Metabolism Relies on Diet and More

• Although dieters frequently claim that certain foods alone can increase or decrease metabolism, a person's metabolic rate stems from a number of different factors that are unique to each individual. In addition to diet, a person's resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a product of that person's age, weight, body mass and even activity level. Proper diet, and regulation of that diet, can play a role in accelerating metabolism, of course, and some aspects of metabolism depend on the very act of eating itself.
  
  

Eating is Critical

• While the content of a person's diet plays a major role in regulating metabolism, the very act of eating also contributes to how quickly a person metabolizes food and fat. According to fitness experts at Total Body Fitness, human bodies are designed to withstand periods of famine by slowing down their use of fuel when no new food is being consumed. Dieters who attempt to lose weight by starving their bodies may actually notice a counterproductive effect; instead of burning fat in the absence of food, the human body actually slows its metabolic rate during starvation to ensure long-term survival. Because of this evolutionary development, fitness experts recommend that dieters eat several very small, low calorie meals throughout the day to avoid entering "starvation mode."
  
  

Certain Foods Affect the Body

• Dieters can exert a limited amount of control over their metabolism by increasing their intake of certain foods. One of these foods, according to diet experts at Eco Salon, is natural grapefruit; known as a "super food," grapefruit adjusts chemical levels that regulate the body's fat-storing process. In more practical application, grapefruit is high in fiber and also somewhat difficult to digest; this combination requires more calories to properly process an eaten grapefruit. Green tea, also known as a "super food," uses a different approach to impact the body's metabolism; green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate, a chemical known to speed up brain and nervous system functions and burn more calories. Despite the impact of these foods on the body's caloric needs, Total Body Fitness professionals reiterate that diet is only a small part of proper metabolic maintenance; to effectively lose or regulate weight, dieters must incorporate an entire diet and exercise regimen on a consistent basis.