The 30 Best Fat

As I have mentioned numerous times before:

When it comes to fat loss the most important role is played by nutrition.

This is exactly the reason why individuals who aim to reduce their body fat percentage need to pay adequate attention to the types of food they consume and to properly adjust their diet.

As we strive to attain great results and shape our bodies to a leaner more aesthetic state we deliberately aim at combining as many fat-burning foods in our diet as we possibly can.

It is without doubt that some foods have a more powerful impact on our metabolic rate and thus lead to a more effective fat loss regiment.

Keep in mind that even though these foods will facilitate your body’s fat burning capabilities it is important for you to remember that in order to achieve proper fat loss you need to be in a caloric deficit – i.e your are burning more calories than you are consuming.

This is the main reason why I have decided that it would be a great idea to share with you guys my personal

30 Best Fat-Burning Foods!

Ginger is one of those foods that you either hate or love, there is no middle ground. But after sharing this bit of information with you and how it can help you burn body fat you will definitely fall in love with it!

Ginger is referred to as a vasodilator, meaning that it increases the diameter of small arteries and enhances circulation of the blood.

This typically leads to a small increase in body temperature, also known as the thermogenic effect, which promotes metabolism and consequently burns more calories, according to Martha H. Stipanuk and Marie A. Caudill, the authors of “Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition”.

Furthermore, the increase blood flow to the muscles means that you are able to perform better during your exercises and work at a higher intensity and thus resulting in more effective results.

Ginger also has anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering effects. It can also promote the production of bile and gastric juices, both of which enhance digestion and make it possible for the body the burn more energy.

Overall ginger naturally increases the body’s metabolic rate by approximately 5 percent, which is comparable to ephedrine and caffeine.

Oats are what I like to call the perfect source of carbohydrates.

They are a rich source of slow-digesting carbohydrates (also known as complex carbohydrates), which means that the body needs more time and energy to fully covert the consumed calories into energy.

Oats are also very rich in fiber, which means that they will decrease cravings by providing you with a feeling of fullness.

They are also an exceptional source of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats) with about 65g of carbs, 15g of protein and 6g of fats at 350 calories, making oats a very powerful source of nutrients at low calories.

Oats are also rich of source of micronutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Potassium, etc that all have a positive effect on your general health and promote better performance during training sessions as well as a heightened metabolic rate.

Oats are best consumed early in the morning as breakfast.

Morning times is when your body is with zero glycogen in your bloodstream, meaning that you have no primary source of energy.

By consuming oats (which require more time and energy to digest) your body is burning more calories that it is consuming and considering the fact that early the morning you have no primary source of energy running through you (carbohydrates) your body will turn to its second best source of energy – stored body fat.

This way you are not just increasing your metabolic rate but you are burning body fat literally as you are consuming your breakfast meal!

Observations made of athletes who consume slow-digestive carbohydrates early in the morning has lead to the conclusion that they burn more fat throughout the day and during workouts than those athletes who were consuming faster digesting carbs.

Walnuts are referred to as a nutrient-dense food, containing high rations of minerals such as manganese and copper, as well as ellagic acid (an antioxidant compound) that helps block the metabolic processes related to inflammation, which can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have concluded that people trying lose weight were three to four times more likely to stick to a Mediterranean style diet that includes various nuts and nut butters.

This is due to the high omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids, protein and fiber in nuts that not only repress cravings.

Amongst nuts walnuts are considered to be the best source of omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid. About one ounce (28g) of walnuts will provide you with 3g of alpha-linolenic acid.

Something worth mentioning here is the research carried out by the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra in Spain followed approximately 9,000 subjects for over 28 moths ending in 2009.

They discovered that those who consumed nuts at least two times per week were 31% less likely to gain weight than those who didn’t eat any nuts.

Another study carried out by L.J. Gillen at the University of Wollongong in Australia found that by adding walnuts into the diets of individuals who were ill of diabetes, they had improved fat and energy balance.

Avocados generally have a high fat content and is also high in calories; however, the fruit has the ability to increase the nutrition you receive from your casual meal and fully satisfy hunger, this results in most people eating less when they add them to their diet.

Avocados are also a rich source of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids which are documented to have beneficial effects on your health as well as increasing the fat burning capabilities of your body.

Interestingly enough omega-9 fatty acids play a key role in reducing blood levels of ‘bad’ low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while at the same time raising ‘good’ high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Avocados also contain a carbohydrate called mannoheptulose, a sugar that blunts insulin release and enhances calcium, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K absorption, all are critical for encouraging fat loss.

