There are no foods that burn off fat by increasing our metabolism. This concept has unfortunately been the basis of many fad diets. Aerobic exercise burns body fat after about 20 minutes of breaking a sweat but not being short of breath.
Metabolism is the rate at which you burn the calories in the food you eat for energy (fuel) and absorb nutrients to build or repair body tissues. This process can occur with (aerobic) or without oxygen (anaerobic). Your metabolism is affected by gender (males being higher than females), growth periods (infants, children, and teens) thyroid, menopause, stress (illness, fever), pregnancy, breastfeeding, exercise, the amount of muscle compared to body fat, and age. Other factors like starvation or quick weight loss diets with less than 1200 calories reduce metabolism in an effort to keep a person alive longer. Persons with eating disorders like anorexia (starvation/famine) and bulimia(binge/vomit) also develop lower metabolic rates because of the inconsistent availability of fuel for the body. Metabolism can slow down even with gradual weight loss, but that can be countered with a regular exercise program lasting 60 minutes, 5 times a week.
Try my Healthy Body Calculator® to determine calorie needs for metabolism (BMR) including daily activities and health goals like weight loss.
