Healthcare providers sometimes recommend this strategy to help people manage obesity. While medical literature has shown snacking provides some benefits for certain people, like athletes, there is little evidence of a direct metabolic effect.

If you snack, choose nutrient-dense options over foods like cookies, chips, and those with added salts and sugars. The healthiest snacks are nuts, fresh fruit, and vegetables. Additional ways to boost your metabolism include being active, avoiding crash diets, and reducing stress.

Having a sedentary lifestyle can adversely affect your health. It raises the risk of obesity, affects bone and muscle development, and impacts your metabolism. If you sit for work or are constantly seated at home, take breaks to stand or walk.

One study comparing data from Southeast Asia and the United States showed that taking a break to stand or walk every 30 minutes boosted metabolic health in older adults. Countless dietary fads promise to boost your metabolism and manage your weight.

Crash diets focusing on severe food restrictions can prevent your body from getting the nutrients it needs. Aim to eat a variety of foods that provide sufficient calories and essential vitamins and minerals. Blood flow and energy expenditure are redirected from digestion and metabolism to the muscles and the brain.

This slows your metabolic rate, and if the stress persists, this can cause long-term effects. So how can you tell if your metabolism is slow? There can be many signs, with the most common including:.

The thyroid is the small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that regulates metabolism. Low thyroid levels slow your metabolic function and raise the risk of complications, such as high cholesterol or coma. A big part of managing hypothyroidism and preventing these complications is boosting your metabolic rate.

Alongside a prescription of levothyroxine , a synthetic thyroid hormone, lifestyle and dietary changes that promote your metabolism play a key role. Metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy.

Modifiable factors influencing your metabolic rate include diet, physical activity, and sleep. Incorporating a high-protein diet, high-intensity exercise, strengthening, and better sleep habits are among the ways to boost your metabolism naturally.

You may require medication if an underlying condition is affecting your metabolism. Sabounchi NS, Rahmandad H, Ammerman A. Best-fitting prediction equations for basal metabolic rate: informing obesity interventions in diverse populations.

Int J Obes Lond. Can you boost your metabolism? Metallo CM, Heiden MGV. Understanding metabolic regulation and its influence on cell physiology. Mol Cell. Mullur R, Liu YY, Brent GA. Thyroid hormone regulation of metabolism. Physiol Rev. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Metabolic syndrome: causes and risk-factors. Clegg DJ, Mauvais-Jarvis F. An integrated view of sex differences in metabolic physiology and disease. Mol Metab.

Kastenmüller G, Raffler J, Gieger C, Suhre K. Genetics of human metabolism: an update. Hum Mol Genet. Yoo J, Fu Q. Impact of sex and age on metabolism, sympathetic activity, and hypertension. FASEB j. Pesta DH, Samuel VT. A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: Mechanisms and possible caveats.

Nutr Metab Lond. Vij VA, Joshi AS. Effect of 'water induced thermogenesis' on body weight, body mass index and body composition of overweight subjects. J Clin Diagn Res. Tip: Add legumes in an easy and affordable way by putting canned beans on your shopping list.

Try tossing beans in salads, soup recipes or pasta dishes. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Hot peppers like chili peppers and jalapeños contain the chemical capsaicin, which gives these vegetables their heat. Tip: Grill, stuff, steam, bake or stir-fry a serving of peppers, or serve them raw to pair with low-fat dips or cottage cheese.

Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Chicken, turkey and other protein-packed lean meats take more energy for your body to break down than carbohydrate or fat-rich foods, therefore, burning slightly more calories during the digestive process.

Tip: Trim off any visible fat from meat and poultry, including the skin. Low-fat cooking methods include broiling, roasting, sautéing, grilling and baking. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: The calcium and vitamin D found in milk are essential for building dense muscle mass, which is important for overall health.

Tip: Add low-fat milk instead of water to oatmeal, hot cereals and condensed cream soup. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Broccoli is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family. It's known for its high water and fiber content, which is a great combination to help you feel full.

Tip: Eat broccoli steamed or roasted. Or, enjoy it raw with a low-fat veggie dip. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Lentils are a type of legume and are packed with iron, magnesium and potassium. They are a great plant protein and fiber source with 8 grams of each.

Lentils come in a variety of colors including red, brown, green and yellow. All are equally healthy for you. Tip: Adult women should get more than twice the amount of iron as men. One cup of lentils provides about 35 percent of your daily iron needs. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: This is a powerhouse full of fiber that will not only help you last through the morning without hunger but will slow down the release of sugar into your blood stream.

Tip: Start the day with a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning or make overnight oats the night before in a mason jar for an on-the-go breakfast. Metabolism-Boosting Powers: Berries, such as blueberries and strawberries, are low in calories and high in fiber. So consider spicing it up in your kitchen!

L-carnitine is a substance that helps your body turn fat into energy. While your body produces it in your liver and kidneys, you can also find it in meat, dairy products, nuts, and legumes. L-carnitine may be helpful for treating a number of conditions, including heart disease, peripheral artery disease, and diabetic neuropathy.

But its use as a dietary supplement for weight loss is questionable. One study reported in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that L-carnitine might provide some anti-obesity benefits. But more research is needed to assess the benefits and risks of taking L-carnitine supplements for weight loss.

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements , taking too much of it can cause potentially dangerous side effects. Chromium is a mineral that your body uses in small amounts. Chromium picolinate supplements are useful for people who have a chromium deficiency. So far, researchers have given it a thumbs-down.

A pilot study reported in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that chromium picolinate supplements had no effect on weight loss. As with many supplements, research on CLA has found mixed results.

A review of studies published in the European Journal of Nutrition found evidence that CLA may promote weight loss and fat loss, but the effects were small and uncertain. Gastrointestinal problems and fatigue are common side effects of taking CLA supplements, so you may want to pass on this one.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of green tea for weight loss. Few have reported significant results. One study published in Physiology and Behavior does suggest that catechins and caffeine found in green tea may help support weight maintenance.

Resveratrol is a substance found in the skin of red grapes, mulberries, Japanese knotweed, and peanuts. Studies suggest it does burn fat in rats. More clinical trials are needed. Despite the hype, supplements that are promoted as fat busters and metabolism boosters rarely have a significant effect on weight loss.

If you want to shed excess pounds, cutting calories from your diet and exercising more regularly are probably your best bets. Ask your doctor for more advice on losing weight in safe and sustainable ways. And talk to them before trying any weight loss medications or supplements. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Changing how your body burns calories can help you lose weight. Read more on how to increase your metabolism with your diet. What you eat affects your metabolism, making it either easier or harder to lose weight.

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