Sunday, November 23, 2008
Fat Burning Foods
While no food can make you lose weight, there are many fat burning foods that are better for helping you on the journey. These foods are ones that provide excellent nutrition, including the fiber you need to lose weight. Be creative in incorporating them into your diet, and they will become a natural part of your life.
Fruits as Fat Burning Foods
Eating fruit can replace the need you feel for sugar. In fact, your body will respond positively to the infusion of natural sugars from fruits, and you will find yourself craving artificial sugars less over time. These fruits are among the best fat-burning and power foods.
Apples
With six grams of fiber in a medium-sized apple, you will help your digestive tract by eating one of these luscious fruits each day. The best part is that apples do not have any sodium or fat and are packed with vitamins and minerals. Filling up on one as a snack can take away your afternoon slump and help you burn fat.
Peaches
While these fruits aren’t always in season, you should try to pick one up when you can. These fruits are wonderfully delicious and low in calories. They also have more than a single serving of vitamins A and C.
Pineapple
Tropical fruits often have disease-fighting properties to them. Pineapple contains bromelain, which is an enzyme that breaks down protein. Many toxin-flushing fasts use pineapple as one of the ways to rid the body of toxins, which helps with weight loss.
Other fat-burning fruits should become a regular part of your weight loss diet. They include:
* Oranges * Lemons * Cherries * Papaya * Limes
Vegetables as Fat Burning Foods
Vegetables also work well as fat-burning additions to your diet. In general, vegetables are low in fat but high in nutrients. Many vegetables, such as broccoli and celery, are so low in calories that many dieters consider them “free foods,” meaning that they do not add to your daily caloric intake. You can munch on them all you want. They will satisfy hunger and help you lose weight.
Artichoke
One of the most under-used vegetables, the artichoke also is one of the most flavorful and nutritious. A medium artichoke gives you more than four grams of protein and six grams of fiber. The traditional way to eat artichoke is to peel the leaves and dip them in butter, but they also work well sautéed, grilled, and in salads and casseroles.
Mushrooms
Although they are used sparingly, mushrooms can be put in many dishes. Even if you don’t like the strong flavor of the portabella, putting small-cap mushrooms into your diet through tomato-based sauces, pizzas and other dishes really will ramp up the amount of B vitamins you receive. Mushrooms also contain large amounts of potassium, which help reduce the water-retention of your cells, a great tool in the weight loss battle.
Tomatoes
Forget bickering over whether they’re a fruit or vegetable. Either way, tomatoes are a power food! They have more vitamins than most vegetables and include large amounts of lycopene, believed to fight cancer. Tomatoes are very low in calories given their watery content, which makes them a great for helping burn fat.
Remember that with vegetables, a more porous interior means that it has more water content, which is what you need when you’re trying to burn fat. These veggies are all great fat burning foods.
* Celery * Carrots * Rhubarb * Asparagus * Beets * Turnips * Green beans
Seafood
Lovers of the ocean spoils should be excited to hear that seafood is one of the best sources of protein when you’re trying to burn more fat. Seafood is lower in fat and calorie content than land-roaming meats, and they often have higher water content as well.
Shrimp
One of the best sources of protein, shrimp is a great fat burner. An average portion of shrimp has more than 15 grams of protein and no carbs (as is true for most meats). Shrimp also can be cooked in such a variety of ways that it can become a dietary staple.
Tuna
Canned or fresh, tuna offers a good deal of protein and has little cholesterol. This low-calorie food can help you get the protein – energy – you need to sustain your body without the added fat.
