Rev Those Engines!

As if the wrinkles and bum sag that come with getting older aren't enough, research shows that women and men in the 40+ age group also must face the facts when it comes to their quickly declining metabolisms. After the age of 40, women and men burn 2% to 5% less calories with each decade, meaning that they are set to gain about one pound per year.

There are ways to help keep your internal engines burning, but with so many sources to choose from it might be hard to differentiate between what actually works and what is pure rubbish. That’s why we decided to lean on Cynthia Sass, the nutrition director at Prevention magazine and co-author of the book Flat Belly Diet, to help us tell the tall tales from the helpful hints. Here are a few of the best:
 
The Tip: Drinking your required daily amount of water can help shed calories.
The Truth: The effects on your metabolism are minor, but five to six glasses of chilly water—also tea or coffee—can help burn 10 extra calories per day. And that equals about one pound per year!
 
The Tip: Spicy dishes will help incinerate extra calories.
The Truth: Start asking for fiery food because just like it does to your taste buds, the extra zest in your dish can help excite your metabolism, too. Studies have shown that just one tablespoon of red or green chili peppers can boost your metabolism by a temporary 23%.
 
The Tip: Dieting can cause your metabolism to drop, making weight loss even tougher.
The Truth: Every pound you lose equals a metabolic two- to 10-calorie loss per day. But that is not to say you should not lose weight. Instead, focus on building muscle through strength training to keep your metabolism running smoothly.
 
We want to know: What metabolism-boosting tips have you tried? Did they work? [CBS]