Can what you eat make you burn fat faster? “Metabolism is the driving force of life,” says Trinh Le, MPH, RD, via Foodsmart. “Specifically, it’s the sum of the chemical reactions that take place in your body. These reactions are powered by energy (read: calories), and you get that energy from food. Leftover energy is then stored as fat. Fast metabolizers burn through energy quicker than slow metabolizers.” Certain foods are known to boost metabolism and encourage faster weight loss, and one food combination in particular could speed up fat-burning. Here’s what the experts say.
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Protein and Metabolism
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Protein takes more energy to burn off than any other nutrient. “Foods high in protein help with weight loss because they make us feel more satiated after a meal,” Le says. “But, did you know that high-protein foods can also increase your metabolic rate? That’s because it takes more energy to digest and process protein than carbohydrates and fat.”
Capsaicin and Metabolism
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Spicy foods containing capsaicin also boost metabolism. “Capsaicin helps increase your core temperature, increase metabolism and helps burn calories faster,” clinical dietitian Haley Robinson tells Piedmont Healthcare. “Research has shown that it could increase your metabolism by up to 5 percent.”
Combining Protein and Capsaicin
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Adding hot sauce to your chicken wings makes sense from a fat-burning angle. “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,” says UnityPoint Health. “Capsaicin increases your body’s internal temperature which temporarily helps you burn more calories.”
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Build Muscle, Too
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While certain foods can boost your metabolism, building muscle is key for fat-burning. “We often make a beeline for the treadmills and ellipticals when we want to shed pounds, but did you know that hitting the weight room is also good for weight loss?” Le says. “That’s because muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, even when you’re laying down. Try to add strength training to your workout routine at least once a week.”
Embrace the Cold
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Turning down the thermostat can also help boost your metabolism. “We all have a special type of fat (called brown fat) that burns energy to help us stay warm,” Le says. “In a small clinical trial, researchers showed that lowering bedtime room temperatures helped study participants build more brown fat. The science is still new, but it suggests that cooler temperatures may boost metabolism.”