Is there anyone who has not blamed his or her weight gain or lack of weight loss on a slow metabolism at one time or another? Just about everyone realizes that boosting your metabolism is necessary if you are going to lose pounds and keep them off, but exactly how are you supposed to do that? Get up early every morning and go for a run before work? Laughable for me.

Spend a few hundred bucks for a gym membership that you will soon not use anyway? Seems kind of dumb in today’s economy. Fear not, however, for there is a simple way to give the old heave-ho to a slow metabolism, and it requires practically no lifestyle change at all. That’s right, all you really need to do add the right foods to your diet and fat loss can be yours. Here are the top ten foods that speed up metabolism:

1. Turkey. That is really good news around the holidays, right? Turkey is a low-fat protein, and protein is great for speeding metabolism. Avoid all the trimmings, though.

2. Salmon. That pretty pink fish is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, and even though “fatty” is in the name, those Omega-3s really do help speed up your body’s calorie-burning ability.

3. Chili peppers. Chili peppers and other spicy foods contain capsaicin and help get rid of fat that would otherwise be stored in your liver and blood vessels, and the spiciness causes your body to work overtime when you consume them.

4. Spinach. Forget about your childhood aversion to the “nasty” green. Spinach is great in a salad and will help you lose weight.

5. Nuts. Almonds especially increase the old metabolic process.

6. Green tea. The combination of caffeine and EGCG may just help you over the slow-metabolism hump.

7. Trout. Just like salmon, trout is high in Omega-3s, and they are just plain healthy, so stick your pole in a lake or hit the seafood counter for a tasty metabolic explosion.

8. Grapefruit. The vitamin C and overall nutrition make citrus a miracle food.

9. Horseradish. Put a dab of horseradish on your lean steak sandwich and help your body burn the fat.

10. Eggs. Eggs are a rich source of protein and your metabolic system will thank you for eating that poached orb.

A fair amount of dieters often make the mistake of thinking that if they remove the meat, they remove the calories. Unfortunately, many often substitute nuts, nut butters and high fat cheese for protein. Without the meat, it’s very hard to get enough iron and zinc – 2 vital nutrients that help you maintain your energy and performance levels. Don’t short-change yourself when making nutritionally unhelpful sacrifices. Always shop smart instead.

1.  In beef, some of the leanest cuts are flank, sirloin, and tenderloin. The leanest cut of pork is fresh, cured, canned, and boiled ham; Canadian side bacon; pork tenderloin; rib chops; and roast. Lean cuts of lamb includes roasts, legs and chops; white meat poultry is lower in fat than dark meat.

2.  Any meat labeled “select” is a leaner cut than meat graded as “choice.”

3.  Both ground turkey and ground chicken can contain the skin, which makes it high in fat & calories. Always look for ground chicken or turkey meat for the lowest amount of fat. While ground turkey breast is lower then both.

4.  It isn’t necessary to remove the skin of chicken before cooking, which sacrifices juiciness. The chicken will not absorb the fat or calories. But always be sure to remove the skin before eating

5.  Turkeys that are self-basting have the fat injected into the meat. These types of meat are best avoided by dieters.

6.  Always buy water packed tuna and sardines rather than those that are packed in oil.