Fire Up Your Metabolism With These 9 Foods

Eating certain foods can give that sluggish metabolism a boost.

Metabolism, a collection of chemical reactions that takes place in the body's cells, switches the food you eat into energy. And the thousands of metabolic reactions that happen at the same time — all regulated by the body — keep your cells healthy and working. As metabolism is involved in everything you do, from moving to breathing and thinking, it’s important to keep it strong and healthy. Boosting metabolism is also important if you are struggling to lose weight, as the rate at which your body burns calories and converts fuel (food) to energy can impact how easily you gain or lose weight.

Many factors can influence metabolism,whether genes, age, enzyme secretion, chronic disease conditions or medications, yet we can give it a jolt by incorporating some good habits to our lifestyles, including making sure we get enough sleep, reducing stress, exercising regularly and building muscle tone. Knowing the right things to eat and drink is extremely important too.

So here’s a list of certain foods that can step-up your metabolism and improve your chances of burning fat and leading a healthier, longer life.

By Roula Allam and Mounifa Sweid

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Egg whites: Egg whites are rich in amino acids, which boost your metabolism, says Chicago nutritionist David Grotto, RDN. On top of that, eggs are rich in proteins and vitamin D.

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Lean meats, lentils and fortified cereals: The majority of women suffer from iron deficiency, which can slow metabolism. Your body can’t burn calories properly when it’s missing what it needs to work properly. So eating foods rich in iron, like lean meats, lentils and fortified cereals is important.