Fat burning foods are vital for any body that is serious about losing weight and building a lean body. Check out this free list of five fat burning foods for some real nutritional powerhouses.
Oatmeal – Steel rolled and regular rolled oats are the top choice here. For some people oatmeal is just way too plain, but I say it is a blank canvas! Why not add some of the nuts and berries listed below for a delicious meal. Don’t fall into the trap of going for the instant, sweetened or flavored varieties though.
The Science: Oatmeal has actually been proven to lower the risk of heart disease and colon cancer because it breaks down and flushes out blood cholesterol and bad fatty acids. The soluble fiber found in oatmeal prevents insulin and blood sugar spikes, and keeps you feeling full for longer. This creates the perfect environment for fat burning hormones.
Shop For: Steel rolled oats (expensive) and rolled oats.
Avoid: Sweetened/ Instant oats.
Tip: Don’t add sugars and syrups, instead try honey, berries and nuts.
Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia etc) – Yes, nuts are a fatty food, but this fatty food actually helps you burn body fat! So if you want to get rid of fat and lose inches on your stomach then you’ll want to incorporate nuts to your diet. Nuts are perfect as a side order for a larger meal, a light snack (ditch those chips and crisps) or for desert.
The Science: Nuts are perfect if you are looking to lose belly fat. They are excellent sources of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Like I’ve said many times before, eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Eating the wrong kinds of fat is the problem. Nuts do not fall into the “bad” category. Actually they are quite the opposite.
Nuts also maintain fat burning hormones, they fill you up quickly and keep you feeling full – suppressing your appetite.
Shop For: Aim for raw nuts or mixed nuts – Almonds, Walnuts and Macadamia nuts. Unsweetened peanut butter.
Avoid: Nuts that have things added to them. e.g. salt, chocolate or sugar covered, dry roasted etc. This is where nuts get their bad reputation!
Tip: By varying your nut intake you’ll get a good cocktail of vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Peanut butter is also an excellent substitute for margarine or butter for sandwiches but once again you must go for the natural, unsweetened variety if you’re going for fast abs.
Berries (Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries etc) – Along with nuts I’d probably say that berries are one of my all time favorite fat burning foods. They can add a much needed sweetness, acidity and taste to a meal that might otherwise seem boring. Salad, protein shake, mixed nuts, you name it and they go with it! Well almost!
The Science: Berries are the perfect source of natural sugars (that don’t spike blood sugar like refined sugars will), fibre (slows sugar and carb absorption further and fills you up), vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and falvonoids (proven cancer prevention links). It’s hard to believe that you get all of this with low calories too. Perfect if you’re looking to burn belly flab.
Shop For: Fresh berries if possible, frozen berries are cost effective.
Avoid: Tinned berries with added sugar and frosting.
Tip: Try exotic berries such as the Goji, which boasts one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any food on the planet!
Red Meat: This will seem like a very strange choice for some people. But it is a great example of how the quality of meat has a massive bearing on its fat burning potential. Grass fed and free range red meat is actually much healthier than meat from animals raised on grain. It actually contains 30% less fat, but it’s also the quality of fat that counts too, with a perfect ratio of good to bad fatty acids.
The Science: Well exercised, grass fed animals produce a meat that is high in vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids and top quality protein. On the other hand, beef raised on grain (not the animal’s natural diet) produces poor quality meat, lacking in nutrients and containing bad fats. So the free range, grass fed option is the clear healthy, fat burning choice.
Shop for: Grass fed, organic beef, game (deer) and bison are the best choices.
Tip: Avoid grain fed, mass production animals. The protein in this meat is harder to digest, not to mention the higher ‘bad fat’ content.
Whole, organic, free range eggs: Most people are scared of eggs because they believe them to be high in fat and cholesterol. But the truth is, organic, free-range eggs have no affect on blood cholesterol (blame processed and refined fats for that). Furthermore, the essential fatty acids inside an eggs yolk are vital for fat burning.
The Science: Do you only eat egg whites? Well then you might be interested to know that the yolk contains 90% of an egg’s nutrients. Iron, zinc, phosphorus, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, panthothenic acid, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and all of the food’s essential fatty acids can be found in the yolk. Not to mention the fat that the balance of amino acids is much healthier in a whole egg.
Shop for: Just like red meat, free range and organic is the only way to go.
Tip: Small farm shops are a great source of free-range eggs. Some of the “free range” eggs you find in the grocery store come from hens that are allowed out for about 10 minutes a day! Remember, the natural foods a free range hen eats basically decides the quality of the nutrients you’ll get from her eggs!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article, but this list of fat burning foods is just the beginning. To learn more about foods that burn fat and for some important fat burning advice visit this blog.
