5 Underrated Foods To Boost Metabolism, From A World-Renowned MD 

According to world-renowned physician and researcher William Li, M.D., author of Eat To Beat Your Diet, you are not born with a slow or fast metabolism. In fact, your metabolism remains stable from age 20 all the way to age 601, and you can control how it works during that time frame. What does this mean? "Your metabolism and your body fat isn't simply your fate," he shares on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. 

According to Li, your body fat actually has stem cells (the more you know, right?). "If we overeat, our bodies need to make more fuel tanks quickly, and so our fat stem cells can actually grow," he explains. "Well, it turns out that some foods can actually tame our fat stem cells so they are less likely to make more fat." Like carrots! 

There's a good reason functional mushrooms are so superb for your health: They contain beta-glucans4, unique plant fibers that have been connected to better gut health, increased immunity, and improved cardiometabolic health parameters. 

"But beta-glucan also lights up your metabolism5," says Li. "[It] helps shrink the visceral fat6 in your belly." So let's add metabolic health to the mushroom résumé. 

Did you know beans are also A+ for your metabolism? Specifically, Li praises canned navy beans for healthy body fat. "They can decrease visceral fat, that harmful fat that can develop even in [lean] people inside your body," he notes. "One cup [of beans] five days a week actually can shrink your waistline by about an inch over the course of a month." 

Li only recently fell in love with ACV: "About 10 years ago, I had friends that were telling me, 'I'm actually taking apple cider vinegar every day for weight loss.' And I [say], 'Are you kidding me? That's all bunk.' I eat my words now—or maybe I drink my words," he says. 

It turns out, there's a bunch of data to show that apple cider vinegar does work to promote a healthy weight. See, the acetic acid in vinegar stimulates your fat cells and can prevent them from getting bigger, says Li. In fact, researchers have found that people who took two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per day for 12 weeks had a decrease in waist circumference and body fat percentage7.

Coffee lovers, rejoice! "Coffee contains something called chlorogenic acid8 that also lights up your metabolism as well as your health defenses," says Li. 

These foods above are certainly not the only staples known for revving up metabolism, and there are plenty more lifestyle tips to follow when it comes to optimizing metabolic well-being (sleep, exercise, and supplements can all play a role, for example).