Michele Chevalley Hedge reveals to Body & Soul her seven top tips to rev up your metabolism

1. Quality over quantity Instead of focusing on the quantity of food you are eating, try to focus on the quality. Lowering your food intake can in fact slow your metabolism down instead of firing it up. Aim for wholefoods to make up the majority of your diet.

2. Green is the new black Increasing your daily intake of dark green vegetables in conjunction with a reduction of refined carbohydrates will reduce your triglyceride levels. Restoring abnormally elevated levels of these fats encourages the body to use fat storage for energy more effectively.

3. Protein power Depriving our body of the adequate daily intake of protein can create negative feedback messages. Try to focus on the inclusion of protein at every meal as well as high protein snacks. Opt for walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cheese and natural yoghurts.

4. A is for amino acid Avocado and asparagus are two vegetables packed with the amino acid L-carnitine, which plays a pivotal role in the metabolism of fats. Meats, peanuts and dairy are also excellent sources of L-carnitine.

5. Sleeping beauty Harvard researcher Charles Czeisler found that when restricted to four hours of sleep a night for two weeks, 18-year-olds perform more like 60-year-olds when it came to metabolising glucose. Bring on our beauty sleep.

6. Water for weight loss Water is essential for optimal bodily functions. Mild dehydration can slow down metabolism as the body needs water to process calories. Adding a twist of lemon or lime will help increase alkalinity in the body, often improving uptake of water into cells. Remember to hydrate your cells.

7. Eat your berries! Resveratrol from grapes, capsaicin from chilli, catechins from green tea and anthocyanidins from berries have a thermogenic effect. This means these foods have the ability to speed up your metabolism simply by just consuming them. Bon appétit!