You’ve probably been on the typical North American diet of starches and fats. You may have never had the opportunity to grow your own fresh food. Or, like everyone else until recently, you were fed based on the Food Guide that experts are now saying is very wrong (from a time when the food manufacturers were the ones who decided which foods made it to the Food Guide).
Whatever the reason, you are probably accustomed to some very harmful foods.
But there are so many foods that taste great, are good for you, leave you feeling full, and can even help burn off some of the fat that’s accumulated around your belly.
Here are a just a few – for a fuller list of foods that burn fat check out our previous post:
1. Eggs
Eggs are delicious AND they’re rich in protein (you see, delicious and healthy). They contain fat burning nutrients as well.
One of the most important nutrients in eggs is Vitamin B12. Why? Because it helps to regulate, and even increase your metabolism. Who couldn’t use some of that? Especially for anyone over 40 when our metabolism is really starting to slow and weight is beginning to build.
Whether you poach, boil, or scramble eggs, couple them with whole wheat toast and fresh fruit and you have a tremendously healthy, delicious, and fat burning breakfast.
Add them to your diet.
2. Steel Cut Oats
Instant and/or quick oats you can buy in the store lack flavor and the consistency, so they are anything but appealing. But if you haven’t tried steel cut oats yet, you must give them a try. They are very chewy and have a delightful, nutty flavor.
Steel cut oats are super high in fiber (help you maintain an even energy level for hours). No more mid-morning cravings for you, as you’ll feel fuller for longer.
Fancy it up a bit by adding fresh fruit, nuts and a touch of honey, and you have a healthy breakfast “treat”.
3. Beans
Beans are a low-glycemic-index food that makes a person feel full, so they eat less of other things. Beans are also full of fiber, folate, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium, and they are cholesterol- and fat-free.
Being that beans are such a super source of fiber, they keep your blood sugar levels even and your digestive system flowing. Add some rice to your beans and you’ve got a complete protein (as long as the ratio to beans and rice is balanced).
And there are so many different types of beans and bean recipes for every culture around the world so that you can enjoy almost any flavor.
- If you love Asian food then look for soybeans and black beans.
- Latin cultures enjoy black beans and pinto beans.
- If you’re from the south then look for black eyed pea recipes
- If you love soups and stews then look no further than lentil or navy bean soup.
4. White Meat – Chicken or Turkey
If you are not a Raw foodie, Vegetarian or Vegan, and you indulge in meat, add a little white meat to your diet (red is very high in saturated fats HERE is a very interesting article about red vs white meat).
Chicken is a great source of protein. One 6 oz. serving of chicken contains 48 g of protein.
Chicken is also rich in potassium, calcium AND contains no carbs. With all of this going for it, chicken makes for a healthy, filling food option.
However, chicken can be unhealthy depending on how it is cooked. For example, deep frying or stir frying chicken adds a ton of calories and increases the fat ratio.
Chicken allows for consuming a small amount of calories, but leaves you feeling full for hours, decreasing your likelihood of snacking on unhealthy foods later in the day.
In summary:
There are so many healthy foods that support weight loss and help you burn fat. Make a commitment to yourself to try at least one new (healthy) food each week. Your dieting and weight loss experience will be more interesting and satisfying.
3 Fat Burning Myths – Busted!
There’s a lot of misinformation about losing weight. Some of this information is complete fiction, but some does have a basis of truth — it’s just really hard to know which is which. It’s no wonder that people struggle to lose weight.
1. Fat Burning Myth: Working out makes you hungry, therefore you eat more
The fact is:
Don’t believe this myth or you’ll start skipping a workout here and there. The truth is that working out actually suppresses your appetite. If you wonder at the truth of this statement, it might be because your post-workout thirst mimics hunger (when you’re dehydrated), so you thought you were hungry.
Drink some water and it will not only quench your thirst, but quench your hunger pangs as well.
Motivation bonus: The best thing about working out is that it boosts your metabolism so you burn calories and fat over a longer period of time.
2. Fat Burning Myth: Your cardio workout only burns calories after about 15 minutes
The fact is:
Your body is burning calories around the clock, whether you’re sitting, sleeping or exercising. However, after the first 15 minutes or so of your workout, your body switches to fat as a fuel source.
Motivation Bonus: Weight loss is ultimately dependent on burning calories. You burn less fat if you run for twenty minutes, but you’ll burn more calories than if you go on a long walk. The quick answer is to always choose the workout that burns more calories. But more than anything, just keep moving.
3. Fat Burning Myth: High Protein diets help you lose weight via ketosis
The fact is:
Ketosis is the process where your body uses fat as an energy source. You may have heard that it is a dangerous state and potentially life-threatening, but this is not the case. To read more on this topic, click here
Instead of focusing on any one food, choose a balanced diet rich in lean protein (it helps you feel full longer and it also helps to balance your blood sugar, giving you energy for longer periods of time). Include carbohydrate rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, drink lots of water, add exercise, and you’ll burn fat and keep it off. Add some of the super foods, natural fat burning remedies, and green tea too.
Motivation Bonus: Ultimately the key to fat burning and weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. Once again, keep moving. Read here how these 7 simple steps can help you burn fat.
If you’re trying to lose weight or trying to burn fat, don’t believe everything you read or hear. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
