Has your progress stalled in your weight loss journey? If so, clinicians from our functional medicine clinic and IV Lounge in Toronto can tailor a therapeutic treatment plan to boost your metabolism. We may even recommend eating some calorie-burning foods!

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Your metabolism is like a colony of worker bees that keeps your body functioning.” This process involves chemical reactions for the conversion of food to much-needed energy. Energy levels are needed for everything you do, from moving to thinking! This means that your metabolic processes are working non-stop. It helps optimize various bodily and cellular functions, such as repairing cellular damage and regulating blood circulation, respiration, hormone levels, the functioning of nerves, and digestion. 

Healthy metabolism doesn’t just affect weight management, but overall optimal functioning. Here, we recap what this bodily process is, the types of food to eat for boosting metabolism, and why consider our clinic for functional medicine and intravenous therapy.  

Review: What is Metabolism?

Your metabolic rate is how fast or slow your body burns calories or uses up energy. If you’ve recently heard someone boast about their fast metabolism, they’re referring to how quickly their body burns calories. Some people with fast (high) metabolic rates find it difficult to gain weight, as they must eat frequently to maintain their current weight. On the other hand, a slow (low) metabolic rate refers to not burning calories fast enough, which can potentially lead to weight gain.  

Along with your age, gender, hormones, and genetics, what you eat can have negative or positive effects on metabolism; this is because some foods contain nutrients that can hasten or slow down your metabolic rate. Below, we list some foods to add to your meals; when they’re fused with regular healthy eating and exercise, they may offer metabolic support, especially for weight management health goals. 

Top 7 Foods for Supporting a Metabolism Boost

• • Ginger: This spice has demonstrated metabolic-boosting effects in studies. A Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental paper confirmed that ginger has “… thermogenic and satiety-inducing effects,” which may be beneficial for losing weight. So why not add ginger to your soup or salad for a kick?
  • Avocado: As a nutrient-rich fruit, it contains omega-3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory components, which are vital for managing inflammation. This relates to metabolism because chronic inflammation can alter your metabolic rate, thereby contributing to the formation of obesity. 
  • Lentils: Containing bioactive compounds, lentils may be suitable for those struggling with diabetes. According to a paper from the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, lentils have demonstrated improvements to “…blood glucose, lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in diabetic and healthy human beings.”
  • Green tea: This Asian tea is chock-full of major antioxidants, especially a fat-burning polyphenol called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). EGCG has been proven to escalate metabolism, with past studies revealing that it may boost thermogenesis by four percent. 
  • Fish: Like ginger and green tea, eating fish can foster thermogenetic effects. “Fish as a food group are a unique source of nutrients with metabolic and hormonal importance including omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, selenium, vitamin D, taurine and carnitine,” reports a Nutrition and Metabolic Insights article. 
  • Cayenne pepper: If you’re a fan of spice, you’ll be pleased to know that this ingredient has natural fat-burning properties! It contains capsaicin, a compound that’s shown to boost the basal metabolic rate (BMR) in the human body. BMR is the minimal amount of calories your body needs for carrying out essential functions, such as breathing. 
  • Hemp seeds: Add some of these nutty-tasting seeds to your oatmeal, yogurt, or salad. Hemp seeds are loaded with fibre, which studies have shown to be beneficial for metabolic health. According to an article from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, fiber has been shown to decrease your chances of metabolic disease by supporting fat-burning effects, weight loss, and blood pressure regulation, while helping to improve insulin sensitivity. 

The foods listed above have the potential to not only help metabolism, but also promote beneficial effects for your skin health, digestion, and brain function. Do you need help regulating glucose metabolism? Or would you like to try a new way to nourish your body with nutrients? Our functional medicine therapies, including intravenous infusion drips, can contribute to beneficial effects for your health. Contact our Toronto IV Lounge today. 

