If your metabolism is healthy and running as it should, it burns off your calories and keeps you feeling excellent. Exercise and plenty of sleep also help your metabolism function optimally, but did you know that certain foods you eat could be sabotaging your efforts?

These foods could be slowing down that burn you count on your metabolism for to keep things running optimally. Are you consuming any of these metabolism-busters regularly?

Refined grains

There’s a difference between whole grains that fuel your body and refined grains. Refined grains are stripped of that necessary fiber and nutrients your body needs. These grains are refined in the interest of taste and texture, but they leave your metabolism slower. You can bypass this issue by choosing whole grains that haven’t gone through the refining process.

Sugary drinks

Sugar is dangerous, especially in liquid form. Sodas, energy drinks, or even sports drinks can all drag your metabolism down. If you want to make sure your efforts at the gym aren’t wasted, stop drinking your calories. Save the sugar for a rare treat, like a little slice of birthday cake on your big day. It’s a much better tradeoff!

Processed vegetable oils

They might sound healthy with names like sunflower oil or soybean oil. But these processed vegetable oils, which include canola oil, have a higher risk for heart disease. Choose coconut oil instead, which can speed up your metabolism to boot.

Artificial sweeteners

Perhaps the only thing worse than sugar itself is artificial sweeteners. You may think you’re making a healthier choice, but choosing sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin are all linked to health issues you certainly want to avoid. They can also mess with the good bacteria in your gut, which could hinder your weight loss efforts.  Avoid artificial sweeteners — if you need to use a sweetener, use something natural such as stevia, pure maple syrup or raw honey.

Non-organic produce

Organic produce might cost more, but in the end, you’ll wind up spending less on healthcare by staying healthier. When you buy non-organic, you’re getting more pesticides which slow down the metabolism, not to mention cause high insulin levels and glucose intolerance.  Organic produce is so readily available now that it isn’t much more expensive than conventional items.  Take a look at the 2019 Clean Fifteen/Dirty Dozen list to see the items you should always buy organic, and the ones you can opt to buy conventionally.

Granola

It seems like a healthy choice, but the granola you find in your supermarket often contains hidden sugars and added ingredients that don’t do you any favors. When you take in more sugar than you think, you cause an overload known as leptin resistance. This makes you hungrier while slowing that metabolism to a crawl. If you love granola, you can make your own by selecting fresh seeds, nuts, and oats to enjoy the taste and get true health benefits.