Top 3 Foods That Boost Metabolism and Burn Fat

There are many foods that boost metabolism and burn fat, which can help make your weight loss goals much easier to achieve.

Before we get to those, let’s take a look at how your metabolism works. Your metabolism determines how quickly calories are burned (used as energy) by your body, which determines how quickly you gain or lose weight. When your cells need energy, first carbohydrates are broken down, then fat, then protein. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose that your body uses for energy. Any excess carbohydrates will be stored in fat cells.

Up to 75% of the calories you ingest in a day are used for normal daily bodily functions like your heart, brain, cell regeneration, and more. Ten percent of the calories you eat are used for digestion, while the remaining 15-25% of calories are burned through exercise. Your body mass also plays a factor. The larger your body mass is, the more calories you need and the more you burn.

As you get older, at around age 40, you lose 5% of your lean body mass. This percentage increases every decade. Men typically burn calories more quickly than women because they usually have a bigger body mass, plus more lean muscle mass. Heredity also plays a part in your metabolic rate.

See: How Many Calories Do I Burn in a Day

In order to burn calories, you have to eat calories. Eating every four to five hours is the best way to boost your metabolism. Eating even something small for breakfast is very important. During the night your body has been in a fasting state, and your metabolism will be slowed down. In order to get your metabolism running strong again, you have to eat first thing in the morning, as well as regularly throughout the day.

See: 9 Quick Fixes to Quiet Hunger Pains

Which are the best foods that boost metabolism and burn fat?

Lean Meat and Protein
The first metabolism-boosting food is lean meat. Your body has to work hard to digest and process protein, which boosts your metabolism because a lot of energy is expended just to digest the protein you eat. Adding protein to every meal will give you the largest possible boost to your metabolism. Good protein sources are lean chicken, turkey, fish, and lean cuts of beef and pork. Vegetarian alternatives would include beans, lentils, and tofu.

See: Do You Eat These High Protein Diet Foods?

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Another great food that boosts metabolism and burns fat is dark green, leafy vegetables. They are high in fiber and rich in iron, which helps in the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Spinach, for example, is very low calorie and contains great antioxidants and vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.

See: Top 5 Healthy Dark Green Vegetables

Water
Of the foods that boost metabolism and burn fat, the most important one isn’t technically a “food” – it’s a beverage. That’s right, it’s water!

If you don’t drink enough water, your metabolism will be sluggish, period. Your liver and other organs need water in order to process nutrients and burn fat. Not only is water essential for fat burning, it’s vital for all bodily functions, including brain function, heart function, lung function, and muscle function.

How much water do you need to drink for maximum fat burning results? It’s easy to calculate your water requirements. The best way to calculate your daily water requirement is to divide your current weight in half, and use that as the amount of ounces you should drink each day.

Let’s say you weigh 140 pounds; divide that in half to get approximately 70 ounces. If you drink bottled water, this can be easily tracked by drinking three 20 ounce bottles per day. The other 10 ounces of water will probably be part of your food and other beverage intake. (Taking into consideration that you also get water from the foods you eat and other beverages you drink, your actual water intake can be a little less than your calculated amount.)

See: Boost Your Workouts With This Zero Calorie Nutrient

There you have it; three essential foods that boost metabolism and burn fat. Make them a daily staple in your diet and you’ll be a fat-burning machine in no time.

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