The number of calories you need to survive and thrive depends on much more than you might think.
Age, gender, muscle mass, activity level, and stress levels can make your metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn calories) soar or stall.
While some people seem blessed with a fast and active metabolism, eating whatever they want without gaining an ounce
not everyone has this natural superpower. If all you have to do is look at a slice of pizza to gain weight
there's good news—you may be able to speed up your metabolism by adding more of the right foods to your diet.
Certain foods, especially leafy greens, have the right combination of nutrients to help increase your metabolism.
And the only work involved is finding tasty ways to enjoy them! Leafy greens' secret energy-burning power comes from their high levels of iron and magnesium.
Spinach is a delicious and versatile leafy green that's high in iron and magnesium, whether you enjoy it raw or cooked, two nutrients linked to a healthy metabolism.
One cup of cooked spinach has 36% of the daily value (DV) for iron and 37% of the DV for magnesium.
If you'd rather enjoy your spinach raw, two cups will give you 9% of the DV for iron and 11% of the DV for magnesium.