Dark Chocolate
Your favorite indulgence actually includes two ingredients that are known to boost metabolism: caffeine and the antioxidant catechin. Just make sure you stick to a small square a day so the sugar and calories don't outweigh dark chocolate's fat-burning potential.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes may just be your cold-weather fat-burning secret. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, which helps keep you feeling full while burning calories by putting your digestive system to work. And they also contain a hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar. Stick with simply seasoned boiled or steamed sweet potatoes — not a sugary Thanksgiving dessert — if you are eating for weight loss.
Cinnamon
This is the time of year where cinnamon is often the star, and that's a good thing: the warming Winter spice has been shown to slow digestion and regulate blood sugar to boost your metabolism.
Pears
You can find various types of pears throughout the Winter, and there's reason to stock up: pears, like apples, contain high levels of pectin, which binds to water and limits the amount of fat your body absorbs.
Turkey
Rest assured, your post-Thanksgiving leftover turkey habit is helping you burn fat. Lean protein, like turkey, keeps you full and takes energy to digest — both of which mean increased metabolism. Go for skinless breast meat to keep the calories down.
