Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, feeling fit, and glowing with healthy body confidence is a high priority for many of us. There are a lucky few who are naturally slender with a rapid metabolism, but for the rest of us these things may not come so easily.

So how can you reach your perfect weight and maintain it throughout your life?

An efficient metabolism is key. The good news is that eating to boost your metabolism not only helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight, but it also fuels you with greater energy and wellness across the board.

What exactly is metabolism?

Elson Haas, M.D., in his book Staying Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts, 1992), defines basal metabolic rate (BMR) as the rate at which your body burns calories to maintain its functions at rest. He explains that your BMR is affected by such characteristics as age, diet, activity level, body fat percentage, body weight and genetics.

Our active tissues, such as muscles, have a higher metabolic rate than inactive tissues, like fat. When your metabolism is running at peak efficiency, it's easier to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

For most of us, a healthy metabolism translates into radiant energy and a cheerful spirit. A sluggish metabolism, on the other hand, is likely to sap our energy, as well as promote weight gain and digestive troubles.

If a healthy metabolism is so important, why don't we all have one?

There are a number of factors that impair your metabolism, such as the "yo-yo" dieting syndrome of repeated weight gain and loss over time.

Dr. Haas explains that when you diet and reduce calorie intake, your body reacts like it would in times of famine, lowering the rate at which you burn calories (your BMR) to conserve your weight. Ironically, this means that the more you diet, which slows your metabolism, the harder it is to lose weight.

So how do you break this cycle?

The answer may surprise you. Research suggests that a primary key to recovering a healthy metabolism is simply to eat more often.

The trick is to eat when you're truly hungry, but to stop before you're stuffed. Doing so maintains healthy blood sugar levels, addresses cravings, and reduces the chance that food will be stored as fat, rather than burned.

So then, which foods are most effective in boosting metabolism and promoting healthy weight loss?

Your best guide to choosing the right foods is the glycemic index. Research from the University of Sydney defines this index as a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrates, such as refined white breads and pastas, white potatoes, and bakery products like cookies and cakes have the highest glycemic indexes. They break down quickly during digestion, causing a rapid blood sugar response.

Whole, unprocessed carbohydrates—like whole grain breads, brown and wild rice, whole wheat pita bread and tortillas, yams, oatmeal, popcorn, soy products, beans, nuts and seeds—on the other hand, come in low on the glycemic index. They break down more slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream.

By choosing low glycemic index foods, you avoid the blood sugar swings that send insulin soaring which rapidly turns calories into fat. Not only will whole, unprocessed carbohydrates promote a more gradual energy release than processed and refined foods, these healthier options are also higher in nutrients and fiber.

For a complete listing of foods and their glycemic index, access www.glycemicindex.com.

Increasing your intake of high-fiber carbohydrates over fat is another smart choice, as they are more likely to be used for energy than tucked away in fat storage cells.

Most Americans consume only about 10-15 grams of fiber daily, while we should be shooting for 25 grams or more. Good high fiber choices include whole grain breads and crackers, oatmeal, popcorn, beans, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

What about the way you eat?

Research suggests that consuming smaller meals more often promotes an efficient metabolism and a healthy body weight. Generally speaking, five or six mini-meals consisting of about 250 calories each is a good formula.

Smaller portions enable you to better fit in your five to seven servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. This kind of eating also helps to prevent the excess insulin produced with fewer, heavier meals which encourages your body to store calories as fat.

Our contemporary lifestyle has so greatly slowed our metabolic rate,

many of us tend to store fat more consistently than we burn it for energy, says Pamela Smith, R.D., in her book The Energy Edge (HarperCollins, 1999).

Erratic eating patterns promote a sluggish metabolism in the same way dieting does, because your body is designed to retain calories in times of potential famine to help you survive.

Ms. Smith offers an "Energy Edge Prescription" to keep metabolism revved up, which includes smaller, more frequent meals, pairing carbohydrates with lean proteins and starting off the day with breakfast.

She refers to a recent Vanderbilt study which showed that overweight breakfast-skippers who began eating breakfast lost an average of 17 pounds in 12 weeks. The research also suggests that those who eat breakfast tend to be less hungry throughout the day, and therefore less impulsive about unhealthy snacking.

What about supplements?

A full-spectrum, multi-vitamin/mineral formula will help supply the many nutrients your body needs for healthy digestion, energy production and all other body processes.

In addition, several other nutritional supplements have been shown to help promote a healthy, active metabolism, and deserve a closer look:

Green tea, a source of powerful antioxidant activity, also appears to help boost metabolism. A 1999 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that sedentary individuals eating a normal calorie diet were able to significantly increase their ability to burn calories when given green tea extract with meals.

Chromium, an essential mineral found in supplements, nutritional yeast, whole grains, and other foods, plays its own important role in healthy metabolism.

In his book The Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements (Prima Publishing, 1996), Michael Murray, N.D. also discusses chromium as a weight loss aid. He explains that a primary method for losing weight is to increase the sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin, the hormone that controls hunger and fat metabolism.

By helping insulin work more effectively, chromium enables your body to use more calories to build muscle, storing fewer calories as fat.