A good technique is to consume avocados late at night so that you have normalized your insulin levels (this will also increase your HGH release resulting in better muscle development), resulting in no carbohydrates being stored as body fat late at night.

Alongside with all of this, consuming healthy fats late at night have shown to have positive effects on your waking up as you feel more energetic and well-rested.

Salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3 essenetial fats EPA and DHA.

This is a bit different as this source of fatty acids does not have to be converted into EPA and DHA by the body and salmon provides the body with a direct supply of them

This direct supply activates fat burning and blocks fat storage.

Salmon is also a rich source of protein with about 25g of protein being located in 100g of the fish. Protein can assist you lose fat because it makes you feel full longer. It does not spike blood sugar, which is followed by a drop in blood sugar that stimulates hunger.

The fish oil you will get from consuming salmon will boost fat-burning. According to the “International Journal of Obesity” in 2007 a research was carried out where young and overweight men who ate fish or took fish oil supplements lost 2 more pounds of stored fat (0.9kg) over  four weeks than participants who did not consume fish or supplements.

Salmon is also ideal to be consumed at night time as it can promote muscle growth and development as well as suppress insulin levels and keep them at a norm. I understand that building muscle is undesirable by some of you but keep in mind that your Gluteus Maximus (your butts) are basically muscle tissue.

Also for all you ladies out there, muscle development in women cannot exceed a specific level of growth due to the low levels of testosterone flowing in your body (or in other words you are not going to develop huge arms or shoulders just by gaining some muscle mass).

Muscle growth is actually going be beneficial for you as it increases your overall metabolic rate – your body has more muscle mass, this results in more energy being required in order for those muscle to function, thus more calories are being burned with just carried more muscle.

The Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California carried out a study where they reported that subjects who ate half a grapefruit or drank 8 oz of grapefruit juice two-three times a day, while of course maintaining a healthy and normal diet, lost an average of 4 pounds of body fat over 12 weeks.

There were even cases where some individuals lost more than 10 pounds without even dieting!

These results are considered to be due to the fruit’s ability to reduce insulin levels and to a chemical in grapefruit called naringin, which prevents lipids (fats) from being stored as a secondary source of energy (body fat) in the body.

Water is known for enhancing the body’s ability to metabolize stored fat.

Studies conclude that decreased levels of water in the body can lead to fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water can reduce body fat deposits. This primarily occurs because a reduction in water decreases the efficiency of the kidneys, this causes some of the kidney function to be transferred  to the liver. Considering the fact that the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into energy, it metabolizes less.

Studies have also shown that drinking two cups of cold water a day can boost the body’s metabolic rate by up to 30%. 

A rough estimate has calculated that by drinking two cups of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for a year can burn up to 17,500 extra calories.

This is about 5 pounds of body fat that you will burn extra without changing even your diet!

This does not necessarily mean that if you double or triple the amount of water you consume that you are going to double or triple the amount of body fat that you are going to burn off. It will have an effect, but as noticeable as you would expect.

Water is also the body’s natural filtrating system. Proper hydration allows for the kidneys to work properly and to detoxify the body from harmful toxins, which are responsible for increased body fat storage, decreased metabolic rate, decreased energy supply, decreased electrolytes in the muscles and many more negative effects.

Flaxseed is a good supporting player in a fat-burning diet. It is rich in fiber, which helps you feel full and deceases cravings; it is also one of the top sources of omega-3 fatty acids and lignan, which may support your effort and help you lose a couple of extra pounds of body fat.

It contains only 37 calories per tablespoon making flaxseed easy to include in your diet without worrying about adding in extra calories.

You can use flaxseed as an alternative source of healthy fats due to its lower caloric content and its high dosages of fiber available.

Flaxseed contains alpha-linolenic acids (ALA), which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid. The body converts some of the ALA into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

EPA and DHA are known to be responsible for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition a sufficient amount of omega-3s may prevent obesity.

One of the ways in which omega-3s help you burn fat is by boosting levels of adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat cells that regulates the metabolism of lipids and glucose. A deficiency of this hormone may contribute to insulin resistance, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and coronary heart disease.

You get your daily dose of ALA from just one tablespoon of flaxseed.

Keep in mind that I am referring to natural peanut butter! There are a lot of peanut butter products that are extremely high on sodium and sugar and will end up hindering your fat loss instead of facilitating it!

The monounsaturated fat in peanut butter content can satiate cravings for junk food; the protein and fiber keeps your full for longer; and according to HealthyWomen.org peanut butter may actually improve your metabolic rate!

