The secret lose weight is very simple and familiar to everyone: an established diet and regular physical activity. But let’s be honest, you want to achieve the desired result very quickly, and the path to a slender body, unfortunately, sometimes takes so much time. Someone in the process loses motivation, someone is overwhelmed by a feeling of laziness, and someone comes to the conclusion that not everything is so bad … But there is no need to give up prematurely! After all, the main key to a slim figure is a healthy diet. It is it that plays the most important role, and sport in this bundle is an auxiliary tool.
By adjusting your diet, you can achieve excellent results. And if you add fat-burning foods to it … Intrigued? Then let’s just talk about them.
What are fat-burning foods?
It’s worth starting with the fact that these products will not help you quickly get rid of extra centimeters on your body while you finish eating your favorite burger. No, it’s all a lot more complicated.
In fact, there are no products that “destroy fat” and help you quickly lose weight. But! Some foods have a high thermal effect. This means that the body spends more calories on its digestion and at the same time activates metabolic processes. In this way, you can avoid weight gain, but on the condition that a proper diet, in general, is observed.
Remember, no specific vegetable or fruit burns fat. Weight management is closely related to the diet you follow.
The thermic effect of food can vary with age, physical activity, and general health.
After reading all of the above, do not rush to close the article. After all, we have prepared for you a list of those very foods that are still worth adding to your diet for weight control.
The most fat-burning foods
The list of products that increase human energy consumption is constantly updated. We will share only the list that has a large evidence base and has been repeatedly studied in the course of research.
Coffee
Your favorite drink is a valuable source of various biologically active compounds. But we are only interested in two of them:
- Caffeine. It increases thermogenesis and energy expenditure, in addition to increasing energy levels, and mental and physical performance. A small study found that athletes who took caffeine an hour before a workout worked out longer and were able to burn twice as much fat as those who didn’t. It should also be noted that caffeine can speed up the metabolism by 3-13%. Impressive, isn’t it?
- Chlorogenic acid. Helps in the fight against obesity, has a beneficial effect on metabolic disorders, and is directly involved in energy metabolism.
In order not to introduce the body into a stressful situation, drink coffee in moderation – no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day (3-5 cups of coffee).
Green tea
Everyone already knows about the benefits of green tea, so we will not write much about it. We will only touch on the most important thing about losing weight.
This drink contains a moderate amount of caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate. The latter is a natural antioxidant that enhances thermogenesis, increases energy expenditure, and promotes fat oxidation.
Related topic How to Lose Weight Safely and Naturally: Your Complete Plan
If you like green tea, drink it more often. It will not only allow you to quench your thirst, and enjoy a pleasant taste but also help in body shaping.
Cocoa and dark chocolate
If you like dark chocolate, then this product in the diet will bring not only pleasure but also benefits. Cocoa in powder form and in dark chocolate is a rich source of polyphenols, which are known for their antioxidant properties and their potential role in the prevention of many diseases. Several studies have shown that polyphenols may be effective for obesity. They increase energy expenditure and thermogenesis and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation while supporting weight loss.
One study showed an interesting result: ingestion of cocoa powder or dark chocolate at approximately ≥ 30 g/day for 4-8 weeks led to a decrease in body weight and BMI.
Fatty fish
As you may have guessed, we are talking about omega-3 fatty acids. Yes, you can buy a nutritional supplement with this nutrient and, so to speak, do not fool yourself. But we must not forget that fish, among other things, is considered one of the best sources of protein and other trace elements. Therefore, it should appear in your menu.
Let’s get back to polyunsaturated fatty acids. How they work:
- Are directly involved in metabolism, as well as in the process of fat burning;
- Saturate the body, for a long time suppressing the feeling of hunger;
- Increase the effectiveness of training.
Like it or not, fish is an integral part of a complete and healthy diet.
Grapefruit
Fat-burning fruits burst into our list. Have you ever heard of the grapefruit diet? Its essence lies in the fact that you need to eat half of the fruit or juice from the same part after each meal. Grapefruit is full of enzymes that lower insulin levels and promote weight loss.
Insulin alone cannot regulate body weight, but it does affect lipid metabolism. Therefore, the smaller the surge of this hormone after eating, the better the body processes food and does not store fat.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and conjugated linolenic acid, which help burn fat and optimize metabolism. You can consume it in the form of juice or enjoy the fruits.
If you buy pomegranate juice, be sure to pay attention to the composition. It should not contain sugar, only 100% natural products. Better yet, make freshly squeezed juice at home.
Eggs
So much controversy around this product. Some people are still afraid to eat a lot of eggs, thinking that there is a lot of cholesterol. But the Internet is already full of studies that refute their health risks.
So how do eggs help you lose weight? We tell. An egg-based breakfast satisfies hunger well and leaves a feeling of satiety for a long time. Also, do not forget that they contain protein, which accelerates metabolism by about 20-35% after eating. The body spends more energy on protein digestion, which means that eggs belong to the category of foods with a high thermal effect.
Egg-based breakfast to be!
Ginger
Ginger root contains compounds such as gingerol and shogaols, which stimulate a number of biological processes in the body. Obesity can be accompanied by oxidative stress and inflammatory processes that occur due to the influence of free radicals on the body.
Ginger is considered a powerful antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory agent. It perfectly protects the body and helps to directly fight excess weight.
You definitely need to add ginger to your diet because of it:
- Helps food to be digested faster and better;
- Maintains a feeling of satiety for a long time;
- Maintains a stable sugar level, which directly affects weight loss;
- Increases energy consumption.
Ginger is a plus in the piggy bank of healthy fat-burning foods.
Turmeric
It turns out that your favorite spices not only smell good but can also reduce body fat. Turmeric has long been used as a stimulant for the body.
The main active flavonoid component of this spice is curcumin. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, insulin-sensitizing, and hypoglycemic properties.
There is a strong link between obesity and chronic inflammation. Data collected from open sources on the Internet indicate that curcumin is able to suppress these processes, promote fat loss and prevent its re-gain.
Cinnamon
Another spice that is widely used in cooking. Cinnamon aldehyde, a compound that supports metabolism, gives a special taste to cinnamon. It is able to increase energy expenditure by approximately 3.6 kcal within 90 minutes of ingestion. Not bad, right? It can be concluded that cinnamon extract is able to activate thermogenesis and reduce body fat.
Red pepper (chili)
Dedicated to lovers of spicy … Chili pepper contains many biologically active compounds that directly affect certain processes in the body, including lipolysis. The loss of extra centimeters is due to increased energy consumption and thermogenesis after eating this vegetable. Which in turn will help you burn more calories and lose weight.
cruciferous
Now let’s talk about fat-burning vegetables. These include the cruciferous family: white, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. They really are one of the best products for maintaining a stable weight. Cruciferous fruits are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and are low in calories. Their regular consumption helps to get rid of extra centimeters on the body and prevent leptin resistance.
- Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells that regulate appetite. Leptin resistance is defined as decreased satiety or lack of brain response to the hormone itself. As a result, leptin’s ability to suppress appetite or increase energy expenditure is disrupted. Because of this, there is an excess of body weight and other metabolic disorders.
Therefore, be sure to include cabbage in your diet!
Nuts
Nuts have never been considered a dietary product. They are really quite nutritious and contain a lot of protein, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, flavonoids, and vitamins. By adding nuts to your menu, you will not only receive exceptional benefits by improving the quality of nutrition, but at the same time, you will not gain excess.
Remember that the body spends more energy on protein digestion.
Apple vinegar
Wondering how apple cider vinegar made the list? No panic! This is an ancient folk remedy that has an iron evidence base in terms of health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar reduces appetite, and its main component – acetic acid – starts the process of burning fat and prevents its deposition.
Spirulina
And our list is completed by blue-green algae – spirulina. By the way, it is often called a “superfood”, but for good reason.
It contains high-quality protein, almost all essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and biologically active compounds. These algae can reduce body weight, optimize glucose and lipid metabolism, and remove toxins from the body. For weight loss – a great option. However, finding it frozen will be problematic, but still possible.
Do not forget that all of the above natural fat burners are just a reasonable addition to your diet. And to achieve a truly amazing effect, go in for sports. Even short physical activity or walking will bring much more benefits than their absence.
Well, if you liked the article, be sure to like
