Do you feel like you’re eating less, but somehow still gaining weight? 

This problem occurs when your body is conserving energy instead of burning excess fat. Fortunately, there are many foods that can help to accelerate your metabolism, consequently helping you to get rid of excess weight. Here we present a few of them:

Water

To "wake up" and speed up your metabolism, your primarily tool is to drink more fluids. Water purifies the body and helps to expel harmful toxins and stimulate digestion and weight loss. Specifically, try to drink cold water because the body consumes more calories trying to warm the water up, and this in turn serves to burn fat. Also, more often than not, people tend to confuse the feeling of thirst with that of hunger, so the next time you think you’re hungry and reach for a snack, first try with a glass of water and wait five minutes- chances are that you're just thirsty.

Eggs

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it "wakes up" your body and activates your metabolism for the rest of the day. Eggs are a common choice for the first daily meal, which is good, because they are one of the best sources of protein. Furthermore, eggs contain all nine essential amino acids that the body needs to build muscle tissue. Greater muscle mass leads to a faster metabolism, and also results in more calories burned even when you’re at a standstill.

Dairy Products

Dairy products are rich in proteins that help you quickly feel full when eating, as well as speed up your metabolism. Also, these foods clean your intestines and help regulate digestion. Including milk products in your diet can help prevent the absorption of fats from the other foods you eat during the day. When buying dairy products, look for those with increased protein content and combine them with berries and whole grains. Be careful not to consume too much, however, since many dairy products are high in calories. 

Cereals

Besides being rich in fiber, whole grains contain magnesium and chromium. These two minerals play a very important role in lowering cholesterol levels in the blood (for those who don’t know, cholesterol is a stress hormone that drives the body to store fat around the waist). Oatmeal helps in regulating blood sugar levels and helping you feel full longer. In addition to helping you digest food properly, helping you feel full will also help you lose weight.

Sesame Seeds and Flax

Studies have shown that phytochemicals contained in these seeds increase the burning of fat by increasing the secretion of liver enzymes that break down fat cells. Many studies have proven that protein and essential fatty acid are speeding metabolism, and these seeds are rich in both. They are also a rich source of minerals and fibers.

Tomato juice

Tomato juice can easily make a delicious drink that will help to speed up the metabolism, and will help you get rid of excess pounds. A cup of tomato juice mixed with a bit of squeezed lemon, a teaspoon of grated ginger and a hot pepper makes for an excellent fat burning treat. Blend all of the ingredients together and add two stalks of celery to the resulting beverage. You should refrigerate this fresh beverage and drink it three times a day, between meals.

Nuts

Nuts, especially almonds, contain a lot of alpha-linoleic acid which help in speeding up the metabolism. Nuts are rich in fiber and thus help to reduce your overall caloric intake, and have been proven to help you burn fat faster. In addition to almonds, peanuts are also suitable for accelerating the metabolism because eating them generates a strong thermal reaction, which means that the organism consuming them burns extra calories during digestion. The recommended serving is a handful of nuts a day.

Green tea

Caffeine is the main stimulant of the central nervous system. Daily intake of caffeine can speed up metabolism 5 to 8 percent, or 98 to 174 calories per day. According to a Japanese study, a cup of green tea can speed up your metabolism up to 12 percent.

Green tea also regulates blood pressure by decreasing the production of insulin in the body. This prevents the storage of fat and helps with control of appetite. Catechins, which are abundant in green tea, rapidly stimulate the liver to burn fat and remove it from the body. Five cups of green tea without the addition of sugar is the perfect way to clear your body and accelerate your metabolism.

By Tijana Milojevic