You hear this term being thrown around a lot.
Metabolism, metabolism metabolism.
But what exactly is it?

Think of yourself as a car. Your metabolism is your top speed.
Just like cars, a lot of factors go into why certain cars are able to go at certain speeds - that includes the body kit (physical fitness), petrol type (the food you consume) and also the handling (your fitness level).

So, suffice to say that anyone can go from a wheezing truck to a Ferrari. How? Read on.



DON'T DIET
The first rule of thumb is that:  It’s about eating more, not less — more nutrition-dense food, to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. It’s important, because restricting your body from food will kill your metabolism. Your body will be thinking, “I’m starving here!” And it responds by SLOWING your metabolic rate in order to hold on to existing energy stores. If the food shortage (aka your crash diet) continues, you’ll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism drops even more, and fat goes on to claim even more territory. You don't want to go from tight to flabby, do you? So eat more, especially protein based food! I will be listing down some great metabolic-revving food you can eat a lot of at the end of the post. Also, read up on what DIET really is.





GO FOR ORGANIC (WHEN YOU CAN)
Okay, first of all, I'm a person who believe that 'organic food' is a marketing strategy to boost up profits for a super mart. However, based on research, it is found that pesticides found in your local produce make it harder to lose pounds. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. Of course, it’s not always easy to find—or to afford—a whole bunch of organic produce. So you need to know when organic counts, and when it’s not that important. Organic onions, avocados, grapefruit? Not necessary. But choose organic when buying celery, peaches, strawberries, bell peppers, or collard greens; they tend to have the highest levels of pesticides. A simple rule of thumb: If you can eat the skin, go organic. However, I would like to stress that this shouldn't be a very huge concern. Organic or not, food is food.



DRINK COLD WATER
German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed five pounds in a year. This theory is based on your body's need to keep  itself warm and the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature uses energy. Though the extra calories you burn drinking a single glass don’t amount to much, making it a habit can add up to pounds lost with essentially zero additional effort. So, drink up!





FIRE IN YOUR BELLY
I love love love spicy food, and that's what I mean by fire (not real fire unless you're a licensed fire-eater). Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their mouth-searing quality, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about one tablespoon of chopped red or green chilies boosts your body’s production of heat. The result: a temporary metabolism spike of about 23 percent. It is also true that eating spicy food gives you a feeling of fullness & satiety, so you'll be eating much less. So, order in something spicy or, you can always try some of my favorite, easy-to-make spicy dishes - the basil chicken and the Thai tom yum soup. Certified belly busters & tongue-searers.


EAT YOUR BREAKFAST
Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. It’s no accident that those who skip this meal are 4.5 times more likely to be obese. And the heartier your first meal is, the better. That way, you won't feel that nasty urge to overeat during lunch and dinner. Keep munching on some light, healthy snacks throughout the day as well to keep your stomach away from feeling hungry.



And there you have it, some pretty easy to follow guidelines for some good ol' metabolism boost. As promised, I also have a few metabolism boosting food that you can incorporate into your daily intake.

SPINACH - A great source of iron
WATER - Always the best zero-calorie beverage
ALMONDS - Best fiber-packed snack
GREEN TEA - Best cleansing, antioxidant beverage
CHILLIES/PEPPERS - For a tasty, calorie-torching meal
SPICES - A burst of naturally exotic flavors for your tastebuds
OATMEAL - The best fiber-packed breakfast meal
ORANGES/KIWIS - Packed with Vitamin C
BROCCOLI - Delicious greens with proven cancer fighting properties

So really, is getting healthy really that impossible? It's the first step to a healthier, fitter YOU. Always remember, from truck to Ferrari. You can also read up about matching up the best health foods for maximum nutrient value plus what sort of foods to steer clear of. Once you have your food intake under wing, you can then learn of the principles of burning calories physically.

Stay fit, stay healthy! :)