Ballerific Health: Five Simple Choices to Boost Your Metabolism

Let’s face it, none of are getting any younger. At some point in our lives we will have to battle the inevitable evil monster—Slow Metabolism. Metabolism is the process at which our body naturally burns calories and converts the food we eat into the energy that we need to do things such as think, grow and move. When a metabolism slows, your body will not convert as much of the fuels from your food into energy; it will start to convert it into fat. A slowing metabolism can be reversed by not only lifting weights, exercising or ending the midnight snacks, but can be sped up by consuming certain foods and drinks. There are many foods and drinks that can help with metabolism. Here’s a list of my favorites:

Green tea. Green tea contains caffeine which causes your heart rate to increase, burning more calories. It also contains catechins that burn belly fat. Green tea can increase the rate at which you burn calories up to 25%.

Black Coffee. Like green tea, coffee contains caffeine that burns calories. Just one cup of black, caffeinated coffee can burn 15% more calories.

Hot Peppers/Spicy foods. Red hot chili peppers, cayenne peppers or any kind of spicy food can burn more than just your mouth–they burn calories. Spicy peppers contain capsaicin which increases your body temperature, in-turn, burning the fat right off.

Fish. Fish such as salmon and tuna are high in protein and omega-3s. Fish builds muscle, which burns calories, and reduces your fat storage by lowering your cortisol level.

Beans. Vitamin B deficiency can leave you feeling tired, maybe even too tired to work out. Beans are an excellent source of vitamin B and are high in starch and fiber. Foods high in starch and fiber require the body to work harder to break it down; therefore, speeding your metabolic rate and burning some extra calories.

When you make small lifestyle choices like switching black pepper for cayenne pepper or choosing green tea over a cappuccino with extra whip, a noticeable change will occur. When you speed your metabolism you will feel and see the difference.

This list is by no means is all inclusive of the wonderful foods available to defeat a slow metabolism. I recommend doing additional research on your own. Happy and healthy living!