16 Foods that Naturally Boost Your Metabolism

16 Foods that Naturally Boost Your Metabolism

Written by Brianne DiSylvester
ORGANIC AUTHORITY

Diet, schmiet. Ditch your strict eating regimen and give your metabolism a boost by eating. Yes, eating! Just by consuming certain drinks and foods, you can give your body a kick-start in calorie burning, and speed up that seemingly slow metabolism of yours. Here’s how…

What to Eat:

Almonds: Although high in calories (don’t overdo it), they contain fatty acids that raise your metabolism.
Apples and Pears: High fiber makes you burn more calories.
Beans: High protein + high fiber = more calories burned.
Broccoli: Calcium and vitamin C create a metabolism-rising duo.
Cinnamon: Add it to sugary drinks and foods to help your body better metabolize sweets.
Coffee: Caffeine gives your mind, body and metabolism a boost. Don’t exceed 2-3 cups a day.
Curry: Since it’s spicy, your body will work hard to metabolize it and give your calorie burning a boost.
Grapefruit: Lowers insulin levels and burns calories by breaking down the fiber.
Green Tea: EGCG speeds up your brain and nervous system, thus burning more calories.
Hot Peppers and Jalapenos: For hours after you eat them, these spicy peppers will speed up your heart rate and metabolism while burning calories.
Lean Turkey: Protein builds muscle and helps to burn calories since your body is working harder to process it.
Low-Fat Yogurt: Breaking down the high protein level burns calories and the probiotic cultures regulate digestion.
Oatmeal: Again high fiber means more calories are being burned while your body breaks it down.
Spinach: Speeds up your metabolism, plus it’s high in vitamin C, antioxidants and iron.
Unsweetened Soy Milk: Tons of calcium ups your metabolism.
Water: Your body’s metabolic rate will increase by 30 percent by drinking 17 ounces of water.
Now, unfortunately we don’t just want to gorge ourselves on these items. An efficient metabolism is all within the method...

How to Eat It:

Focus on low-glycemic foods that keep your blood sugar and insulin levels steady.
Eat the recommended amount of calories (calculate it) for your body type and activity. Eating too few, in addition to exercising, causes your body to go into starvation mode which slows down your metabolism.
Nosh every 3-5 hours. This will help maintain a fast metabolism. Plus, you’ll never be overly hungry and risk overeating.
Eat smaller portions. Each time your digestive system starts to work, you burn calories.
Add lean protein to every meal (3 oz) or snack (1 oz). The protein builds muscle, tells your brain to stop eating, and increases your metabolism since your body is working harder to digest it.
Work out. Try strength training 3 times a week… it boosts your metabolism.