Looking for some help in burning off that excess fat? Look no further than these twenty fat burning foods!
From the extrememly popular green tea, to the lesser known apple cider vinegar, all of the foods below can help to kickstart your fat burning potential.
Top 20 Fat Burning Foods
1. Green Tea
Green tea is probably the most well-known fat burning food. Though it is hailed for it’s many other healthy properties, many people sip green tea for it’s effects on metabolism and fat burning.
Green tea’s fat burning powers come from not just the caffeine it contains, but from also the powerful antioxidants called catechins.
The catechin most known for its effects on fat burning is called epigallocatechin gallete (EGCG), which green tea has in abundance.
2. Cinnamon
New research has recently found that cinnamon can help to lower blood sugar levels.
Since weight gain and obsesity are directly correlated with high levels of blood sugar, cinnamon is an important part of the diet for those who need help in controlling their blood sugar levels.
Stir cinnamon into coffee, tea, and even oatmeal for an added fat burning boost.
3. Citrus
Citrus may be known for it’s immune-boosting vitamin C, but did you know that research has revealed the higher amount of vitamin C present in the blood, the lower the amount of body fat?
This is because vitamin C oxidizes fat in the body, which means that it can help to whittle your waistline.
4. Apples
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it can also help you to shed fat.
Apples contain pectin, a type of fiber found in fruit, that can keep you feeling fuller longer.
Pectin also binds with water in the body and limits the amount of fat that your cells can absorb.
5. Oats
Oats are an excellent fat burning food. High in fiber to keep you full, oats digest slowly so they don’t raise your blood sugar levels and can easily keep you satiated throughout the morning.
6. Lentils
Lentils are high in protein, with 9 grams in a cooked half cup, but are also brimming with 8 grams of fiber.
This combination of fiber and protein helps to keep you feeling satisfied for an extended period of time as well as keeps blood sugar levels stable, so you don’t have to battle cravings!
7. Berries
Along with plenty of healthy antioxidants to help your body fight off damaging free radicals, berries also contain the same pectin found in apples.
Berries are also sweet but still low in sugar, which makes them a great subsitiute for sugar when the craving hits! Snack on berries to get your sweet fix but avoid excess calories.
8. Quinoa
Quinoa is beyond worthy of its “superfood” title.
Incredibly high in complete protein and packed with vitamins and minerals, quinoa also contains fiber that will keep you full and keep you from binging on those unhealthy foods.
Quinoa is also very low on the glycemic index, so it’ll keep your blood sugar levels steady.
9. Hot Peppers
Peppers contain capsicum, which increases lipid oxidation in the body. Lipid oxidation is when fat is burned for energy for the body, which is helpful when trying to burn fat. Peppers have also been linked to a decreased appetite as well as slowing the growth of fat cells.
10. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are fantastic oxidizers and metabolizers of excess body fat. They also help to lower blood pressure and fight certain types of cancers.
Recent research has also hinted at tomatoes being able to activate the part of human DNA that controls fat burning, though more research needs to be conducted.
11. Asparagus
Asparagus contains asparagine, an alkaloid that affects the cells in the body and can help to break down fat.
Asparagus is also helpful in removing waste from the body, which can also help to burn fat.
12. Garlic
Garlic has been linked to lower blood sugar levels as well as a fat burning enhancer. Garlic contains allicin, which is known to release fat from the cells in the body, allowing it to be burned off.
13. Avocado
Though avocados are almost completely made up of fat, that doesn’t mean they are not a great fat burning food.
In fact, the monounsaturated fat found in avocados can help to reduce the inflammation in the body that can lead to high cholesterol, as well as prevent blood sugar spikes that could trigger your body to store any excess calories consumed as fat.
14. Salmon
Wild salmon contains vital healthy fats that not enough people get in their diets. While these omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart health, they can also help to control weight.
Omega-3 fatty acids help to facilitate the body’s production of leptin, a hormone that helps to control the body’s ability to burn fat and supress appetite.
15. Apple Cider Vinegar
Just like apples, apple cider vinegar contains pectin, a filling fiber that can make you feel fuller.
Studies show that those who drink apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water 15 minutes before a meal consume less calories throughout the day by as much as 250 calories.
This reduction in calories every day can help you to lose weight.
16. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is helpful in burning fat due to it’s high protein content. Not only does it contain less sugar than other yogurts, plain greek yogurt contains roughly 20 grams of protein per cup.
One study showed that dieters who added greek yogurt to their diet lost 81% more belly fat than those who didn’t.
Just make sure to read the label before choosing your yogurt – some greek yogurts can contain an unnecessary amount of added sugar.
Buy plain and add raw, local honey to sweeten it instead!
17. Broccoli
Broccoli is a high-fiber food that is low in calories, meaning you’ll feel full but won’t break the calorie bank.
Dietary fiber is also critical in controlling the hormone ghrelin, which triggers your body’s hunger response.
With fiber delaying the response of this hormone, you are less likely to get hit with cravings later in the day.
Broccoli also contains several other nutrients such as vitamin C, calcium and chromium that can help aid in the fat burning process.
18. Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are incredibly high in nutrients such as beta-carotene and vitamin C, but they alse have fat burning capabilities.
Higher in dietary fiber than their white siblings, sweet potatoes can fill you up with complex carbohydrates while also providing two grams of protein, zero fat and roughly 120 calories.
19. Ginger
Ginger can increase metabolism by as much as twenty percent, and the more calories that your metabolism burns means the more fat you can be burning.
Those who consume ginger also swear it to be an appetite suppressant.
20. Water
Water is one of the most important aspects of any weight loss program or diet. Water is the basis for every reaction in the human body, including the burning of fat.
Without the proper amount of water and hydration, the body simply cannot perform properly.
This means that the metabolism and fat burning potential slows down, two things that are vital to weight loss.
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