How, when and what you eat can trick your metabolism into slowing down or speeding up. Think of your metabolism as a processing mechanism that breaks down what you eat and converts it into energy. At the same time, your metabolism is, essentially, you. If you lie on your couch munching potato chips, your metabolism isn't going to transform the empty fat and carbs you just ate into sufficient energy to run a couple of laps, even though this might be your noble intention. You're just lying there, after all. You just lost your argument with your metabolism.
Eat Often
Eat all your meals. You might feel tempted to skip breakfast, or even lunch, but this will only prompt your metabolism to slow down. No food means starvation has set in, hence, your body shuts down to protect itself from weight loss -- the exact opposite of what you want. Chewing, digesting, and absorbing food, on the other hand, stimulates your metabolism, according to Jim White, a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
Eat Smartly
Some foods require more effort to eat or digest than others. Protein, for instance, uses up more calories for digestion than simple carbohydrates. According to Dr. Darwin Dean, author of "Nutrition for Life," you should include lean protein in all your meals. In addition, some foods take a lot of effort to eat, such as celery, which consists of 95 percent water but is quite chewy and stringy, making it labor intensive to eat. There are other "negative-calorie" vegetables, such as cabbage and lettuce, but ultimately, according to Cathy Nonas, director of obesity and diabetes programs at North General Hospital in Harlem, and as reported by the New York Times, the calories expanded while eating those vegetables are negligeable.
Drink Your Tea
In clinical studies, green tea has been found to boost metabolism and thus help burn fat. Some researchers think it is the polyphenols that cause this increased fat burning. On the other hand, it might be the caffeine contained in green tea that is responsible for this phenomenon. Coffee stimulates adrenaline, which in turn speeds up metabolism, says White.
Move
While all the above is good advice, it will not do you much good unless you actually get up and move around. The best way to boost your metabolism is to be physically active. Anything that raises your heart rate, even if it is in 10 minute increments throughout the day, will boost your metabolism, as will building muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn, including while you are at rest.
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