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5 Best Fat-Burning Foods
CoachChrisD
Posts: 207 Member
Certain foods are better at helping you lose fat than others. No food in and of itself is going to make you lose weight. You need to have a calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. However, you can still lose fat even if you haven't lost any weight. As long as we are creating a metabolic environment that allows our body to release fatty acids, we have the potential to lose large amounts of body fat.
By eating the best fat burning foods listed below, you give yourself an added advantage in the fight against fat. This isn't your typical list of green teas and spicy foods. Those are gimmicky lists that might have a short term effect on fat loss, but they are not true fat burning foods.
The Best Fat Burning Foods Have This In Common
What makes these particular foods the best fat burning foods? Many of them share the same nutritional qualities. They all keep insulin levels low. Improved insulin sensitivity means your body needs less insulin to do its job. Keeping insulin low allows for the release of fatty acids. Fat cannot cannot be released when insulin levels are high.
Many of the best fat burning foods provide a nice slow and steady release of glucose without causing a spike in insulin levels. Eliminating carbohydrates would also mute insulin release, but you want them so you can fuel high-intensity exercise. Determining how many carbohydrates you need is a delicate balance. Eat too many, and your insulin levels will always be too high to release fatty acids.
The best fat burning foods are also all highly nutritious. They provide many of the necessary fat burning vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function optimally. Not only does this aid in fat loss, but it helps prevent your body from sending out hunger signals in an effort to get in lacking nutrients. The food you eat should always be nutrient dense.
You might notice that some of the best fat burning foods are not low in fat. This is OK, because you need fat to lose fat. These foods also contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). Your body cannot manufacture these particular fats, and so it needs to get it through your diet. Not getting enough of them? Your body will tell you to keep eating until you do get them. Tired of being hungry all the time? Maybe you're lacking in essential fatty acids.
Many of the best fat burning foods contain protein. Protein is highly thermogenic - meaning it produces heat when digested. Protein uses about 30% of its calories to simply digest itself. Not only that, but protein aids in protein synthesis (building muscle). Since your muscle is highly metabolically active, it's no stretch that foods high in protein can lead to fat loss.
What are the Best Fat Burning Foods
The following are my 5 best fat burning foods. You'll notice that they aren't exactly 5 foods, but more like 5 types of food - so there are actually many more than just 5.
Fish
We've all heard by now to eat fish. Fish is great because it provides a great source of essential fatty acids. Not only that, but it's high in DHA - an omega-3 fatty acid. Our bodies usually convert alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to DHA, at only about a 5% efficiency. This makes it difficult to get DHA from a plant based diet. Fish is a great way to skip this conversion and get right to the end product - DHA. Fish also contains plenty of lean protein for building fat-burning muscles.
Beans
Beans are low in fat, high in fiber, high in protein, and very low on the glycemic index. This is a great food for those of you who don't eat meat, as it is a great source of protein. Being high in fiber and low on the GI scale, it provides a perfect metabolic environment for releasing and metabolizing fatty acids.
Nuts
Nuts are a great fat burning food. They are high in healthy fats, essential fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins. They even have fiber and protein. It's another good source of protein for people who don't eat meat. The healthy fats signal to your body "it's OK to release stored fatty acids because I'm providing you with plenty of them from my diet."
Eggs
Eggs are a great fat-burning food - especially the yolk. We've been told over and over again that eggs are high in cholesterol and we shouldn't eat them. However, studies show that dietary cholesterol has very little effect on blood cholesterol levels. Your body's cholesterol levels are typically a result of high arterial inflammation caused by processed carbohydrates. Free-range eggs are packed with essential fatty acids and protein - definitely a great combination for a fat-burning food.
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the highest sources of vitamin C. Many people associate vitamin C with fruit, but broccoli has 150% of the recommended daily allowance in just a single 100g serving. Broccoli is one of those foods that you can eat nearly an unlimited amount of and not have to worry about gaining weight. It's just too bulky and void of calories to overeat. This makes it a great dieting food.
