Fat Burning Foods
79Foods that Burn Calories
What foods burn fat? This is quite a common question among those looking to lose weight. The answer is simple... stick to foods high in fiber and protein, and you will have the highest chances of losing weight. The Atkins diet is based on this very principle of a high protein diet. It's all about the amount of energy your body burns to digest your food.
Have you ever eaten excessive amounts of beef to find yourself exhausted after? Do you sometimes feel sleepy at work after a big lunch? If you've answered "yes" to these questions, that's because your body has used considerable energy to break down your meal.
It takes more energy to digest protein that it does fat. Therefore, the more protein you eat, the more calories you burn.
Quick Definition:
Fat burning foods are those foods that require considerable energy to be digested by your body, whilst providing the least amount of energy in return.
Dairy Products
Dairy products are excellent fat-burning foods, such as cheese and milk. They contain a hunger suppressant protein called casein that helps with hunger pangs.
Eggs are also high in protein which helps burn fat. Eggs contain vitamin B12 which is a key component in breaking down fat. If you are concerned about cholesterol, you can still get the goodness from eggs by removing the yolk.
Dairy products tend to give you a good nights sleep, hence the old wives tale, "drink a glass of milk before bedtime". Though, when choosing your diary product, make sure it contains low fat.
Beans
Recommended are navy, kidney, white and lima beans. They contain excellent sources of protein, iron and fiber.
Beans can be associated with gastrointestinal disturbances as some fibers aren't so friendly to our digestive system. So make sure you cook them before eating. Avoid baked and refried beans as they are high in sugars and saturated fats.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is actually a good fat (monounsaturated fat) and helps keep cholesterol down and burn fat. Though a little more expensive, use extra virgin olive oil. This is the oil first pressed from the olives and least processed. Virgin olive oil is the second pressing from the olives.
Olive oil is the prime component of the Mediterranean Diet.
Further Info
- Fat Burning Secrets
Exact steps to burning the fat and eating healthy. - Atkins Diet
Well known low carb, high protein diet. - Mediterranean Diet - Wikipedia
Diet low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat and fiber. Popular eating habit of the Mediterranean Basin - Greece and Southern Italy.
Whole Grain Foods
Nowadays everyone is screaming "avoid carbs", but the truth is, your body needs carbohydrates to function properly. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Avoid white bleached rice, white bread, pastas and bagels. They have all been stripped of their goodness. Also, don't be fooled by "wheat" breads. Wheat bread is still lacking in vitamins and minerals and this label is only used to trick the public. Wheat bread contains added molasses which give it that brown colour.
Choose only cereals and breads that have whole grains because they are rich in fiber and minerals your body needs. You will feel fuller for longer periods, decreasing your tendency to overeat. The fiber also helps to effectively eliminate waste from your body.
Lean Meat
Lean meat is very beneficial for your muscles and should be consumed about 3 times a week. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. Meats are good foods and help boost one's immune system, but they can also be abused. That "thanksgiving turkey" could be full of saturated fats and injected with fatty substances.
Beef, turkey, salmon and tuna are excellent sources of protein. Salmon and tuna also provide omege-3 fatty acids (the good fats).
Make sure though that you only buy the leanest of meats and look for the word "loin" and "round" on your food labels.
Summary
With the right combination of all these fat-burning foods coupled with a daily exercise regimen, you are well on your way to achieving your ideal weight. Always eat within your required caloric intake so as not to gain any excess pounds.
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Comments
Very helpful - love the cow illustration!
Yeh, not many people know where the different cuts of a cow come from. Thanks for your comment.
It makes sense to combine aa protein and fiber diet. I believe a high protein diet could contribute to constipation thus why the fiber helps! Great info nikoman. :)
I always wondered where this information was hidden . Thanx !
I dont get it, how can foods burn fat? You mean high energy foods make you more active and that makes you burn fat? Sorry if I am being dumb, nutritian is not my strong point!
Foods that burn fat are low energy foods that require an equal amount or more energy to break down the food than the actual energy the food gives.
Chocolate is high energy, and is rather easy to break down. So to use the calories given by energy, one needs to exercise.
Cold water, whilst easy to break down, offers no calories, yet makes the body work and use calories to regulate the body temperature again.
Hope this makes sense.
Cheers.
Nikoman - Cool hub, love the illustrations!Have you looked into the thermo effect (forget the proper name) of spicy foods? I don't know if they qualify as "fat burning", but they supposedly can increase metabolism temporarily by about 5%. That's what I learned in a class, anyway.