A study published in 2002 found that after 19 weeks, participants who ate more peanuts had an 11% increase in their metabolic rate.

Research also shows that peanut butter has a positive effect on the body as it reduces bad cholesterol levels.

Research shows that individuals who start their day by consuming a single egg eat fewer calories throughout the day and also show signs of heightened fat loss.

According to Egg Nutrition Center (ENC), eggs contain eight minerals, two amino acids, nine vitamins and many other micronutrients: iron, calcium, vitamin B12, thiamine. These ingredients create a powerful fat-burning food.

Eggs are notorious for their high levels of protein content. By increasing your potein intake you raise your metabolic rate. Furthermore, consuming protein requires more energy for your body to be able to digest it and break it down. In other words your body is literally burning fat as you are consuming your eggs early in the morning.

Eggs, as previously mentioned above, are rich in vitamin B12, which breaks down and burns fat within the body. Madline Plus concludes that vitamin B12 works with the metabolic system to increase energy, this allows your body to be more active throughout the day and have more effective training sessions in the gym.

Leucine is an amino acid found in eggs and it is beneficial for the body as it decreases or even prevents to certain state the amount of lean tissue lost during the process of fat loss and increases the amount of stored fat converted into energy.

A cup of chopped raw broccoli has about 30 calories – the same amount provides you with your daily amount of vitamin C and vitamin K.

Broccoli is also a good source of folate and vitamin A and has traces of vitamin B-6 and potassium. All of these nutrients promote fat loss. Some of the vitamin C is, however, lost during the cooking process.

Vitamin C is essential to body as it synthesizes a compound known as carnitine, which is essential for metabolizing fat into energy (sold as a supplement under the name L-Carnitine). What this means is that if you have low levels of vitamin C in your body then you are not going to hinder your fat burning during and after your workout.

According to an article published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2007, people who tend to consume a higher amount of vitamin C are more likely to lose more body fat.

Calcium may reduce the storage of new fat cells and stimulates the breakdown of already stored fat. One cup of cooked broccoli provides the body with 6% of the daily value of calcium.

A study published in Obesity Research in 2004 shows that people who included calcium supplements or a dietary form of calcium, from products such as milk and cheese, lost more body fat than people being on a low-calcium diet.

Chromium regulates the activity of insulin. This means that it will impact carbohydrate metabolism and will boost fat loss. A cup of cooked broccoli has about 2/3 of the recommended daily intake of chromium.

The substance that gives chili peppers its heat  is the active ingredient known as capsaicin.

Capsaicin has pain-relieving properties (believe it or not) and is used as a form of treatment for osteoarthritis, never pain and lower back pain. Interestingly this chemical can also enhance calorie burning as well as reduce hunger and food intake.

A bonus tip to further boost calorie burn is by combining capsaicin with caffeine – I don’t literally mean putting spice in your coffee!

The Chemical Senses review, the spice boosts your body’s temperature through a process referred to as the thermogenic effect (briefly explained above), which will increase the amount of energy used by your body.

Results vary, but there are a few where the consumption of cayenne hot pepper, for example, can help the body burn as much as 120 calories a day.

There is also a statement claiming that capsaicin is most beneficial for lean individuals and not for those who are either overweight or even obese. The effect is also a short-term solution as your body may develop a tolerance to the heat.

Interestingly enough, however, according to a 2008 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, even though chili peppers may not burn the same amount of calories for overweight people as they do for lean ones there were signs of improvements of fat loss in the participants who were examined.

This is especially lucky for all of you spice loving people out there!

Olive oil is full of vitamin E and antioxidants.

These elements help your body fight free radicals in your bloodstream that can be the cause of some of the effects of aging as well as specific types of cancers. Olive oil is also rich of monounsaturated fats – 77% of its contents is monounsaturated fats.

These types of lipids are responsible for lowering low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) or “bad” cholesterol and raising the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) or “good” cholesterol.

Olive oil can be used as a substitute to most forms of frying oils available in the market (recently the whole myth where using olive oil for frying is unhealthy was debunked) as it will enrich your food of healthy fat-burning nutrients such as omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Olive oil can also be used on various types of salads making them taste 100x better.

Honey, really? Even though honey is basically… sugar, it is a very powerful food that will help you improve your fat loss!

Honey has a very low glycemic index – meaning that it will keep insulin levels low and steady, which is critical for maintain a fat-burning environment in the body. Honey is also a powerful source of nitric oxide metabolites, which encourage fat release from the body’s fat cells.

