How to Increase Metabolism & Energy With Healthy Foods

It is true that metabolism is the reason people gain weight and have trouble losing it, but it is also true that people have a considerable amount of control over their own metabolism. You can, in fact, speed up your metabolism, which will help you burn calories, increase your energy level and replace your fat with muscle. According to Consumer Affairs, three factors control your metabolism, which is the amount of calories your body uses daily. First, your basic metabolic rate is how fast your body spends energy for vital body functions. The rates you spend energy while exercising and during digestion are the other two. If necessary action is taken, you can speed up your metabolism with just a few lifestyle changes.

Instructions

Instructions

• 1

  Eat a healthy breakfast every day. Breakfast is how you start your day and comes after your body has been deprived of food all night, so, in turn, it is the most important meal of the day. Coffee, green tea, whole wheat toast, yogurt and grapefruit are some of the best foods for a balanced, metabolism and energy-increasing breakfast, according to Eco Salon.

• 2

  Eat low-fat foods and cut your calorie intake. Choose healthy foods over fatty foods. Lean meats and vegetables will increase your metabolism, according to Consumer Affairs. Eat more fiber, greatly reduce your sugar intake and reduce your alcohol intake. Some all-star foods for speeding up your metabolism are green vegetables, fish, tomatoes, berries and fruit, 62 oz. of water (per day) and whole grains.

• 3

  Eat smaller, more frequent meals instead of three big meals. Snacking on healthy foods throughout the day allows your body to continue digesting and metabolizing all day -- and it gives you much-needed energy. This is one of the best ways to speed up your metabolism, according to Consumer Affairs. Snack on turkey, almonds, oranges, apples, salad and all vegetables (especially jalapenos, broccoli, spinach, etc.).

• 4

  Avoid smoking. Aside from making exercise a more rigorous and less enjoyable activity, smoking is not a natural part of the human life cycle. Smoking increases your blood pressure and makes it more difficult for your body to burn calories (and slows your metabolism).

• 5

  Exercise consistently and efficiently. This will help reduce body fat, increase muscles and increase the rate food is metabolized. Swimming, walking, bicycling and other aerobic exercises are excellent ways to speed up metabolism and increase energy, and your body will be burning calories for hours after you stop exercising. Muscle tissue metabolizes food faster than fat tissue does, so weightlifting is beneficial in that sense (although it doesn't speed up your metabolism).