Scientific studies have actually shown that chilli peppers enhance our diet-induced thermogenesis. The active ingredient capsaicin found in hot peppers such as chilli and cayenne can potentially increase the rate of calorie burn as your body processes it. So, it’s no surprise that the spicy chilli is considered among the foods that speed up your metabolism. If you eat a super-hot chilli, your face can flush and you can even start sweating. This is why it’s often touted as one of the best foods to eat to lose belly fat. Protein can increase your metabolic rate by up to 30% for a few hours after you’ve eaten it. 5Īll food burns calories just by being digested – but protein is the top of this list. One study found that there was an elevation of energy expenditure after eating them. Nuts are among the foods with high thermic effect – meaning they take more energy to digest and be used by the body.įull of unsaturated fat, protein and fibre, nuts are relatively slow to digest and can cause a temporary boost in your metabolic rate. 4 What should I eat to increase my metabolism?Ĭheck out our list of foods that increase metabolism: This is known as the ‘thermic effect of food’. 3Ī handful of nuts, on the other hand, which is rich in protein and fibre, is going to take more time and effort – and subsequently energy – for your body to digest.Īnd the more energy your body spends doing an activity, whether hiking a mountain or digesting a meal, the more calories you’ll burn. This makes sense when you think about it – a sugary, refined carbohydrate-heavy food like a glazed doughnut is going to hit your bloodstream very quickly and disintegrate rapidly in the stomach. This is based on the idea that some foods require more energy to break them down than others. You can try certain foods to increase metabolism. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest. Some people’s bodies burn more energy than others. These processes, such as breathing, breaking down food, building living tissues, repairing damaged cells - all burn calories. This is why people commonly refer to the metabolism in terms of fat burning.

1Ī key element of the metabolism is to convert the food we eat into energy with which to fuel these chemical processes. ‘Metabolism’ is the overall term given to the huge range of chemical processes which take place in all living cells in the body. In fact, your metabolism has a hand in all your body’s systems. People generally use the word metabolism only in relation to fat burning and weight loss. Instead of trying yet another restrictive food plan, it might be time to see if you can revamp your metabolism using nutritious foods instead.

Have you been trying to lose weight, but it just won’t seem to shift?

Foods that speed up metabolism list