Burn, Baby, Burn: Boost Metabolism

The Truth About Metabolic Boosters

Metabolism, or the number of calories that you burn at rest, is influenced by numerous factors, including genetics, hormones, activity level, amount of lean muscle mass, the way you eat and the types of food you consume. Since you have very little control over your gene pool, let’s look at other factors that influence metabolism.

The Way We Eat Can Speed Up Metabolism

After having breakfast, make sure you eat right throughout the day. Fasting, cutting calories and skipping meals will put the brakes on your metabolism. Your body needs a certain number of calories to function. If you don’t meet this need, your body will switch into survival mode, slowing down the metabolism and promoting the storage of fat. Eating smaller meals throughout the day will increase metabolism. Your body burns calories most efficiently if you eat 4-6 small meals no more than 3-4 hours apart.

Calories: A unit of energy in food. Foods have carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates have four calories per gram, proteins have four calories per gram and fat has nine calories per gram.

Types of Foods that Increase Metabolism

Foods that require more energy to break down, absorb and use than the actual energy they contain are called negative calorie foods. By increasing these foods, you can slightly increase your metabolism. Examples include the following:

1. Fruits like pineapples, cantaloupe, berries, grapefruit, mango, oranges and papaya;
2. Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, green beans, onions, asparagus and spinach;
3. Whole grain bread, cereal and oatmeal;
4. Hot chilies, hot mustard and spicy foods that contain cayenne or red pepper;
5. Lean protein like turkey, chicken, lean beef, tuna and salmon;
6. Beverages like coffee and green, black or white tea.

Increase Metabolism with Lean Muscle Mass

Since muscle burns more calories than fat, the greater amount of lean muscle that you have, the greater number of calories you burn at rest. Therefore, exercise is essential in increasing metabolism. Cardiovascular exercise, like walking, running, biking, swimming and aerobics, allows your body to burn more calories. Weight training helps to increase muscle mass and put the metabolism into overdrive, so you burn calories for up to two hours after a workout. If you don’t have time for a full-fledged workout, find simple ways to move more.

Hormones Are a Natural Metabolism Booster

Thyroxine, the hormone produced by your thyroid gland, plays a direct role in burning calories. If you don’t produce enough thyroxine, your metabolism slows down and you burn fewer calories. If you lack this hormone, you can increase your metabolism by taking a physician-prescribed hormone. You can also give your metabolism a little boost by eating hormonally balanced meals, including the following foods:

1. Energy-dense carbohydrates, such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits that contain fiber, help regulate your metabolism by having less impact on insulin levels.
2. High quality protein, such as fish, poultry, lean meats, soy, tofu and low-fat dairy products, help build metabolism-boosting muscle mass.
3. Essential fats, for good health, include olive oil, avocado and nuts.
4. Calcium-rich foods also help your metabolism rate, since calcium is essential for releasing the hormones that break down your fat. Low-fat dairy foods, like yogurt, are the best sources of calcium.