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The Top Metabolism Boosting Foods
When you’re trying to lose weight, one of the best things you can do to speed up the process and make it easier is to increase your metabolism. After all, the higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn all day and all night.
There are several ways you can boost your metabolism and one is to eat metabolism boosting foods.
How fast your body burns calories is dependent upon several factors—not just the food you eat. Genetics, exercise, and age all play a role in how fast your body burns energy. Madelyn H. Fernstrom, director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh says that, “Your metabolism slows by 5 percent each decade. Compared to age 25, you’ll burn about 100 fewer calories a day at 35 and 200 fewer at 45. Do nothing, and you could gain 8 to 12 pounds a year.”
As you age the amount of muscle mass in your body diminishes and with it so does your metabolic rate. And most of us will make it worse by engaging in fad/crash diets, doing the wrong exercises, etc.
However, don’t fret. No matter what your age or health status, you can rebuild your metabolism with the right diet and exercise. In today’s article we’ll cover diet by going over the top foods that increase metabolism.
Metabolism Boosting Foods And Diet Tips
Add Ice To Your Drinks
Research has shown that your body has to “heat up” the water and that makes for more calories burned. If you drink 6 glasses of ice water a day (including iced tea, iced coffe, etc) it will boost your metabolism and burn an extra 10 calories. That 10 extra calories per day burned can prevent you from accumulating an entire pound in one year (without dieting).
Snack More Often
Healthy snacks are great metabolism boosting foods. If you snack in between meals it keeps your metabolism humming along. If you eat 3 large meals per day and don’t eat anything in between those meals, it causes your metabolism to slow down. Therefore add some healthy snacks to keep your metabolism running high all day.
Add Spices
Do spicy foods boost metabolism? They sure do! Spices are great foods to increase metabolism. Not only do they make the food you’re eating taste better, they also increase the amount of calories your body burns. According to the NY Times:
Over the years, various studies have examined the claim and suggested that certain spices can in fact increase metabolic rate by raising body temperature, though to what extent and for how long is unclear. Capsaicin, the compound that gives red chili pepper its powerful kick, creates the largest bump in heat generation, which helps burn more calories immediately after a meal. Black pepper and ginger have similar effects.
Generally, studies have shown that on average a meal containing a spicy dish, like a bowl of chili, can temporarily increase metabolism by about 8 percent over a person’s normal rate, an amount considered fairly negligible. But besides a slight uptick in metabolism, spicy foods may also increase feelings of satiety.
Eat Your Protein
Eat protein rich foods to boost metabolism. When you eat protein your body may use up to 25% more energy digesting it than other types of food. A great way to boost your metabolism is to replace carbohydrates with foods that are rich in protein like lean meats, beans, tofu, chicken, fish, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and eggs.
Drink Your Coffee Black
If you’re like me, you can’t function without your morning Joe. Well, there’s one more reason to like it—it will boost your metabolism.
Green and Oolong Tea
Green tea contains a substance called catechins which has been shown to boost metabolic rate. Plus it contains caffeine which also has been shown to increase metabolism. Studies have shown that if you drink 3 or 4 cups of green tea per day it can increase calorie burn by up to 17%.
Don’t Crash Your Diet
Eating metabolism boosting foods is great as long as you balance out your diet and eat enough to get the nutrients your body needs. Engaging in a crash diet where you eat fewer than a thousand or so calories is going to kill your metabolism. When you crash diet you may lose weight but a LOT of that weight is muscle mass. When you lose muscle mass your body doesn’t burn calories as effectively. The lower the amount of muscle mass that your body has, the lower your metabolism and the harder it’s going to be for you to lose weight and keep it off.
Eat Your Breakfast!
Metabolism research from the University of Texas at El Paso found that volunteers who ate a larger, healthy breakfast in the morning ate up to 200 LESS calories per day than volunteers who ate small breakfasts or none at all.
