20 Foods That Will Speed Up Your Metabolism

Metabolism is the body's internal process of breaking down the food you eat and turning it into energy. The faster your metabolism the easier it is to maintain or even lose weight. Although there are many factors that impact a body's metabolism, including hormones, stress, gender, and age, there are several easy ways to naturally boost it as well.

In addition to diet and exercise, other ways to boost your metabolism include:

—Don't starve yourself to cut calories. Your body believes it's starving and metabolism slows down instead.

—Eat five to six small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism moving.

—Skip alcohol before a meal. Your body will burn the alcohol first and the rest of the meal will be stored as fat.

—Load up on several small servings of low-fat dairy such as skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and cheeses three to four times per day so that the calcium can rev up your metabolism.

Along with these tips, try incorporating these 20 foods that are guaranteed to help give your metabolism a boost.

Always consult your physician or your registered nutritionist before starting any diet.