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Eating food increases energy metabolism in two ways. The first results from the energy needed to digest the nutrients and fibre in your food. The second relates to the activation of your nervous system to stimulate your metabolic rate. The effect of just eating can add to energy use by 10% and reaches its maximum effectiveness within one hour after eating.

Believe it or not, there are foods that speed up your metabolism and take short cuts to your fat stores, helping you lose weight:

My Top 6 Pick of Foods to Pack More Punch into Your Metabolism

1. Almonds: A great source of monounsaturated essential fatty acids, antioxidant, protein, trace minerals and the hunger suppressant, tryptophan.

2. Broccoli: If there was ever a super-hero of food, this would surely be the one! Packed with cancer fighters, immunity boosters, phytonutrients and detoxifiers - not to mention its ability to rev your metabolism - this king of foods is easy to prepare and delicious to eat.

3. Chilli: All that heat you feel after eating hot chilli peppers takes energy and calories to produce. Even sweet red peppers have been found to contain capsaicin, the substance in chilli that increases your metabolism for more than 20 minutes after they are eaten.

4. Green Tea: This is the main source of epigallocatechin gallate, known better as EGCG. This healthy catechin speeds up your brain and nervous system, causing your body to burn more calories. Throw a stick of cinnamon in to supercharge the burn!

5. Spinach: In addition to speeding up your metabolism, spinach is a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, iron and Vitamin C.

6. Lean Turkey: This protein-rich meat builds lean muscle tissue, causing your body to burn extra calories and raise your metabolism.

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These foods are all healthy and helpful but with many of our foods lacking vital nutrients due to soil depletion and early picking, we have to eat more and more to gain benefit.

Article reviewed by Margaret Kobier