What is metabolism? Simply put, metabolism is the amount of energy or calories our body burns to maintain its daily functions like sleeping, eating, exercising, picking up the kids etc. In other words, our metabolism is the speed at which our body’s motor is running. People who are more muscular and have a lower percentage of body fat, have a higher metabolism than less muscular people do. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. Younger people also have a faster metabolic rate because of the increased activity of cells. It will help to lose weight if you boost your metabolism and you can affect you metabolic rate through food. • Protein is a potent metabolic stimulant. Think about your own diet, are you getting sufficient amounts of protein? A serving of a healthy protein should be included in each meal. • Eat sea vegetables like kelp and seaweed. These sea-based plants are associated with enhanced thyroid function and increased metabolism. • Cold-water fish like salmon, haddock, bass, cod, sardines and tuna contain nutrients and minerals that help increase thyroid function and metabolism. Consider eating more frequent, smaller meals. The typical North American diet of three standard meals means that the metabolism is forced to work really hard following those meals, and then drop off significantly when no food is being consumed. Eating small meals, say six times per day, allows the metabolism to function at a steady pace throughout the day. Remember to always eat breakfast that helps you kick-start your metabolism after sleeping.