Fat burning foods are foods that burn more calories than the calorie content of the food itself, thereby fighting stored fat. The secret to losing weight is to eat and drink the right kinds of foods until you are full and satisfied. If you skip meals and food, it will slow your metabolism and your health will deteriorate. There are certain foods which actually burn more fat than the calorie content of the food itself. These fat burning foods are natural plant foods. If you eat these fat burning foods and do some exercise, it will boost your metabolism and burn more calories (fat) at a faster rate for several hours even after exercise. Full list of the fat burning foods is available.
List of Foods That Burn Fat - Fat Fighers
Fruits rich in vitamin C - Citrus Fruits
like limes, lemons, oranges, guava, grapefruit, papaya, sweet lime, tangerines and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and fibre and have fat burning properties so they may be called as FAT BURNING FOODS or FAT BURNERS or FIGHTERS.
Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster and also stimulates the carnitine amino acid which speeds up the body’s fat-burning capacity.
Vitamin C dilutes the fat and makes it less effective and helps in releasing the fat from the body.
Apples
Pectin in apple restricts the cells to absorb the fat; and also encourages water absorption from the food which helps in releasing the fat deposits from the body. The antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an apple body shape.
Calcium Rich Dairy Products
Calcium in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt act as fat burner that can boost weight loss by increasing fat breakdown in fat cells. According to Professor Michael Zemel at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, (Obesity Research, April 2004; vol 12; pp 582-590.) a dairy-rich diet with same calorie restriction can nearly double the rate of weight and fat loss. His research has shown that eating 3-4 servings of dairy products a day is more effective at enhancing weight loss efforts than calcium supplementation alone. Dairy products may therefore be termed as fat burning foods or fat burners.
Overweight people who consumed 3 servings a day of calcium-rich dairy lost more belly fat than those who followed a similar diet minus two or more of the dairy servings. The calcium supplements didn't work as well as milk. According to an article in Obesity Research, women who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat milk, three to four times a day lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters.
In another study done at Purdue University those who consumed 3 cups of fat-free milk gained less weight over the course of 2 years than those on low calcium diets.
So, not only do dairy products help you strengthen your bones, they can also play an essential role in burning that unwanted body fat.
If you are a regular consumer of milk and other dairy products, that's great (as long as you don't overdo it). Just watch your proportions and perhaps switch over to the low or no fat varieties.
Nuts
Help feel full while also increasing the body's ability to burn fat, says author Jordi Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovira i Virgili in Reus, Spain.
Chilies
Foods containing chillies or cayanne pepper are considered to be as foods that burn fat. Chillies contain capsaicin that helps in increasing the metabolism. Capsaicin is a thermogenic food, so it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat the chilies.
Proteins
Protein rich foods and high fiber foods are the best as foods burning belly fat. Protein needs more energy to digest than fat as so eat low calorie dairy products, beans, whole grains, oatmeal, eggs, etc. as much as possible.
Lentils are high in protein and soluble fiber, two nutrients that stabilize blood sugar levels, therefore lentils are a great tummy flattener," according to Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet.
Eggs
Eggs are super high in protein and can help you burn that unwanted belly fat.
You may have heard all the warnings about eggs and your health. That's because a couple of eggs will put you over the recommended daily amount of cholesterol.
Well, more recent studies have shown that dietary cholesterol has a minimal impact on blood cholesterol. Dietary fat is the real culprit. It's what raises your bad cholesterol levels.
However, if you're still worried about your overall cholesterol intake from eating too many eggs, you can remove the yolk and still benefit from the high protein contained in eggs. One of my favorite breakfasts is an egg-white sandwich.
Eggs contain the vitamin B12; a great supplement for breaking down fat cells.
Beans
While beans are often associated with the gastrointestinal disturbances they may cause, they are also very good sources of protein, fiber and iron.
Some of the best kinds of beans to eat are:
• Navy beans
• White beans
• Kidney beans
• Lima beans
And as always, there are those beans that you should limit in your diet - I'm talking about those that are baked and refried.
Refried beans contain tons of saturated fat while baked beans are usually loaded in sugar. Sure, you'll be getting your protein but you'll also be consuming a lot of fat and sugar you don't need.
Here's something else to remember. Be sure to cook your beans thoroughly because our digestive tracks are not adapted to breaking down some proteins that are contained in certain beans.
They are already good enough on their own at stimulating GI activity. You don't want to create
Oatmeal
While it may not be the tastiest thing you can eat, oatmeal definitely has some great nutritional qualities.
You may have noticed that many of the oatmeal brands are now boasting that eating more oatmeal will help lower your cholesterol level. That's because oatmeal is loaded with soluble fiber which helps reduce blood cholesterol by flushing those bad digestive acids out of your system.
The best kind of oatmeal to eat is unsweetened and unflavored. While I know it's tempting to select the apples and cinnamon flavor and load it with butter and sugar -- you really lose out on all the health benefits. If you must sweeten your bowl of oatmeal, do so by adding fruit.
I eat mine with a spoonful of honey (much better for you than sugar) and a handful of raisins or dried cranberries.
Oatmeal is also beneficial in fighting colon cancer and heart disease.
Olive Oil
Certain fats are good for you and your body needs them. Olive oil is one of those "good fats". In fact, it's so good that it helps you burn fat and keeps your cholesterol down.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that researchers are finding provide outstanding health benefits. One ounce of extra virgin olive oil contains about 85% of the daily value for monounsaturated fat.
So instead of taking a swig of orange juice in the morning, many dieters are picking up a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
Whole Grains
These days everyone seems to be screaming "No carbs!" It's as if the world has gone no-carb crazy and everyone is running from sliced breads and pastas.
Well the truth is, your body needs carbohydrates. If you go without them completely your body will start to crave them. So it's not a good idea to exclude all carbs because the right kinds are actually good for you.
It's the processed carbohydrates that are bad for you -- the white breads, bagels, pastas, and white rice to name a few.
None of the above foods come out of the ground the way you eat them -- which is usually a bad sign. They've all been processed, thus stripping out all the nutrients leaving you with loads of starch.
The key is to eat "whole grain" foods because they haven't been processed and contain the fiber and minerals your body needs.
So don't be fooled by a loaf of bread labeled "wheat". Regular wheat bread is still lacking in vitamins and minerals. Manufacturers add molasses to it so it turns brown.
Don't let them trick you. The only kind of bread that's good for you is the kind that's labeled "whole grain".
Lean Cuts of Meat
Turkey and beef are great for building muscle and boosting the immune system, but as always you have to be careful:
Basted turkeys are usually injected with fatty substances while beef contains saturated fat. That Thanksgiving turkey may look good, but it's not always good for you. And if you are going to eat beef, be sure to consume the leanest cuts you can find by looking for "loin" or "round" on the labels.
Salmon and tuna are also good sources of protein. They both contain omega-3 fatty acids which may sound bad, but are actually healthy fats. These two foods are also good for giving your immune system a nice boost and should be consumed at least 3 times a week.