Coffee and Tea
Coffee is a stimulant that contains caffeine. Coffee can help you stay awake but can also boost energy expenditure and speed up your metabolism. Don't be afraid to drink a cup of Joe.
Green Tea
Green tea has compounds called phenols that have great thermogenic properties beyond that explained by its caffeine content. Drink green tea hot or cold to promote energy expenditure.
Spice it up with Heat
Some plants contain the bioactive ingredient capsaicin, which not only makes them spicy hot, but also doubles energy expenditure for 3 hours after a meal, boosting your metabolism. It may also work to decrease appetite centers in the brain by boosting the release of certain neurotransmitters. Add these to your recipes:
- Red peppers
- Cayenne
- Jalapeños
- Habaneros
- Tabasco
Ginger
Ginger aids in digestion and increases body temperature and metabolic rates as much as 20 percent after eating. Add fresh ginger to stir-fried vegetables for an energy invigorating meal.
Exercise Less Intensity
Intense exercise requires more energy than resting on the couch. Turns out that when the body needs energy during intense exercise it goes for the more easily metabolized foodstuff first like carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are quickly turned into energy and require less energy to metabolize. To burn fat, you need to perform exercise more often and less intensely. It's true that intense exercise can burn calories and build muscle mass that will burn energy more efficiently, but it is the steady fire that will help to improve metabolism. The best strategy is to alternate brief intense exercise with slow and steady moderate exercise.
Remember...
You burn more calories digesting good food then eating empty calories in junk food.