Another study from the University of Michigan found that women who didn’t eat any breakfast were 30% more likely to be overweight.
The best metabolism boosting foods for breakfast are oatmeal, eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, and whole grain cereal. Essentially you want to eat for breakfast anything with lots of fiber and protein.
How To Raise Your Metabolism
Bottom Line
Eating certain foods can help boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories and lose weight more effectively. However, food for your metabolism is only a piece of the puzzle. To turn your metabolism into a calorie-burning monster, you’ll need to also focus on exercise. Building muscle and being physically active is just as important as the food you eat.
Here’s a good tip: If you work out early in the morning it can skyrocket your metabolism for several hours afterwords.
Edwin
May 22, 2012 at 6:55 pm
I am trying to develop a fat burning metabolism is that even possible if you don’t have one to start with? When I was young I was in track so I had a decent metabolism and then I got married and become sedentary and I think that blew my metabolism and now I can’t get it back. Is that even something that is possible?
Admin
May 26, 2012 at 7:24 pm
Hey Edwin,
The best way to “reengage” your metabolism is to get active, eat healthy, eliminate stress, and get more sleep. Your metabolism is responsive to the current state of your health so if you’re taking care of yourself then your metabolism will burn more fat. It also helps to include the foods in this article in your diet.
-Sara
Joseph
May 22, 2012 at 6:56 pm
What are you supposed to do if you eat these foods and you eat the way you’re supposed to as far as proportion and times in a day and you exercise but the weight still won’t come off? I exercise at least 30 min. a day five days a week and it’s either cardio of some sort or it’s strength training, but I still can’t lose the body fat that I want to lose, Why?
Admin
May 25, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Hey Joseph,
Some people may have to work harder to lose weight. I’m actually one of those people. My sister can lose weight almost at will but I have to work very hard. I suggest that you try and up the intensity of your workouts and try to cut back on empty calories (bread, soda, etc.). I found that by drinking nothing but iced tea and water really helped me.
-Sara
William
May 22, 2012 at 7:00 pm
I will have to remember to eat more spicy foods, I love them already but I don’t eat it a whole lot because the rest of my family doesn’t like them. If you just sprinkle the spices on the food you are eating instead of cooking it in does that count? I eat oatmeal in the morning but it is instant sugar free oatmeal , does that count for a good metabolism booster?
Admin
May 24, 2012 at 11:45 am
Hey William,
Yes, you can sprinkle the spices on your food after you make it to achieve the desired result. Also, it would be best to eat steel cut oats if you can but any oatmeal is better than none.
-Sara
Joseph
May 22, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Don’t blueberries boost metabolism too? I know they are high in all kinds of minerals and vitamins but I like high antioxidant foods as well because they are so good for you. I have also read somewhere that blueberries are brain food as well? I am trying anything and everything to get this to work and so far it isn’t doing anything.
Admin
May 23, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Hey Joseph,
I believe blueberries will work as well. I think what you should do is focus less on increasing your metabolism and more on being healthy overall. Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, good fats, whole grains, and lean meats and decrease your intake of processed foods, sugar, empty calories (like pretzels or white bread). Also, it’s important to get exercise everyday. The foods on this list will boost your metabolism but by themselves are not going to make you lose a noticeable amount of weight. However, if you combine them with a healthy diet and exercise they will help you lose weight more efficiently (and faster).
-Sara
Tricia
May 22, 2012 at 8:57 pm
This is very interesting, my son just turned 22 and we have noticed already that his metabolism has really slowed down and he is starting to gain weight. If he starts eating these things then will it boost his metabolism again? I have been trying to do mine for years now but I figure men are different then women so maybe it will be easier for him.
Admin
May 23, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Hey Tricia,
Eating these foods alone will increase your metabolism but not enough to make you lose a noticeable amount of weight. Your son will still need to cut out bad foods (processed foods, sugar, fat, etc.) and exercise. Sleeping well can also help boost metabolism.
-Sara