There you have it - my top 5 best fat burning foods. It's very simple to incorporate every single one of these into your diet. Not only are they easy to incorporate, but they will help build the foundation for a healthy eating lifestyle
By eating the best fat burning foods listed below, you give yourself an added advantage in the fight against fat. This isn't your typical list of green teas and spicy foods. Those are gimmicky lists that might have a short term effect on fat loss, but they are not true fat burning foods.
The Best Fat Burning Foods Have This In Common
What makes these particular foods the best fat burning foods? Many of them share the same nutritional qualities. They all keep insulin levels low. Improved insulin sensitivity means your body needs less insulin to do its job. Keeping insulin low allows for the release of fatty acids. Fat cannot cannot be released when insulin levels are high.
Many of the best fat burning foods provide a nice slow and steady release of glucose without causing a spike in insulin levels. Eliminating carbohydrates would also mute insulin release, but you want them so you can fuel high-intensity exercise. Determining how many carbohydrates you need is a delicate balance. Eat too many, and your insulin levels will always be too high to release fatty acids.
The best fat burning foods are also all highly nutritious. They provide many of the necessary fat burning vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function optimally. Not only does this aid in fat loss, but it helps prevent your body from sending out hunger signals in an effort to get in lacking nutrients. The food you eat should always be nutrient dense.
You might notice that some of the best fat burning foods are not low in fat. This is OK, because you need fat to lose fat. These foods also contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). Your body cannot manufacture these particular fats, and so it needs to get it through your diet. Not getting enough of them? Your body will tell you to keep eating until you do get them. Tired of being hungry all the time? Maybe you're lacking in essential fatty acids.
Many of the best fat burning foods contain protein. Protein is highly thermogenic - meaning it produces heat when digested. Protein uses about 30% of its calories to simply digest itself. Not only that, but protein aids in protein synthesis (building muscle). Since your muscle is highly metabolically active, it's no stretch that foods high in protein can lead to fat loss.
What are the Best Fat Burning Foods
The following are my 5 best fat burning foods. You'll notice that they aren't exactly 5 foods, but more like 5 types of food - so there are actually many more than just 5.
Fish
We've all heard by now to eat fish. Fish is great because it provides a great source of essential fatty acids. Not only that, but it's high in DHA - an omega-3 fatty acid. Our bodies usually convert alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to DHA, at only about a 5% efficiency. This makes it difficult to get DHA from a plant based diet. Fish is a great way to skip this conversion and get right to the end product - DHA. Fish also contains plenty of lean protein for building fat-burning muscles.
Beans
Beans are low in fat, high in fiber, high in protein, and very low on the glycemic index. This is a great food for those of you who don't eat meat, as it is a great source of protein. Being high in fiber and low on the GI scale, it provides a perfect metabolic environment for releasing and metabolizing fatty acids.
Nuts
Nuts are a great fat burning food. They are high in healthy fats, essential fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins. They even have fiber and protein. It's another good source of protein for people who don't eat meat. The healthy fats signal to your body "it's OK to release stored fatty acids because I'm providing you with plenty of them from my diet."
Eggs
Eggs are a great fat-burning food - especially the yolk. We've been told over and over again that eggs are high in cholesterol and we shouldn't eat them. However, studies show that dietary cholesterol has very little effect on blood cholesterol levels. Your body's cholesterol levels are typically a result of high arterial inflammation caused by processed carbohydrates. Free-range eggs are packed with essential fatty acids and protein - definitely a great combination for a fat-burning food.
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the highest sources of vitamin C. Many people associate vitamin C with fruit, but broccoli has 150% of the recommended daily allowance in just a single 100g serving. Broccoli is one of those foods that you can eat nearly an unlimited amount of and not have to worry about gaining weight. It's just too bulky and void of calories to overeat. This makes it a great dieting food.
There you have it - my top 5 best fat burning foods. It's very simple to incorporate every single one of these into your diet. Not only are they easy to incorporate, but they will help build the foundation for a healthy eating lifestyle
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