Found on Mens Health!
Don't Diet
It isn't about eating less, it's about eating more - more nutrition-dense food, to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. By restricting food, you're telling your metabolism to slow down to hold on to existing energy stores. What's worse, if the food shortage continues, you'll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage.
Get More Sleep
A study in Finland looked at sets of identical twins and discovered that of each set of siblings, the twin who slept less and was under more stress had more visceral fat.
Stock Up On Protein
Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. Researchers recommend between 0.8 and 1 gram per pound of body weight. Add a serving, like 3 ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack. Plus, research showed that protein can up post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35%!
Organic
Canadian researchers reported that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experienced a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lost weight. In other words, pesticides make it harder to lose pounds. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. But if it's too expensive, stick to this rule: If you can eat the skin, go organic.
Stand Up!
In one study, researchers discovered that inactivity (4 hours or more) causes a near shutdown in an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat burning, break up long periods of downtime by standing up - for example, while talking on the phone.
Drink Cold Water
German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day can raise the metabolism by about 50 calories daily.
Fire Up Your Taste Buds
It turns out that capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their mouth-searing quality, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chilies boosts your body's production of heat and the activity of your sympathetic nervous system by about 23%!
Eat Breakfast
This jump-starts your metabolism and keeps energy high all day. It's no accident that those who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. And the heartier your first meal is, the better.
Drink Caffeine
Your daily java jolt can rev your metabolism 5 to 8% - about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%.
Add Some Fibre
Fibre can rev your fat burn by as much as 30%. Aim for about 25 g a day - the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.
Pump Up The Iron... Intake
Iron is essential for carrying the oxygen your muscles need to burn fat. Shellfish, lean meats, beans, fortified cereals, and spinach are excellent sources.
Vitamin D
This is essential for preserving metabolism-revving muscle tissue. Good sources: salmon, tuna, fortified milk and cereals, and eggs.
Moooo
There's some evidence that calcium deficiency may slow metabolism. Research shows that consuming calcium in dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may also reduce fat absorption from other foods.
Mmm, Watermelon!
The amino acid arginine, abundant in watermelon, might promote weight loss, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers supplemented the diets of obese mice with arginine over 3 months and found that it decreased body-fat gains by a whopping 64 per cent. Adding this amino acid to the diet enhanced the oxidation of fat and glucose and increased lean muscle, which burns more calories than fat does. Snack on watermelon and other arginine sources, such as seafood, nuts, and seeds, year-round.
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