A study found in the 2011 issue of Nutrition Researched, compared the effects of honey and sugar on overweight rats. The study concludes that rats fed with honey showed fewer signs of hunger and food cravings and managed to reduce their overall weight.

For all of you who believe that they cannot separate themselves from sugary treats, I do encourage you try to substitute them with some honey. This way you are going to be able to ease your way into consuming fewer and fewer calories from sugar. At the end you can still eat honey, but in lower amounts.

Make sure that you are looking for natural honey, there are lot of honey products packed with added sugar as a cheaper alternative.

Spinach is considered by many institutions and fitness experts to be the perfect food for your diet when you are trying to reduce body fat. It is very low in calories and rich in nutrients making it an ideal replacement for high-calorie foods.

About 1 cup of spinach contains 7 calories!

Not to mention the amount of micronutrients that are packed in this lovely vegetable – vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, etc. All of which will help you improve fat loss.

Eating sugary foods cause your body to become resistant to insulin. This leads to the production of more ghrelin in your body, a hormone that increases your appetite.

A study based in the Netherlands in 2010 showed that dark chocolate inhibited insulin resistance and reduced ghrelin levels in people who consumed dark chocolate.Another study performed at Queen Margaret University presented results on how dark chocolate affects fat and carbohydrate metabolism. The healthy treat has an impressive impact on the way our bodies synthesize fatty acids and thus reducing the digestion and absorption of lipids and carbohydrates.

Alongside with all of this dark chocolate is a source of Theobromine which is a an alkaloid that has a similar effect on the body as caffein. Dark chocolate increases concentration and may even facilitate your training effectiveness and performance.

Not to mention that it can be used as a substance that will help you destroy junk food cravings.

Furthermore, research shows something interesting about chocolate.

It can promote muscle growth due to its content of “epicatechin”. Read more about it at “How Chocolate Can Help You Build Muscle“.

Green tea is considered to be one of the top fat-burning foods available on the market!

The reason behind it’s recent popularity is the polyphenols that are found in green tea. These polyphenols are more commonly known as flavanols and catechins.

The main catechins in great tea are epicatechni, epicatechni-3-gallate, epigallocatechin and, the one with the highest concentration is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea has been shown to activate the body’s thermogenic fat-burning activity. Individuals were provided with an optimal amount of catechins (690mg) for 12 weeks. They showed significant signs of reduced stored fat in the body.

Catachins restrain an enzyme referred to as catechol-O-methyltranferase (COMT), which degrades your body’s primary fat-burning hormone – norepinephrine. This is why green tea helps elevate norepinephrine levels, keep them elevated and lengthen thermogenesis in the body.

What all of this means is that green tea, ultimately, helps you burn a lot of stored body fat!

Green tea is also a healthy source of caffein which can be used to boost the effect of capsaicin (the element found in chili peppers) and furthermore increase performance and concentration during training sessions.

If you don’t like mustard, I totally get you! Not a lot of people I know have shown signs of positivity towards mustard. You can mix it up while you are cooking something so that you do not feel its taste as much. And for all of you that LOVE mustard, I have some good news for you!

Mustard has an enormous amount of positive effects on the human body – reduces chance for cardiovascular disease, cures acne, helps prevent cancer, prevents diabetes, and many more.

Alongside with all of this mustard is also a hell of a fat-burning food! 

Research conducted at England’s Oxford Polytechnic Institute, concludes that having a teaspoon of mustard every day will help you boost your metabolic rate with up to 25%. Their scientists recommend having the teaspoon before consuming your meal as it will help the body to efficiently break down the nutrients and burn the lipids.

Mustard has also shown signs of increasing the body’s diet-induced-thermogenisis (DIT) and to reduce energy intake.

Apples is a source of pectin, which binds with water and reduces the amount of fat your cells can absorb. The fruit is also high in fiber making them have a low glycemic index, giving you the sensation of fullness.

Apples are a source of antioxidants, which appear to prevent metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, lowers high cholesterol, and helps prevent diabetes.

Green apples have also been a subject of close examination by scientists as apparently Granny Smith apples require more energy, thus calories, for your body to digest the fruit than the amount that the fruit conveys to the body!

Cinnamon was found to lower blood sugar levels. In a study, conducted on sixty adults who were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, researchers found that taking half a teaspoon to two teaspoons of cinnamon a day completely changed the sufferers blood sugar levels and insulin output.

High blood sugar is associated with weight gain and obesity.

