Your body is always burning calories and anything that increases this burn is technically making your metabolism faster. Check out our 30 minute talk on how to boost your metabolism. However, there are some foods and drinks that can speed up your metabolism at an even faster rate! Here are five of them:

1. Pack on the Protein 💪

Eating food can increase your metabolism for a few hours. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It’s caused by the energy required to digest, absorb and process the nutrients in your meal. Protein causes the largest rise in TEF. It can help you have a faster metabolism by 15-30%–compared to only 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fats. Eating protein has also been shown to help you feel more full and prevent you from overeating.

2. Change The Temperature of Your Water 💧

This one may surprise you! Did you know that the temperature of the water you drink can actually help you have a faster metabolism?

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First of all, any water is better than no water. Water in general is better than almost any other beverage, especially those sugar-packed ones. People who drink water instead of sugary drinks are more successful at losing weight and keeping weight off. Studies have shown that drinking 17 ounces (0.5 liters) of water increases resting metabolism by 10-30% for about an hour.

Now here’s the surprising part: The calorie-burning effect of drinking water may be even greater if you drink cold water, as your body uses energy to heat it up to body temperature. So next time you’re filling up your water bottle or glass, add some extra ice cubes for a faster metabolism!

3. Have a Cuppa ☕

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Green tea and oolong tea have been shown to increase metabolism by 4-5%. These teas help convert some of the fat stored in your body into free fatty acids, which may increase fat burning by 10-17%. Drinking these teas may be good for both weight loss and weight maintenance! However, some studies have found this metabolism-boosting effect may be small or only apply to some people. If you’re more of a coffee drinker than a tea sipper, be sure to check out how coffee and caffeine affect your blood sugars.

4. Increase Your Fiber 🥬

The body can’t digest most fibers, but it tries to! While your body is trying to digest that fiber, you are burning more calories. Fiber is also great for our gut health, which plays an important role in many of our biological functions, such as immunity. If you don’t get enough dietary fiber, try drinking a glass of water with psyllium-based fiber before meals. This can also help you to feel fuller sooner!

5. Coconut Oil 🥥

Unlike other saturated fats, coconut oil is relatively high in medium-chain fats. Medium-chain fats are more likely to lead to a faster metabolism than other fats. For example, butter is a long-chain fat that increases metabolism by only 4%. However, medium-chain fats can help you have a 12% faster metabolism! Due to its unique fatty acid profile, replacing other cooking fats with coconut oil may have modest benefits for weight loss.

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