Strength training — whether lifting weights or using your own body weight — can support your resting metabolic rate because it builds lean muscle mass , which naturally uses more calories than body fat does.

To improve your body composition, I recommend ideally doing heavy weight training of six to 12 reps, five days a week, for about 45—75 minutes for the best results.

Certain foods slow down digestive processes and increase free radical damage, which is one major cause of aging. This increases inflammation and stress hormone production, which slows down metabolic functioning. When trying to boost your metabolism, I recommend avoiding the following foods as much as possible:.

Certain foods might help the body use and expend energy better. This has to do with the thermic effects of some foods, especially those high in protein, meaning the body works harder to break down and metabolize certain fat-burning foods. Eating enough protein, for example, is tied to a strong metabolism, as are some spicy foods.

Packing in healthy high-protein snacks and sources throughout the day is one the simple metabolism boosters that also keeps you full for longer. Protein is beneficial for keeping energy and blood sugar stable while also helping build calorie-burning lean muscle mass.

Drinking natural forms of caffeine in moderation, like coffee or green tea, is also supportive of a healthy metabolism. Green tea consumption has been considered a natural metabolism booster for centuries thanks to special antioxidant compounds in addition to low levels of caffeine.

Naturally warming foods like cayenne pepper, chili and other spicy ingredients are known to increase heat in the body thanks to an active compound called capsaicin. These antioxidant-packed spices also might help decrease appetite and slow the growth of fat cells. As mentioned above, very low-calorie diets can actually interfere with your ability to burn more calories.

Therefore you want to avoid most fat diets when trying to boost your metabolism. While calorie intake varies from person to person, we all need to meet our needs in order to supply the necessary chemicals that are used for building, upkeep and repair of all body tissues.

Very low-calorie diets miss key nutrients. This robs the body of raw materials like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus or sulfur, which are supplied in carbohydrates, lipids, protein and water from our diets. Meal timing can look differently for different people, with some choosing to eat three square meals a day with fewer snacks, while others prefer eating smaller meals but more often.

Either approach is OK as long as it keeps your energy, blood sugar and hunger levels stable. In addition, to support a healthy and stable weight, one of the most compelling reasons to work on increasing your metabolism is that this keeps us from prematurely aging and getting sick often.

Another benefit of eating enough calories every day is that it helps you maintain a healthier relationship with food. Popular Posts All Time This Week {position} Detox Your Liver: A 6-Step Liver Cleanse. More Health Dr. Axe on Facebook Dr. Axe on Twitter 70 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr.

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Axe on Pintrest Share on Email Print Article Let's Be Friends. 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.

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A meta-analysis found that capsaicin , an active compound found in chili peppers, helps to speed up metabolism and may play a role in weight loss as a result.

The studies included in the analysis used capsaicin supplements, so it cannot be assumed that capsaicin-containing foods which have lower amounts of the compound than concentrated supplements do would have the same effect on metabolism. Beans are an excellent source of protein to keep you feeling satiated — and amino acids , the building blocks of protein, can help preserve muscle mass and thus burn more calories while your body is at rest.

Additionally, the fiber in beans helps to fill you up with fewer calories so you can go for a longer time between meals or eat less overall.

Eating ¾ of a cup each day of beans or legumes was found to contribute to just over half a pound of weight loss over about six weeks, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Unlike refined grains, whole grains contain fill-you-up fiber, are anti-inflammatory, and may be beneficial for weight management. Study participants who substituted whole grains for refined also had increased calorie loss during digestion.

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity looked at overweight and obese adults over an eight-week period. Two sets of participants went on a diet that reduced their energy intake by 1, calories a day. One of these groups ate two eggs for at least five days a week for breakfast and the other group consumed the same amount of calories but ate bagels.

The egg eaters lost 65 percent more body weight, 16 percent more body fat, had a 61 percent greater reduction in body mass index BMI and a 34 percent greater reduction in waist circumference.

The study also looked at two other groups of participants, who did not go on a reduced-calorie diet but followed the same egg or bagel plan.

No statistical differences in weight or fat loss were shown between these sets. Refined grains have the germ and bran removed.

This gives them a finer texture and longer storage life, according to Mayo Clinic. You can find them in white bread, white pasta, white rice, many pastry items, and processed, packaged foods. Unfortunately, they can sabotage weight loss. A study linked a weight gain of 0. Refined grains contain empty calories, lack fiber, and can cause blood sugar spikes.

A study found that eating a high-protein meal with a sugar-sweetened drink may negatively impact energy balance, reduce fat metabolism, and cause the body to store more fat. Since alcohol consumption also negatively affects blood sugar , you might crave sugary foods after a few glasses of wine and the next day feel unmotivated to exercise.

A review found that heavy drinking and binge drinking are associated with an increased risk for obesity. Instead, look for granola made with percent whole grains, nuts, and a limited amount of dried fruit, and avoid those with added sugar and oils. Soybean oil is high in calories and omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation and may contribute to weight gain.

A study noted that soybean oil is the component in the American diet that has increased the most over the past century, paralleling a rise in obesity. Decreasing omega-6 fatty acids and increasing omega-3 fatty acids can aid weight loss, according to a review.

Swap soybean oil and other oils high in omega-6 fatty acids for olive oil or flaxseed oil, or eat fatty fish such as salmon. Rather than making a swap in this case, avoid the processed food altogether and choose whole foods. Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy.

