Before I tell you the foods that burn/reduce fat, I need to tell you the basics of how ‘fat’ gets to your body in the first place and what can be done to lose it. This information will help you to be more careful about the foods you choose and the lifestyle you lead. It will help you to understand why the foods listed below are actually going to help reduce fat.
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How does you body get rid of fat?
Your body needs food in order to ‘feed’, as well as produce new cells and function; both internally and externally.
The amount of energy in food is measured using ‘calories’. The more calories there are in the food, the more energy your body can get from it. Your body needs to get more energy to digest foods, to get energy from them-so a small bit of old energy is burnt off in order to process the new energy gain. Your body uses more energy to digest hard to digest foods.
It’s important that you must use this newly consumed energy or your body will just store it for future use in the for of, you guessed it, fat.
How can foods help burn your body fat?
Now that you understand how your body gets rid of fat, you’re probably wondering how in the heck food can help you in burning fat if that’s how you accumulate (active and potential) calories, and it would seem that food creates fat rather than gets rid of it.
It’s true; some foods can more easily create fat but there are certain foods which will help your body reduce it:
- Some foods contain less calories, yet, require a lot of digestion, therefore, they burn calories.
- Some foods contain vitamins and/or minerals which help to improve metabolism, therefore, improve the amount of fat your body burns.
- Certain ways of cooking can also reduce the calories, therefore, reduce fat creation.
- Some foods can make/help your body ‘clear out’; spending time in the toilet. Sometimes even when consumed in small amounts, that’s how they work, while also being low in calories.
Eating the right amount of these foods will over time make sure that the fat profile starts getting lower. Burning fat also includes food which will help to reduce the possibility of new fat creation, because this would help you burn fat faster through exercise, walking and other activities.
Definitely bookmark and come back to read The Weight-Loss Deception; Calories In VS Calories Out
A list of 10 fat-burning foods
A lot of people pretty much starve themselves in order to reduce fat. This can have serious effects on the harmony of your body and is not a wise nor healthy way to go about getting healthier. The right way to reduce fat would be by eating foods which reduce the possibility of fat deposition, or foods which can help in burning fats, while exercising to use up the fat previously stored in your body.
Here’s a list of foods made easily available in supermarkets and can help in the process of burning or reducing the fat in your body.
1) Oats
Oats contain a huge proportion of insoluble fiber in their calories. This insoluble fiber keeps you from feeling hungry for a long time and also does not add any calories to the body. In fact, any food which contains a reasonable amount of insoluble fiber would help reduce your body fat.
2) Citrus Fruits
These are some of the best fat burning foods. Eating a citrus fruit, or other Vitamin C rich fruits for breakfast is one of the best ways to start reducing your body fat. Citrus fruits provide the body with energy while also giving it a rich supply of Vitamin C which is scientifically known to burn fat and is a ‘must’ chemical used by your body in the process of fat metabolism.
You can try citrus fruits like:
- Kiwi Fruit
- Kumquats
- Clementines
- Fresh Limes
- Oranges
- Grape fruits and tangerines.
3) Vitamin C
For Vitamin C you may want to try fruits like apples, tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, grapes, raspberries and plums. Try using a mix of the fruits listed above for a healthy as well as yummy breakfast. You can also try out a breakfast which consists of only citrus fruit for the first few weeks, so you can see how well it helps in burning fat around your waist and hips.
Generally, fruits are excellent foods for reducing fat because they are rich in vitamins and minerals, low on calories, high in water content and most of all they are natural. They are known to reduce bad cholesterol and improve metabolism of your body. Bananas, papaya, sapote, mangoes, blueberries and pomegranates can be great snacks as well as breakfast.
Keep in mind that fruit is high in natural sugar, so it’s important remain active and burn off the extra-extra.
4) Lentils
These foods not only fill you up and contain a lot of minerals, but also contain low calories and are rich in plant protein/amino-acids. If you use flour of ground lentils, you can make a large variation of different foods. They are a source of fiber and are also known to lower the bad-cholesterol.
5) Vegetables
Except for some vegetables which are rich in calories like yams or potatoes, most other vegetables contain low calories, while, at the same time contain essential minerals and vitamins which improve the metabolism of the body. When you cook potatoes, try cooking them with their skin on, as it is a good source of insoluble fiber. Vegetables with low calories are things like artichoke, broccoli, spinach, peas, cabbage carrots and lima beans. They don’t contain fats either and their amount of carbohydrates is very low. Cucumbers are also a good fat burning vegetable; they are excellent for salads, have low calories and contain a lot of water.
The best way to cook vegetables is to either boil or stir fry them using oils which are healthy; like sunflower oil, olive oil, sesame oil or soybean oil.
6) Eggs
An average adult can eat one or two eggs a day and get enough protein and minerals from it while keeping the calories low. They are not high in calories and do not contain big amounts of unhealthy fats. There are many ways of adding eggs to your diet which makes them ideal as a snack as well as regular meal foods.
7) Poultry
It’s always a good option to eat more poultry than red meats. Things like chicken are low on fats and carbohydrates while also contain a good amount of protein.You need proteins in order to digest and assimilate and they also require more energy to be stored as fats. Avoid eating the skin of the poultry though; it contains a lot of fat! Instead of eating red or white meats, from different animal sources, these can be eaten in moderation, because they are they contain a lot of fat. They are healthy; as long as they are consumed in moderation.
8) Salmon & Cold Water Fatty Fish
Fish are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They’re a good source of protein and healthy fats and can make for a great meal. Trout, mackerel, salmon and tuna are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and are also low on calories and saturated fat.
There have been many studies about the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids in maintaining overall good health. Omega-3 fatty acids help in maintaining a good heart, normal brain function and lower the risks of developing chronic diseases.
One superb source of omega-3 is krill oil. Krill oil contains high levels of omega-3 and the antioxidant astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is what gives lobsters, krill, shrimp and salmon their pink color.
9) Almonds and walnuts
They are a great source of healthy fats. People who don’t consume healthy fats are more likely to gain weight than people who do. Healthy fats are needed in order for your body to be able to function in harmony, because most of the body’s cells structure is made from these fats.
10) Water
Even though water is not a food, because it does not contain calories, i helps to improve the metabolism of the body and therefore burn fat. It also helps the body to ‘clear out’, getting rid of toxins, improving your body’s capacity to stay healthy. Some foods like cantaloupes, cucumbers, papaya, chard and water melons, contain high water content, therefore, help in the process of reducing fat.
You can benefit from eating these water rich foods. They supply minerals along with water, which means, they don’t cause ‘water intoxication’ which can be caused by drinking too much water and not balancing out the minerals.
That’s it for now, I hope this was helpful.
Yours for health by choice, not by chance.
-David Aston
This is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve ended up randomly finding EXCELLENT info and tips from this site. Mr Aston, you definitely are going to a well-known blogger if you are not already.
Cheers!
Glad to hear (read) it, appreciate the kind words.