No not yet, but am sure that would affect things too. Eating spicy foods make one perspire more than normal would help in excreting toxins from within.
Wait, I couldn't help but notice that Subway wasn't on here?
hahaGreat hub!
Niko, your post has the right idea, lean proteins, high fiber foods, and healthy fats like olive oil are ABSOLUTELY necessary for maximizing your body's potential for calorie burn, but if you don't mind, I'd like to clarify a few things.
Esocial referred to the "themo effect" of spicy foods, what esocial was referring to was the thermogenic effect of food. This applies to ALL foods, regardless of type. The thermic effect of food accounts for approx. 10% of the body's total calorie expenditure each day.
Proteins ABSOLUTELY DO take more energy to break down and assimilate into nutrients your body uses more easily than fats or carbs, this doesn't mean you're burning more calories to eat them than to take them in. You will burn approximately 20-25% of the calories you take in when you eat protein. So, if you eat an egg with 100 calories, you will burn about 20-25 calories by eating it. I'm absolutely with you when you say you should eat proteins to maximize your body's potential calorie burn, as long as they're lean forms of high-quality proteins.
Like esocial brought up, spicy foods and caffeine can increase calorie burn as well. But, just like the term "fattening foods" is a misnomer, so is ther term "fat burning foods." There are foods with high calorie content that when eaten in large quantities can lead to weight gain, and there are foods that can maximize your body's ability to burn calories, but there is truly no such thing as a "fattening" or a "fat burning" food.
great hub, thanks for the information!
Thanks for the great info.
Very Good Information. I did not know that dairy products helped to burn fat, thanks for the info.
very informative! =) I didn't know that products helped to burn fat
Grapefruits burn fat as does apples. Water with a little lemon helps as well.I am on a HCG 600 calorie diet, low carb, lost 16 lbs in 5 weeks.I read an interesting book that I will be doing a hub about, as well as the information about the diet that I am on.
Thanks good content!!
Very good hub! I am impressed to find out about the whole grains. Everyone is always screaming to stay away from the carbohydrates! Thanks alot for the information, I will definitely be using these tips!
refreshing information, i wasn't aware that dairy products fell into this category of foods, but now i am!
ive also wondered for ages what the "extra" part was all about with regards to olive oil - an now i know that too!
thanks again.
Good hub! You know about your content. Dairy is a great source of nutrition while being a great fat burner. People often look at me and wonder why I stay so thin and eat so much. It has to do with what I eat. As you say lean food and healthy food that burn fat. Changing ones diet can be healthy bu delicious at the same time.
Thanks for the healthful information. Key to losing weight for me was cutting out gluten. I'm surprised that I don't miss it that much. And after abstaining for three months - I am able to eat small amounts once each week. More than that and I gain weight. It takes sooo long to lose it. That keeps me on the straight and narrow path. I find food tastes better when I'm on a diet. Maybe because I don't eat as much- I savor it.
May God continue to bless you as you continue to provide quality and informative substance to yoru posts. God Bless - Rev. Jim Wilson www.jimwilsonministries.com
Wonderful list of foods there! I love that these are not only fat burning, they are the foods that have overall good health-giving properties. After all good health is a more important and positive goal than merely losing weight.
Chocolate needs to be here :)
Good article, I think nothing beats a balanced diet let's say 40/30/30 ratio with weight training and cardio.
Don't forget that things like mushrooms, celery and tomatoes can also help, as your body uses more energy burning them up than they contain.
So eating lean sirloin steak and mushrooms is a damn good meal!
Dude, I dig the cow photo. The atkins diet can totally work. I have done it a couple of times when I wanted to drop 15lbs and it only takes a couple weeks. Of course you have to stick with it if you want to lose more. It is just too bad beer isn't on those diets ;)
Great info. Anybody into any kind of weight loss program needs to know which foods aids in the mission. Not only that, when prepared correctly, it's like you're eating some of your favorite meals and burning fat at the same time. cool stuff.
To your health
Dave www.thewarpspeedfatloss.com
Recent research indicates that grapefruits are not good for us, and even could be considered risky. Anyone know anything else about why grapefruit is now considered to be a very bad food?
great hubs, thanks for the info. I will have those food a try!
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Zsuzsy Bee says:
2 years ago
Great collection of important facts. regards Zsuzsy