Eat Chile Peppers. It turns out that capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their mouth-searing quality, can also fire up your metabolism.

Eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chiles boosts your body's production of heat and the activity of your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for our fight-or-flight response), according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology.

The result is a metabolism spike 42 percent higher than in those who didn't take capaaicin.

Caffeinated Coffee. A study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior found that the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee increased 16 percent over those who drank decaf.

Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system by increasing your heart rate and breathing.

Yogurt. The probiotics in yogurt may speed weight loss. British scientists found that these act ive organi sm boosted the breakdown of fat molecules in mice, preventing the rodents from gaining weight.

Don't Skip Meal. That's right: There's no better way to grind your metabolism to a halt than skipping a meal. When your body goes without food, it switches into survival mode, storing calories rather than burning them.

Breakfast is most important, since your body is still in shutdown mode and your metabolism needs a strong protein-and fiber-based jump start.