10 Fat Burning Foods

10 Fat Burning Foods

Article by Lynette Patterson, ACC

When it comes to weight loss, some foods are better than others. Everyone knows that it’s healthier to eat vegetables than cookies, but did you know there are fat burning foods that can not only help your body burn more calories, provide it the nourishment to function optimally? Here is a list of fat burning foods to add to your diet if you are trying to lose weight.

1) Hot Peppers

Whether you prefer jalapenos, habaneros, or cayenne, hot peppers are among the top fat burning foods. The increase in metabolism caused by eating spicy foods containing hot peppers can last for up to three hours. Like all fat burning foods, you won’t get much benefit from eating an occasional meal containing jalapenos or cayenne peppers, but if you eat these spicy foods regularly it can really make a difference.

2) Milk

It does a body good in more ways than one. Calcium helps keep your bones strong, but did you know that it can help with the battle of the bulge too? In a study completed by the University of Tennessee, dieters who consumed at least 1200 mg of calcium per day ended up losing twice as many pounds as those who consumed lower levels. The complex carbohydrates in milk also help keep insulin levels low, which helps boost your metabolism. Just be certain to purchase organic, hormone free milk so that the benefits aren’t offset by unnecessary additives.

3) Oatmeal

Fiber is good for your metabolism, and oatmeal has plenty. A bowl of oatmeal is the perfect way to start your day if you are watching your weight. Eating a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast helps you burn energy steadily throughout the morning so that you don’t crash quickly as you would after eating a breakfast of bagels or other simple carbohydrates. In addition, just eating anything at all for breakfast speeds up the metabolism by about ten percent, so be sure you don’t skip this meal.

4) Salmon

Fish such as salmon that contain Omega-3 fatty acids are some of the best fat burning foods. They help lower the levels of leptin in your body, which results in more calories being burned. Other fish that contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids include sardines, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, and lake trout. If you don’t get enough fish in your diet, you can take Omega-3 supplements to help boost your metabolism. Fish are natural fat burning foods that are also good for your heart and immune system.

5) Nuts

Nuts are high in protein, vitamins, and fiber, so they make a healthy afternoon snack. Although they are high in fat, it is the good kind of fat. Nuts help keep your blood sugar from spiking and make you feel full quickly so that you are not as hungry and don’t eat as much. Raw walnuts, macadamia nuts, and almonds are best, as well as unsweetened peanut butter.

6) Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

You may have heard about how great extra virgin olive oil is, but extra virgin coconut oil is even better. This oil is by far the healthiest, so if you are sautéing, try using coconut oil instead of whatever type you normally use. Coconut oil increases your metabolism and helps keep your thyroid functioning properly. It’s more expensive than other oils, but isn’t your health worth it? Plus, this oil does triple duty and can be used on your skin as a moisturizer, on your face to plump wrinkles and even in the bedroom, as a natural lubricant (don’t use with condoms or diaphragms.)

7) Eggs

Eggs have gotten a bad rap, but it turns out that they aren’t so bad after all, especially the organic, omega 3 enhanced kinds.. In fact, free range eggs do not have any effect at all on the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Eggs are high in protein, which helps boost the metabolism. They also contain many vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamins A, B6, B12, D, E, and K, iron, phosphorus, thiamin, zinc, folate, and pantothenic acid. You have to eat the whole egg to get all of the benefits because most of the vitamins are contained in the yolk.

8) Grass-fed Beef

Beef that has been fed only grass and other foliage is healthier than beef that has been fed grain, so it’s important to make sure you buy only grass-fed beef if you are looking for fat burning foods. This type of beef contains less fat, and the fat that it does contain is the right kind to help you lose your own fat. In general, any kind of meat from an animal that is allowed to roam freely and eat what it would naturally eat is healthier. That is because these animals are able to get exercise during the day as well as eating the foods their bodies are best designed to eat.

9) Vinegar

Many studies has concluded that adding vinegar to your diet increases fat loss in humans. A study provided in the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry demonstrated that obese people who drank a mixture of 1 tablespoons vinegars in 1 cup of water twice per day lost body weight, belly fat and had a decrease in their triglyceride levels, without changing their eating or exercise patterns

10) Green Tea

There is a chemical in green tea that helps speed up the metabolism. It is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and it help your body burn more calories even while at rest. Drink a cup of green tea at every meal for the best results.

None of these foods are miracle cures, so if you’re looking for fast fat burning foods, it’s time to face the cold, hard facts. Nothing short of liposuction will get rid of huge amounts of fat at once, and surgery is usually not the best option. You can lose weight without resorting to such drastic measures if you learn more about how your body works so you will know how to feed it. The Unlock Your Metabolism program helps you do just that. By learning what kind of metabolism you have, you can determine the best foods for your body type, and you’ll be surprised at how much easier losing weight can be.

About the Author

Internationally certified life and health coach Lynette Patterson, ACC is a respected health care professional and author of Unlock Your Metabolism. For more information, visit http://www.unlockyourmetabolism.com or visit her blog at http://www.unlockyourmetabolism.com/blog

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