As we get older, we get wiser, but our metabolism slows down. Here are some wise foods to chew on to help speed up your metabolism. 

Speaking of chewing, when you’re trying to speed up your metabolism, think chewy foods. Foods like lean protein, nuts, fruits and veggies can help speed things up, but there’s a catch. You have to eat them in their most whole state, like eating an apple instead of processed applesauce. High protein foods like nuts, fish and meats take longer to leave your stomach, so you’re fuller longer and don’t over eat. When you’re eating think about how long it takes for you to chew your food and anything that takes longer to chew is going to actually help your calorie burn by up to 10 percent.


I’ve never met a carb I didn’t like, which I thought was bad for me, but now that I found out I have high cholesterol, turns out that’s a good thing. Whole grains, brown rice and healthy cereals are full of fiber and take up more room in your stomach, which leaves less room for a heaping second helping. Fruits and vegetables piled on top of that are also packed with fiber.


Eating gives you energy, and there are a few foods that actually boost your energy levels and speed up your metabolism. My favorite kind of energy is liquid. Drink up in the morning as coffee, black tea and green tea give you a metabolism boost, but be careful not to load them up with fatty creams and sugar. Caffeine acts as a stimulant and can up your calorie burn by 128 calories per day. Green tea doesn’t have as much caffeine, but it does contain antioxidants that can boost your metabolism by about 80 calories per day. My favorite part about this? Chocolate isn’t off the table. Dark chocolate contains caffeine and antioxidants, but more than an ounce per day outweigh the benefits, but still. We can eat chocolate!


Have you ever wondered what gives some peppers their heat? It’s a chemical called capsaicin and it can actually double your burn for several hours after eating. Even mild peppers have a small amount of capsaicin that can burn an extra 100 calories per day by attaching itself to receptors that tell your brain to burn fat. Not a fan of peppers? Good news is that cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and garlic all contain capsaicin, and it also comes in pill form.

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