Suggested reading: Top 11 Remarkable Facts About Vitamin C From Our IV Therapy Toronto Lounge

Why Choose Our IV Nutrient Therapy Drips

Our IV Lounge has a goal: to tackle the root cause of our patients’ health concerns, such as hormonal imbalances, weight gain/loss, cellular damage, low sperm/egg quality for fertility treatments, and more. 

Since 2012, our clinic has been serving the community with intravenous drip therapy treatments. We opened the first IV Lounge in the city, and have expanded our practice with added clinicians and a wide range of treatment modalities. Your treatment plan may include an integration of traditional western medicine with herbal and naturopathic medicine, holistic nutrition, acupuncture, hormone therapies/optimization programs, among others. 

Our IV Lounge providers can prescribe preservative-free, freshly-blended intravenous drips for your uniqueness only. Our IV therapy drips are blended on-site, and each IV drip session is monitored for safety. Our wellness team, which consists of medical and naturopathic doctors, nurse practitioners and registered nurses, is available to answer questions and ensure that your intravenous infusion matches your comfort level. Our vitamin therapy menu is vast, containing essential vitamins, key antioxidants, trace minerals, a medley of amino acids, as well as vitamin D injections. We dose vitamin drips with integrative functional medicine principles, which is how we personalize your doses of nutrients. Adding IV vitamin therapy to your current regiment of healthy living and functional medicine therapies can help sustain/improve your quality of life.  

IV therapy from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre is now available, and we’re currently accepting new patients. Take your first step towards optimal health – simply click here to request your initial consult. That’s it! 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

Aguilera, Y., Rebollo-Hernanz, M., Hidalgo, N., et al. (2017). Lentils and their bioactive compounds: A review of their potential effects on human health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(11), 2390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112390

Ben Necib, R., Manca, C., Lacroix, S., Martin, C., Flamand, N., Di Marzo, V., & Silvestri, C. (2022). Hemp seed significantly modulates the endocannabinoidome and produces beneficial metabolic effects with improved intestinal barrier function and decreased inflammation in mice under a high-fat, high-sucrose diet as compared with linseed. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 882455. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.882455

Bulsiewicz, W. J. (2023). The importance of dietary fiber for metabolic health. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 17(5), 639. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276231167778

Calder, P. C. (2015). Marine omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes: Effects, mechanisms, and clinical relevance. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1851(4), 469–484.

“Does metabolism matter in weight loss?” (2024, April 16). Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing. Viewed December 4, 2024.

Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(7), 738–750. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2011.556759

Dulloo, A. G., Duret, C., Rohrer, D., Girardier, L., Mensi, N., Fathi, M., Chantre, P., & Vandermander, J. (1999). Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(6), 1040–1045.
Elmas, C., & Gezer, C. (2022). Capsaicin and its effects on body weight. Journal of the American Nutrition Association, 41(8), 831–839. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2021.1962771

Ganesan, K., & Xu, B. (2017). Polyphenol-rich lentils and their health-promoting effects. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(11), 2390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18112390

Hursel, R., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2010). Thermogenic ingredients and body weight regulation. International Journal of Obesity, 34(4), 659–669.

Maharlouei, N., Tabrizi, R., Lankarani, K. B., Rezaianzadeh, A., Akbari, M., Kolahdooz, F., Rahimi, M., Keneshlou, F., & Asemi, Z. (2019). The effects of ginger intake on weight loss and metabolic profiles among overweight and obese subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 59(11), 1753–1766. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1427044

Mansour, M. S., Ni, Y. M., Roberts, A. L., Kelleman, M., Roychoudhury, A., & St-Onge, M.-P. (2012). Ginger consumption enhances the thermic effect of food and promotes feelings of satiety without affecting metabolic and hormonal parameters in overweight men: A pilot study. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 61(10), 1347–1352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2012.03.016

Mendivil, C. O. (2021). Fish consumption: A review of its effects on metabolic and hormonal health. Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, 14, 11786388211022378. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786388211022378

“Metabolism.” (2024, November 20). Cleveland Clinic. Reviewed November 20, 2024; viewed December 4, 2024.

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