Foods to Eat to Increase Metabolism

Metabolism is a bodily process that involves the conversion of foods into energy the body can use. It's a biochemical process; the calories from fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are unified with oxygen and released into energy the body uses to function. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you are capable of burning. There are some foods that will boost your metabolic rate naturally.

Chili Peppers

• According to Angelo Tremblay, a professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine from the Laval University located in Canada, the consumption of chili peppers helps to elevate the metabolic rate. The capsaicin in hot chili peppers stimulates your metabolic processes and diminishes your appetite simultaneously. Calorie burning from hot chili peppers is highest right after eating them. Other spicy foods offer similar effects, including ginger and black pepper. After consuming the spicy food, your metabolic process can increase by as much as 8 percent. Since spicy foods are hot and have thermogenic properties, you are forced to burn more calories to cool your body down. This cooling process improves the metabolic process.

Whey Protein

• Rye bread and whey protein supplements help to boost your metabolic rate. Whey protein is a protein specifically derived from cow's milk and converted into powder form; the proteins in milk consist of 20 percent whey and 80 percent casein. Whey protein is more nutritious than other forms of protein and is more soluble than casein. When whey protein is consumed, it forces the body to feel full, and enhances the rate of your metabolism; thus, digesting proteins causes the body to require more energy. Finally, whey protein products contain leucine, which is needed for maintaining muscle mass and tonality; more muscles means a faster metabolic rate and faster calorie burning. You can use a whey protein supplement one time daily to gain metabolic-boosting benefits.

Almonds

• Consuming a cup a day of protein-packed almonds can help increase your metabolism because they contain protein, fatty acids and fiber. When you eat almonds, your body requires more energy to digest them; this forces the metabolism to work harder and increase its rate. Your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does processing carbohydrates or fat. Almonds are also an important source of magnesium, which aids the metabolic process.

Meats

• If you are looking to increase your metabolic rate, eat meat, particularly lean red meat, at least once a week. Red meat variants have creatine monohydrates that aid the body in the generation of creatine phosphate. Red meat also contains high protein values, and protein and creatine phosphate are needed for muscle mass. Lean meats, not marbleized, are preferable to ensure a lower fat content.

Water Intake

• After you consume just 16 ounces of water, your metabolism will rise in roughly 10 minutes. After 40 minutes, your metabolic rate will increase as much as 30 percent. This marked elevation in your metabolic rate will continue for an hour after the water has been consumed. It has been further estimated that if you follow the recommendation of drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, your body will burn off as many as 35,000 extra calories a year. According to Jens Jordan, MD, make sure the water is cold; you burn more calories as your body warms the water to body temperature.