Eating the right foods and exercising regularly is crucial for burning body fat. But did you know that there is something as fat burning foods? These are foods that can aid in the metabolism of body fat. If you include those daily in your diet, you have a bigger chance of losing that unwanted body fat without even trying to hard. It will obviously not be the only thing that you will have to do to lose body fat, but fat burning foods will certainly get you there quicker.
Let’s look at these fat burning foods – what they are, what makes them fat burning and we’ll also look at the top 15 fat burning foods. OK, ready to start?
What are fat burning foods?
Foods for burning fat can be one (or all) of the following:
- Food that burn more calories than the food itself provides (like celery)
- Food that contain nutrients that burn body fat (like calcium)
- Foods that curb the appetite and thus help you lose excess stored fat (like grapefruit)
- Foods that help you stay full and thus enable you to burn off unwanted body fat (like good fats and fiber rich food)
- And also foods that speed up the metabolism (like chillies)
What foods burn fat?
Fat burning foods usually have one (or more) of the following characteristics:
- High in fiber
- High in calcium
- High in lean protein
- Appetite repressing properties like good fats or other substances that are found in chilies and grapefruit.
What are the top 15 fat burning foods for women (and men)?
Have a look out for these excellent body fat burning foods and make sure to include them in your diet menu :
1. Apples
As the saying goes – “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Apples are a very good source of fiber (they will keep you full), and because of their sweet taste, they can help you satisfy those sugar cravings.
2. Oats
Probably one of the best things you can eat for breakfast is oats. Just like apples, oats is high in fiber, which is always good. The high fiber content keeps you satisfied for longer, which will help you reduce those mid-morning sugar cravings.
3. Eggs
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods available. On average, each egg contains only about 70 calories. But, within those calories you will find about 6 grams of protein (protein burns fat) and elements of almost every important vitamin that you need.
4. Beans, especially lentils
Beans contain a certain hormone that is an effective appetite suppressant (cholecystokinin if you want to Google that). Combined with their high fiber content, they will also keep you fuller for longer. Lentils are an especially healthy type of bean, and are packed with fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals.
5. Green tea
The great thing about green tea is that it is good for you, but it also contains catechins which will increase your metabolism, and help you get rid of those love handles quicker.
6. Nuts
Nuts contain lots of monounsaturated fat, which is the good type of fat. This means that they are not only good for your skin; they also decrease your risk of heart disease. Nuts are also packed with fiber, vitamins and various minerals, making them a super food for getting rid of your love handles. They also increase the body’s fat burning ability. Just don’t go overboard, as they do have a large calorie content.
7. Potatoes
Yes, I know. Potatoes aren’t seen as one of the healthiest foods. But, the way you prepare your food is just as important as the type of food you eat. When you fry your food (like you do when making chips), you not only burn away most of the nutrients, you also replace those nutrients with unhealthy fats. When prepared properly (by boiling or roasting), potatoes are also one of the top natural fat burning foods. They are packed with nutrients, and their high fiber content also helps to keep you fuller for longer.
8. Chicken breasts
The best protein source out there, in my opinion. De-skinned chicken breasts are a great way to up your daily protein intake, without adding any extra fat to your diet.
9. Fat free Dairy Products
Fat free dairy products are high in calcium. Calcium allows energy from food to be burned as body heat instead of being stored as fat. This means that one’s body will burn fat for use as energy instead of storing it on your unwanted parts. Just make sure that the calcium rich food you choose is also fat free or low in fat.
10. Water
One of the largest sources of weight gain is through the things we drink. Water is the best source of fluid you can get, and I recommend that you get at least 8 glasses of it every day. You can add lemon slices to your water if you think ordinary water tastes too plain.
11. Chillies
Chillies contain a compound that is called capsaicin. Capsaicin increases the metabolism and eating food that are hot will also make you eat less of the food, thus making it one of the best fast fat burning foods!
12. Red Wine
Red wine contains an element by the name of Resveratrol. This Resveratrol is responsible for breaking fat down and it can also prevent the formation of new fat cells. This benefit only applies if you stick to no more than one glass per evening.
13. Grape fruit
Grape fruit enables you to burn excess body fat by reducing your food intake by suppressing your appetite. To get the greatest benefit from grapefruit, eat half a grapefruit before each meal.
14. Spinach and other green vegetables
Spinach and other green vegetables are high in calcium and high in fiber. The calcium allow energy to be burned and not stored as fat and the fiber keeps you full so you don’t add extra energy that may be stored as excess fat. Stock up on plenty of healthy green veggies.
15. Olive oil
Olive oil (one of the good fats) helps control food cravings and also aids in the metabolism of fat. Just make sure not to overdo your intake of olive oil – it may be a good fat, but stick to portion sizes or it may make you pick up weight instead of burning fat.
Check out even more fat burning foods and also fruits that burn fat.
Conclusion
Fat burning food will unfortunately not help you lose all your unwanted body fat by simply just eating that food. If it where that easy all of us would be thinner by just eating more fat burning food. Don’t get me wrong, fat burning foods are an excellent way of increasing your chances of fat burn, but you also have to eat healthy and exercise regularly.
Weight training is one of the best ways to also burn body fat – muscles eats fat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So make sure you include these fat burning foods in your diet and that you also include other healthy foods and to get in regular exercise.
