Whole grain breads, pasta, rice, cereals and more are loaded with complex carbohydrates and fiber to fuel your body. By keeping insulin levels low after you eat, your body does not receive the signal to store its fats. This means that the body is able to continue metabolizing the fats - burning them up! You see, insulin spikes tell the brain to command the body to store fats for energy. In order to store fats, the metabolism must be slowed. When your body is fueled in superior style with high-quality complex carbohydrates, there is no perceived need to store fats. The result is sustained metabolic performance.

There is a chemical called capsaicin in hot peppers like jalapenos, habaneros and Cheyennes. Yes, it is hot! It also acts to increase your heart rate. Increased heart rate equals increased blood flow and that means better digestion and filtration. Enhanced digestion and filtration mean that your food gets broken down and turned into energy more efficiently - and quicker. Again, that tells the body that there is no need to store fat and faster metabolism occurs.

If your body is running low on fats to convert into usable energy, then it starts looking for protein reserves next. That's why it's important to choose high-quality lean meat cuts as well as chicken and turkey for your diet. You see, protein is more difficult to digest than fats and carbohydrates are. When you ingest more high-quality proteins, you burn more calories just digesting it. Coincidentally, "high-quality" proteins are those that lack saturated fats. Saturated and trans fats are horrible for your body - which brings up the next food type for raising metabolism.

Salmon and other foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for many reasons to the human body - including developing a faster metabolism. It's because the Omega-3 fatty acids lower the levels of a hormone called leptin in your body. The more leptin in your system, the less fat your system burns. Whether you like fish or not, it is vitally important for your health. You can also get good amounts of Omega-3s in olive oil, canola oil, flax seeds and avocados.