8 Foods to Give Your Metabolism the Boost It Needs

Updated on 6/25/2018 at 5:15 PM

Have you ever had that friend who can eat whatever they want and never gain weight? Or sometimes think about how when you were younger, regardless of all the doughnuts and cookies you stuffed in your mouth, it never made an impact on your waistline? Well, some people are blessed with a speedy metabolism, but for the rest of us, it tends to slow down when we get older. In an effort to lose weight, we sometimes restrict the amount of food we're eating, but that's not always the right choice. We need to make sure we're turning to healthy foods, and the type that speed up your metabolism are great to keep on hand. We spoke with Dr. Alissia Zenhausern, NMD, and Rebecca Lee, RN, to round up the eight best foods to speed up your metabolism.

Fiber

Foods rich in soluble fiber are important to add to your daily diet. Soluble fiber gets converted into fatty acids and are then used as an energy source for the body. Once dissolved into a liquid in the body, a gel is formed in the gut that "slows the emptying of the stomach, leading to a prolonged feeling of fullness," Lee told POPSUGAR. She also added that fiber can be found in a wide variety of foods such as oats, barley, and rye, fruits that contain pectin, like apples, plums, and oranges, root vegetables, like carrots and potatoes, and legumes, such as soybeans, kidney beans, and lentils.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has been said to do everything from helping improve your energy levels to boosting your immunity, but it's also a powerful tool for increasing your metabolism. ACV "helps increase the amount of fat burned for energy," according to Dr. Zenhausern. It also only contains three calories per tablespoon and is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like "potassium, magnesium, fiber, amino acids, and antioxidants," Lee told POPSUGAR. You can drink ACV, mix it into a homemade salad dressing, or add it to your morning lemon-water concoction; but while there are a variety of ways to consume in, just make sure you're not exceeding the recommended daily amount.

Legumes

A wide range of foods, including peanuts, peanut butter, lentils, peas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, and more are a part of the legume family. They contain both protein and fiber. "Not only do legumes require your body to burn a greater number of calories to digest [due to their high protein content], legumes also contain fiber, which helps feed your 'good' gut bacteria, [thereby] helping [to] improve the environment for your gut," Dr. Zenhausern told POPSUGAR.

Water

It's incredibly important to make sure you're drinking enough water each day. When our bodies lack proper water intake, symptoms like fatigue, dehydration, increased hunger, and digestion problems can occur, along with a slow-down in your metabolism. According to Lee, "Drinking water boosts the metabolism due to a process known as water-induced thermogenesis. When you drink a glass of cold, or even room-temperature, water, your system has to burn calories to heat it up to your body temperature."

Protein

Foods rich in protein can help to keep you fuller for longer. In comparison to carbohydrates and fat, protein takes longer to digest, which means you burn more calories because your body has to work harder to digest them. "This increases your energy demands, speeding up your metabolism," Dr. Zenhausern said. Since protein keeps you satiated for longer and increases your metabolism, "eating more protein may allow you to lose weight without much effort," said Lee.

Coffee

While there are both pros and cons to consuming coffee, there are studies that prove that it has been shown to improve your metabolism. Dr. Zenhausern noted that, according to these studies, drinking three cups of coffee (about 270 mg), can "burn an extra 300 calories a day." However, in order to reap these benefits, it is important to ensure that you are drinking your coffee black, as opposed to adding sweeteners or dairy to it. For extra flavor and an additional metabolism boost, try adding ground cinnamon to your coffee instead.

Seaweed

Seaweed is more than just the perfect addition to your ramen, it also contains an essential mineral called iodine. Iodine is used in the body to aid in proper thyroid function. Patients of Dr. Zenhausern who have underlying thyroid issues tend to struggle with losing weight. "Your thyroid health is a huge component of your metabolism," said Dr. Zenhausern. Because seaweed contains iodine, it's no wonder that it has been called the ocean's superfood.

Green Tea

Green tea has been used for centuries due to its health benefits like sickness prevention and stress relief, but it's also great for our metabolism. Green tea is rich in substances like antioxidants called catechins and caffeine, which can increase metabolism when they work together. "They help to boost levels of the hormone, norepinephrine, which signals for stored fat to be released into the bloodstream so that it can be used as energy," Lee told POPSUGAR. However, not all green teas are made equal, so it's important to research companies and brands. Additionally, "the amount of catechins in a cup of green tea varies depending on the precise type of tea, the ratio of tea to water, and how long it is left to infuse," according to Lee.