15 Foods that increase metabolism (lose weight)

"Metabolism is a term that is used to describe all chemical reactions involved in maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism. Metabolism can be conveniently divided into two categories: Catabolism - the breakdown of molecules to obtain energy."

WHAT TO EAT

While there are no short-cuts to losing weight, there are a few things you can do to boost your metabolism. Exercising regularly and getting plenty of sleep are two of the best things you can do. However, there are also plenty of foods that speed metabolism, so adding them to your diet may give you the extra edge to lose more weight.

1. Almonds

Although high in calories (don’t overdo it), almonds contain fatty acids that raise your metabolism.

2. Beans

Protein and fiber are two of the building blocks of boosting your metabolism, so beans, rich in both, are a good choice.

“Dietary proteins take more calories to digest than any other macronutrient,” saysauthor of “Belly Fat for Dummies,” Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE. “When you boost your intake of protein, you naturally begin to burn more calories each day.”

Trukova agrees. “Consuming 400 calories of protein will require about 80 calories to digest it, compared with only around 40 calories for carbohydrates and 12 calories required for fat digestion of the same amount of food,” she says.

But that’s not the only reason that beans are good for your metabolism. Farley highlights the importance of all foods rich in iron when it comes to boosting your metabolism. “Iron is an important mineral that helps transport oxygen to muscles, needed to burn fat. Iron helps our bodies make energy,” she says.

3. Berries

All fruits are a good idea due to their carb and fiber content, both of which are important tools for boosting metabolism. But Earthbound Farm’s Registered Dietician, Ashley Koff, highlights the powers of berries in particular, which she says are rich in “antioxidants, like vitamin C, which helps combat damaging free radicals generated during exercise.” Berries help you heal more quickly.

4. Bone Broth

Sara Vance, C.N., nutritionist and author of “The Perfect Metabolism Plan,” loves bone broth as a metabolism booster, due to its protein, mineral and collagen content. “Collagen supports the mucosal barrier in the gut, which means it is useful for supporting healthy/strong digestion and assimilation of nutrients – which is critical for a strong metabolism,” she says.

5. Celery

You might have heard the urban legend that celery is a “negative-calorie” food, and while we’re not sure we’re on board with that per se, Koff explains that this very low calorie food can be a big-time metabolism booster.

“When you chew on celery, you’re stimulating digestion, adding water to hydrate (a key to better metabolism),” she says, suggesting that you use celery as dippers for guacamole, salsa, or peanut butter. You can spiced up your dip cinnamon, ginger or cayenne for an extra kick, both of flavor an of metabolism-boosting action.

6. Chia Seeds

Vance also loves chia seeds, calling them “the reason I became a nutritionist.”

“I decided if one food could do this much, I had to study more about the power of foods as medicine and fuel,” she says.

While chia seeds have lots of different characteristics, metabolism-wise, chia seeds offer a few specific benefits.

“Chia seeds are high in fiber, protein and healthy omega 3 fats,” says Vance. “When you have all three together, it is very powerful.”

7. Chocolate

This is probably good news for a lot of you out there – yes, according to Vance, dark chocolate (70% or higher cacao) can help boost your metabolism.

“Raw cacao is one of the best food sources of magnesium, and magnesium helps to support healthy glucose levels,” she says. “Magnesium also stimulates the fat-burning hormone adiponectin.”

As with all sweets, less is better, but a bit of dark chocolate won’t hurt your efforts towards a better metabolism and might even give you the boost — emotional and physical — that you need.

8. Apple Cider Vinegar

Cider vinegar is a great metabolism booster according to Baron, who suggests mixing it with some lemon juice, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne, and a drop of raw honey before drinking.

Palinski-Wade agrees that cider vinegar is a great way to boost your metabolism, working in quite a different way than many other foods on this list. According to Palinski-Wade, cider vinegar “helps to boost your stomach’s ability to produce hydrochloric acid (HCA).

“What does that mean? Once you are making more HCS, you can easily digest your food and better absorb nutrients.”

If that wasn’t enough, Palinski-Wade also cites cider vinegar’s role in leveling blood sugar levels, which helps to curb cravings.

9. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a fairly unanimous metabolism booster among our experts. Palinski-Wade says, “Cinnamon contains thermogenic properties, which means when you consume it, your body automatically starts to burn more calories throughout the day.” She recommends about ¼ teaspoon per day.

Vance agrees, citing not only cinnamon’s role in helping the body to effectively metabolize carbohydrates, but also its role in managing cravings for sweets as keys to its success.

10. Coconut Oil

Yes, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, there are some fats that help boost your metabolism. Vance loves coconut oil, calling it her “favorite fat.”

“It is high in medium chain fatty acids – which a more easily converted into energy than other kinds, so they help to boost the metabolism and are less likely to get stored as fat,” she says. “It is supportive of the thyroid gland too – which is essential to a healthy metabolism.”

Vance eats coconut oil plain, but you can also use it as a cooking fat. It doesn’t add a coconut flavor to dishes, so there’s no need to worry about your chicken tasting too tropical if cooked in coconut oil.

11. Coffee

Caffeine gives your mind, body, and metabolism a boost, and a much healthier boost than sugar according to Sports Dietician Lindsay Langford, RD, MS, CSSD of St.Vincent Sports Performance. “The caffeine in (coffee, tea and espresso) gives a short-term jump to your metabolism, so if you need a pick-me-up, drink one of these instead of an energy drink loaded with sugar.”

According to Trukova, energy-boosting effects of caffeine have been proven to consistently increase metabolic rate. “Most studies with caffeine in doses of about 100mg per day (1 cup of coffee) showed an increased calorie burn of between 75 to 110 calories for the entire day,” says Trukova. This admittedly is not a ton – and it’s comparable with the other foods on this list – but in conjunction with exercise and other metabolism-boosting foods, it can make a big difference over a long period of time.

Many of our experts tout the short-term effects of caffeine on metabolism and energy boosting as well. “I love having clients drink green tea or caffeine before workouts to get better fat loss results,” says Davidson. “When your metabolism is charged by these substances your Central Nervous is more active and you can train harder.”

That being said, don’t overdo it on caffeine – try to limit yourself to 2-3 cups per day.

12. Curry

Curry has a few benefits for your metabolism wrapped up in a flavorful package. We’ll get into spicy peppers and their effects in just a bit, but its heat is only one of the elements of curry that boosts your metabolism. Because curry combines so many different spices, from hot peppers to cinnamon to turmeric and ginger, which, according to Baron, are essential metabolism boosters, curry is a great choice.

13. Fish

Not just rich in protein, fish is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, allowing it to do double duty on your metabolism.

According to Dr. Prudence Hall, a Santa Monica, California gynecologist and founder of The Hall Center, “Omega-3 oils lower inflammation and blood sugar which helps raise the body’s metabolism.”

Palinski-Wade agrees about the importance of fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon, and says that you should aim for three servings per week thanks to its richness in protein and omega 3s. “Omega-3 fatty acids help to fight against inflammation in the body as well as decrease circulating stress hormones,” she says. “When stress hormones are elevated in your body over a period of time, they begin to store fat and elevated blood sugar and insulin levels. However, foods rich in omega-3s can lower these circulating stress hormones and turn up your body’s ability to burn fat.”

Eat fat to burn fat? We can get on board with that.

14. Grapefruit

Grapefruit has long been linked to weight loss because it has been proven to lower insulin levels. Its fiber contents are also helpful in boosting metabolism, and its vitamin C content helps your body stay healthy and your immune system work the way it should, both of which are essential to boosting your metabolism.

15. Green Tea

Epigallocatechin gallate is the form of catechin found in green tea and a substance that has been proven to enhance the fat burning process, according to Davidson.

Many of our experts agree. Cederquist cites a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found that green tea-extract boosted the metabolism by 4 percent over a 24 hour period. To put that into perspective, “It has been stated that three to five cups a day can help you burn an extra 70 calories a day, which would add up to seven pounds a year, 35 pounds in a 5-year period and 70 pounds in 10 years,” she explains.