Heart Association recommends that you consume less than 2 grams of trans fat per day. Although food products can claim to have 0 (zero) trans fats, they may still have 0.5 grams or less. Still, there are ways to reduce your intake of these artificially made fats in your diet. When in doubt, read the ingredients list and be aware of the items that commonly contain trans fats:
Hydrogenated vegetable oil
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
Vegetable shortening
Vegetable oils rich in trans fats include soybean, canola, and palm fruit.
Here are some common food products that contain trans fats:
Baked goods like cakes, cookies, pies, and their mixes
Breads and crackers
Breakfast cereals
Candy and chocolate
Condiments like salad dressing and non-dairy creamers
French fries
Potato chips, corn chips
Frozen pizza
Fish sticks
Margarine
Microwave popcorn
Condiments may be the most surprising source of trans fats. Don't assume because a food isn't fried or a snack food that it doesn't contain these damaging fats. Those brands that you've habitually purchased for years may be the biggest culprits. So check all the labels of your old favorites as well as the new items you think about bringing into your kitchen.
Artificial sweeteners
These are added to foods to provide sweetness sans calories. It's true they can be a decent alternative to high-sugar foods, in the sense that they can help control calorie intake and reduce the risk of dental cavities. However, artificial sweeteners have been shown to have negative effects on blood glucose levels, appetite, and digestive system, resulting in a slower metabolic rate over time.
Replacing artificial sweeteners with all-natural sweeteners automatically increases the calories you're taking in. Try an all-natural zero calorie sweetener like stevia and try to limit your portion size of anything that contains calories. Over time, you'll be able to wean yourself off the artificial stuff habit.
The following are artificial sweeteners:
Saccharin
Sucralose
Aspartame
Neotame
Acesulfame potassium
Common foods that contain artificial sweeteners are often promoted as diet, low-calorie, and sugar free:
Baked goods
Soft drinks
Puddings and yogurts
Jams and jellies
Gum and mints
Candies
Just because a food product is labeled as diet doesn't mean it's beneficial for your metabolism. Actually it's probably not so hot. To cut down on one ingredient, the manufacturer has to add something else to make the food taste good — often "imposters" or other nutrients you don't need more of. For example, reduced-fat peanut butter contains more sugar in place of a dose of heart-healthy unsaturated fat. Sugar-free candies don't have sugar, but they do contain artificial sweeteners.
The exceptions here are milk, yogurt, and cheese. You want to choose low-fat products and pick the brand with the fewest ingredients to minimize the preservatives added. Low-fat milk gives you most of the same health benefits of calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals but without the saturated fat of whole milk.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
You may only correlate MSG with Chinese food or fast-food restaurants, but it's present in a lot of the food products you may purchase for your home. MSG's main function is as a flavor enhancer — a type of salt — but it can have a hormone-disrupting effect on your metabolism.
MSG is also known on an ingredient list as any of the following:
Hydrolyzed vegetable or soy protein
Textured protein
Processed free glutamic acid
Glutamate
Yeast extract, food, or nutrient
Sodium caseinate
MSG is found in products such as these:
Instant soup mixes or boullion
Salad dressings
Canned gravy
Salted nuts
Processed cheese spreads
Flavored potato chips
Frozen meals
Protein powder drinks
Dry milk powder
Cutting down on products containing these chemicals often also means cutting down on preservatives and other additives found in foods. The more natural foods you consume, the more your metabolism gets boosted. You have control over what's in your kitchen, so make it a haven for more real foods because you don't necessarily know what it's your food when dining out.
