By Elena Voropay

Get your metabolism firing faster with these great-tasting foods.

Have you noticed that your pants are tighter and the numbers on the weight scale are only going up? We all seem to go through weight ups and downs. But fall is the time when our New Years' resolutions to lose weight are slowing down. Now is the perfect time to evaluate your diet and help your body to get on track.

Foods you eat are the fuel and metabolism is the engine. The type of fuel you put in your engine determines how well it works. While all foods carry calories, these calories are not the same. Some foods, such as sugary and fatty desserts, don't have much to offer besides fattening ingredients. But there are others which will not only nourish your body with essential nutrients and improve overall health, but will help you lose weight. Just by adding these fat-burning gems in your regular diet, you can shift gears on your metabolic engine and easily wash out the fat from your body. 

If your metabolic rate, or the speed at which your body turns energy you get from food into the working energy of your body, has gone south, let Gogi Berries turn that direction. Turning food calories into usable energy requires certain proper supply of nutrients, such as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 & C. and getting a constant supply of these is essential. Goji berries contain 18 amino acids, the building blocks of protein, 21 trace minerals, more carotenoids than carrots, over 500 times the amount of vitamin C than oranges, and important vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E. Additionally, Goji berries have a balanced supply of special carbohydrates – polysaccharides, which were found to balance blood sugar and insulin response. Complete nutritional profile of Goji assists all the cells in the body in converting the nutrients you eat into functional work instead of depositing calories as fat.
Low-Fat Yogurt

Low-fat milk and dairy products, such as yogurt, cottage and ricotta cheeses are dieters' must-have foods. By eating three servings of yogurt daily you can double the rate of fat loss, according to researchers. The reason is found in the high calcium content you get from dairy. Even though calcium us famous for keeping your bones strong, it also is important for balancing hormones and the overall metabolism. When combined with other milky bioactive compounds found in dairy, calcium slows down the process of making fat and increases fat burning, especially around the belly.

Unfortunately, many people can't eat dairy due to its rich supply of milk sugar lactose. For them, sheep milk is the ideal alternative. Besides its easy digestion and low lactose levels, sheep dairy products have a terrific blend of metabolic enhancers - a higher content of every single amino acid and unsaturated fats with less carbohydrates. Sheep milk is superior to cow's milk in critical fat-burning nutrients protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and essential fatty acids. The truly remarkable thing about sheep milk is its taste and texture – rich, full and surprisingly satisfying making it the most preferred milk compared to soy, goat and rice milk among 83% of tasters. Due to sheep milk richness, you may find that your palate and your stomach need less of it to enjoy it more.

Fish is one of the top-notch nourishing foods which quenches your appetite. The secret to satiety is the unique chemical structure of protein and fat found in fish. Both, protein and fat are nutrients distinguished for their slow digestion and minimal effect on blood sugar levels. These take a long time to be digested which keeps your hunger at bay for hours while fish is in your stomach. What's more, protein and fat stimulate appetite-suppressing hormone leptin which is released from your fat cells. When leptin goes up, your hunger goes down. Fish is an excellent source of natural metabolic enhancers, such as vitamins A, B, D, and K, as well as calcium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.
Black Beans

Are looking for ways to replace red meat in your menus in order to cut on fat, calories and other unwanted substances from meat without loosing the richness of taste? Black beans are wonderful satisfying options. These smoky flavoured legumes are high in fibre, the indigestible part of carbohydrates. Fibre slows down digestion and prevents rapid blood sugar spikes. Plus, it keeps your digestive tract clean and your entire body lean. Black beans are also a good source of protein which is compatible to that of meat when you combine them with whole grains, such as brown rice, barley or oats. Plus, they are true antioxidant superstars with more free-radical fighter compounds called anthocyanins as grapes, cranberries and fruits. While all legumes are great, black beans have the most antioxidant activity, followed in descending order by red, brown, yellow, and white beans. The darker the bean's seed coat, the higher its level of antioxidant activity.

Flaxseeds

Many dieters struggle with their digestion which makes eating healthy fresh foods a struggle for them. As a result, their systems cannot make sense of all they eat and their bodies get loaded with toxins. Flaxseeds are digestion healers and weight-loss boosters. When you eat flaxseed, it binds with water, swelling to form a comforting protective gel in the digestive tract which softens the stool promoting the production of healthy intestinal bacteria. The mucilage from flaxseeds attracts toxins from the body eliminating them faster. Adding just a spoon of flaxseeds to any meal will increase the feeling of satiety, reduce appetite and assist with weight loss.

While these fat-burning foods may help to kick-start your metabolism, your overall lifestyle and dietary choices are more important in the restless quest to lose weight. Eat small, regular, balanced meals and make them colourful, nourishing and satisfying. Remember to exercise every day and get sufficient rest. Be patient, consistent and over time, you will see your weight start to drop and you will have more energy to live.