Pyruvate—a derivative of pyruvic acid found in red apples, red wine, dark beer and supplements—may also be a useful tool in boosting metabolism and promoting weight loss. Pyruvate works by increasing your cellular "energy factory" so that you burn fats and carbohydrates more efficiently.

Additionally, the amino acid L-carnitine—found in supplements and vegetarian foods such as tempeh, whole wheat, and avocado—has been shown to help burn body fat.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are vital to a rapid metabolism and healthy body weight. These fats are referred to as "essential," since we can't manufacture them in our bodies and must get them from foods.

The EFAs consist of omega-6 linoleic acid and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. The average American gets plenty of the omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in most nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, however, the omega-3s are harder to come by. The omega-3 fats are supplied by many vegetarian sources, including flaxseed oil, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and dark leafy greens.

In fact, flax oil is one of the very best sources, with up to a 60 percent concentration of the essential omega-3s.

Why should you make a point of consuming these important fats?

Dr. Murray points out that a lack of the EFAs can lead to obesity, fatigue, frequent colds and sickness, lack of motivation and nearly 60 other serious health problems.

Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S. discusses in her book Eat Fat, Lose Weight (Keats, 1999) how essential fatty acids promote healthy cardiovascular, immune, reproductive, and central nervous systems, as well as help to regulate energy production and fat metabolism.

These vital fats also stimulate calorie burning in your brown fat tissue, according to a 1997 study in the International Journal of Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders (Nov;21(11):955-62).

Brown fat is the layer of fat underlying your white fat, and is a strong ally in weight loss because it works to burn excess calories by stimulating the production of heat in the body. White fat, on the other hand, is simply a fat storage site with no metabolic activity.

Keeping ourselves well hydrated with at least 8 glasses of water daily is also important for healthy metabolic function. Consuming water at room temperature is best when exercising, but when you're at rest, drinking ice water will actually increase your metabolism as your system works to warm it to body temperature.

So, how can you bring it all together for results that you can actually measure?

All you need to do is make healthier choices one step at a time. Taking a closer look at diet is a must—not only what we eat, but also how we eat. Trading in large meals and "hit and miss" eating for more frequent, consistent mini-meals will help stabilize your blood sugar and get your metabolism back on track.

You should start by replacing refined carbohydrates with more nutrient-dense choices (see Power Mini-Meal Ideas below).

Incorporating essential fatty acids with flax oil, raw nuts and dark leafy greens will help activate your brown fat for increased calorie burning, as well as a host of other health benefits.

Adding a full-spectrum, multi-vitamin/mineral formula containing chromium, as well as all other essential nutrients will support your metabolism boosting efforts and overall wellness.

Experiment with these changes gradually to see what works best for you. Greater vitality and a super-charged metabolism are right within your reach.

Power Mini-Meal Ideas:

Breakfast:

• Whole grain cereal or oatmeal with dairy, soy or rice milk
  

• Southwestern tofu or egg white scramble with sautéed peppers and onions, topped with fat-free refried beans and/or avocado, and salsa
  

• Quick energy shake: blend dairy, soy or almond milk with frozen bananas or berries
  

• Whole grain toast with peanut butter and a half banana
  

• A crisp apple with almond butter or low-fat cheese
  

Mid-Morning

• Whole grain muffin with a half banana
  

• Baby carrots and a handful of raw almonds
  

• Banana or celery sticks and peanut butter
  

• Half a low-fat protein or granola bar and an orange

Lunch

• Half a whole wheat pita stuffed with marinated or seasoned tofu, tofu "egg salad," or hummus with sliced tomato and leafy greens or sprouts
  

• Happy wrap: Whole wheat tortilla spread with low-fat black bean dip, sun dried or fresh tomatoes and spinach. Drizzle with low-fat vinaigrette or salsa
  

• Half a whole wheat or sprouted grain bagel with a sautéed Portobello mushroom, egg-free garlic mayonnaise, arugula or spinach, roasted red pepper and/or sliced tomato
  

• A cup of split pea or lentil soup with whole grain crackers or toast
  

Mid or Late Afternoon

• Whole grain cookie (try low-fat oatmeal raisin or peanut butter)
  

• Low-fat granola with vanilla or fruit-blended dairy or soy yogurt
  

• Low fat chocolate or carob milk (soy, almond or dairy)
  

• Low fat pumpkin or zucchini bread
  

Dinner

• A small baked veggie burger on a bed of lettuce with mustard, sliced tomato, and avocado
  

• Healthy quesadilla: whole wheat tortilla filled with low-fat soy cheese topped with fresh spinach and salsa
  

• Entrée salads such as Greek, Southwestern, or low-fat Caesar
  

• A small baked potato topped with refried beans, broccoli, low-fat cheese or plain yogurt and salsa
  

• A cup of vegetarian chili with low-fat corn bread or whole wheat pita
  

Late Evening

• A crisp apple with a handful of raw nuts
  

• Air-popped popcorn with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (nutrient dense with a "cheesy" flavor)
  

• Ripe banana "ice cream" (freeze peeled bananas, then blend until creamy with dairy, soy, rice, or almond milk)