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By Julie Revelant. Medically Reviewed. For instance, your metabolism slows as you age. Also, if you choose practices to help increase your metabolism, you won't necessarily burn more calories or lose weight. Here's what to know about 11 ways to experience improvements in your metabolism.

Interval training—like high-intensity interval training HIIT —is one way to give your metabolism a boost. This type of training can help you take in more oxygen and allow mitochondria, small organs with a cell that help give cells energy, to work harder for energy burn.

When you run, swim, or bike, try to intensify your pace for second intervals before returning to your normal speed. However, ensure you don't overdo interval training. Too much interval training can decrease mitochondrial functioning, glucose tolerance, and insulin release.

Resistance training, also known as strength training, is also an important way to increase metabolism, strength, and endurance. Building muscle through physical activity like strength training can help add some speed to your metabolism, as fat uses fewer calories compared to muscles.

However, the key is to keep your muscles moving to achieve the metabolic benefits. As part of your weekly exercise, you can add in strength training sessions to help your metabolism and make yourself stronger. When you eat significantly fewer calories than normal, your body can adapt to using fewer calories.

This adaptation doesn't help metabolism. To keep your metabolism from slowing while trying to lose weight, you'll want to make sure you have enough calories to at least match your resting metabolic rate RMR.

You can test for your RMR at an RMR testing site near you and work with a registered dietitian to help determine your calorie needs.

Excess postexercise oxygen consumption EPOC occurs when your body can take time to recover from an intense workout and return to its previous RMR. During this period, your body burns more calories than it normally would, even after you stop exercising.

However, the high-calorie burn won't last that long. Within an hour or so after your workout, you'll return to your RMR.

Instead, exercising regularly and intentionally, along with eating balanced meals, can help you get the most out of your metabolism.

Trans fats aren't just bad for your heart—they also slow down your body's ability to burn fat. Trans fats can negatively impact how your body metabolizes essential macronutrients your body needs, like the lipids in your blood and fatty acids. Eating trans fat can cause insulin resistance and inflammation—two factors related to conditions that indicate problems with metabolism, like diabetes and obesity.

Foods high in trans fats include many commercial baked goods and fried foods. Your body takes more time to break down protein than fat or carbs, so you end up feeling fuller for longer.

Because it takes longer to burn protein than carbs or fat, your body uses more energy absorbing the nutrients in a high-protein diet. A quick way to get in more protein is to add whey to a smoothie. Fat oxidation, the process of breaking down fatty acids, and the thermic effect, the extra energy your body needs during digestion, was greater with whey than with soy or casein.

Caffeine speeds up your central nervous system, and that can boost your metabolism. What's more, coffee can give you energy and antioxidants. Coffee also improves energy levels during exercise, helping you work harder and longer and burn more calories in the process. However, the boost that your metabolism gets from caffeine will be small, and you probably won't notice any change in weight because of it.

Green tea and oolong tea may also help increase metabolism. Research has suggested both teas may be able to help you burn more fat. Unfortunately, the effects of the added fat-burning boost from tea won't be enough to affect a person's weight.

It might be beneficial for your metabolism to stand, when possible, or just move around if you're sitting for long periods.

Whenever you're physically active and moving, you can burn more calories compared to if you're stationary or seated. One of the benefits of less stress is a better metabolism: Research suggests that when you're stressed out, your metabolism stalls.

There are a few possible reasons for this, but one is that chronic stress stimulates the production of betatrophin, a protein that inhibits an enzyme needed to break down fat. De-stressing may not always be easy, but it can be achievable in some cases.

You can reduce stress by doing something that you enjoy but also find relaxing, like reading a book or taking a walk. Research has found that sleep is important for regulating your metabolism. One study's findings indicated that, after a few days of sleep deprivation , study participants felt less full after eating and metabolized the fat in their food differently.

While getting enough sleep isn't exactly a boost to your metabolism, it can keep you from experiencing weight gain. It's recommended that adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night. If so, it is a good idea. Athletes perform better when they eat more often in smaller amounts. If you are someone who has a hard time stopping once you start eating, 3 meals a day may make it easier for you to stick to an appropriate intake than lots of little snacks.

What to do: Pay attention to your hunger cues and eat when you feel hungry. Keep track of your daily diet and limit high-sugar, high-fat snacks. A good night's sleep will not boost your metabolism but going without sleep can add weight. Sleep-deprived people tend to eat more calories than they need, possibly to deal with feeling tired.

What to do: Plan your schedule so you have enough time for sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, look into ways to unwind before bedtime and make your bedroom comfortable for sleep.

Talk to your health care provider if self-care tips for better sleep do not help. While it is true that our metabolism is slower than when we were kids, a lot of mid-life weight gain happens because we become less active.

Jobs and family push exercise to the back burner. When we do not move as much, we lose muscle and gain fat. As you get older, you may also have trouble regulating your meals. After a big meal, younger people tend to eat less until their bodies use up the calories.

This natural appetite control seems to fade as people get older. Unless you pay close attention, big meals can quickly add up. What to do: As you get older, it is important to make exercise a regular part of every day.

By staying active and sticking with smaller portions of healthy foods, you can ward off weight gain as you age. Cowley MA, Brown WA, Considine RV. Obesity: the problem and its management.

In: Jameson JL, De Groot LJ, de Kretser DM, et al, eds. Endocrinology: Adult and Pediatric. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; chap Maratos-Flier E. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds.