10 Foods That Are Great For Your Metabolism

Metabolism is a tricky thing. When we were younger our metabolisms seemed to be through the roof, and we could eat seemingly anything without gaining an ounce. But once we got older they began to slow down, making it harder and harder to lose weight, and keep it off. Thankfully, there are some foods that can help us speed our metabolisms back up, and we've rounded up 10 of them.

10 Foods That Are Great for Your Metabolism (Slideshow)

So what is metabolism, exactly? According to WebMD, "Metabolism is the process of breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to yield the energy your body needs to maintain itself." In short, it's how quickly your body breaks down the foods you eat and turns them into energy. Your metabolism is at its highest when the body needs energy — namely, when we're exercising and right afterward — but unless you're a professional athlete, there will be plenty of downtime, when the foods we eat aren't converted into anything except a bulging belly.

Aside from exercise, eating every two to three hours is also a great way to boost metabolism, because it tells our bodies that we aren't going to starve and that it doesn't need to store foods we eat as fat (if we eat barely anything during the day and have a huge dinner, for example, our bodies will store fat out of fear that the next meal will never come). That doesn't mean mindless grazing, though: each time you eat, your mini-meal should contain high-fiber fruits and vegetables and healthy protein like chicken, eggs, or nuts.

Different foods have different effects on our metabolism, for different reasons. But it's been proven that these 10 foods are indisputably good for boosting it and helping you lose weight.