The active compound in the spice, which is responsible for its flavor, is called cinnamaldehyde. In a Japanese study two groups of mice were fed a diet high in sucrose and lipids. One group was given cinnamaldehyde on a daily basis, and the other was not.

After 30 days, the mice taking cinnamaldehyde had lost visceral fat, whereas the control group didn’t.

The scientists concluded that cinnamaldehyde stimulated the metabolism of the fatty visceral tissue. This suggests that cinnamon is useful in reducing stored body fat.

Garlic activates diet-induced-thermogenisis in the body, which as previously stated in the article is linked with fat-burning. Furthermore, garlic has been linked to lower blood sugar levels and as a fat burning enhancer. Garlic contains allicin, which facilitates the reduction of unhealthy stored fats in the body.

In addition, garlic is a diuretic, meaning that it helps increase the product and release of urine from the body. This ultimately leads to an increased metabolic rate, which will contribute to the reduction of stored body fat.

Garlic has also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels and increase HDL cholesterol levels.

The MedlinePlus website states that pomegranate and pomegranate juice have been used to treat obesity and help with weight loss. The fruit is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols. Researchers believe that these compounds are responsible for pomegranate’s anti-obesity effects.

Due to it’s rich content of antioxidants pomegranate is a perfect tool that can be used to detoxify the body. Not to mention how sweet and tasty pomegranate is! It can easily be used to replace unhealthy and sugary treats.

Similar to spinach, turnips are rich of micronutrients and at the same time they have a very low caloric content. This means that you can combine it in various ways without having to worry about adding in any extra calories.

Turnips are also very high in fiber meaning that they will create a feeling of fullness as well as actively increase your metabolic rate due to its low glycemic index.

Turnips can be used as an alternative for other higher in calories vegetables. For example, 100g of potatoes has roughly 80 calories with 18g carbohydrates and about 2 grams of fiber, while 100g of turnips have roughly 25 calories, 6g carbohydrates and 1.8 grams of fiber. They contain roughly the same amount of fiber but as you can see turnips are lower in everything else as well as turnips contain more vitamins and minerals.

An increase in Greek yogurt consumption has been associated with fat loss. A 2005 study published in the International Journal of Obesity explored the effects of a diet reduced in calories with and without yogurt. The researchers found that, sure enough, the yogurt-eating group lost more body fat than the non-yogurt eating group. It is worth noting that the yogurt used in the case study was nonfat, not Greek yogurt.

Yogurt is also an incredibly good source of protein with about 6g of protein per 100g of plain nonfat yogurt. As previously mentioned in the article the consumption of protein increases the metabolic rate of the body and puts the body in a fat-burning environment.

Yogurt is also associated with helping digestion and many other benefits.

Not to mention that it can be used as a canvas. You can pretty much mix whatever you can think of with plain yogurt – cinnamon, flaxseed, berries, apples, pomegranate, grapefruit. You can make it even more healthy and rich of nutrients to further boost your fat loss.

Blueberries can make an excellent addition to your diet as it is an one of the best fat-burning foods!

Blueberries are an incredibly powerful source of antioxidants and is closely related to an increased metabolic rate. They are rich in fiber and various types of vitamins such as vitamin C and potassium making them the perfect snack.

As you probably know your metabolism is activated every time a calorie enters to body. This is why the more often you consume food throughout the day the better. Using blueberries you can snack in between meals to ensure that you maintain a heightened metabolic rate and that you are keeping your body in a fat-burning environment.

Goji berries go way back. They are the alleged fruit that helped the Chinese herbalist Li Ching-Yuen live to what is recorded 256 years, allegedly. But how are they related to fat loss?

Goji berries are low in calories and very rich in antioxidants, they also contain a veriety of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that promote a balance diet(similar to blueberries).

When compared to other healthy fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, watermelons and cantaloupes, goji berries have the lowest glycemic index of 29 (considering that foods below the index of 55 are considered to have a low glycemic index). Foods that are with a low GI can satisfy hunger quicker and reduce food cravings. After all, 21% of goji berries are made up of fiber content.

Foods that are high in fiber control blood sugar levels as well. Goji berries also contain chromium which facilitates the control of blood sugar and helps maintain lean muscle when we lose body fat as well as help to burn body fat quicker.

Coconut oil is considered as one of the world’s best natural thermogenic agents!

To understand the benefit and uniqueness of virgin coconut oil, it is important to clarify how exactly does your body process macronutrients. Fats are metabolized differently from proteins and carbs. Instead of being broken down to form the building block of tissues (protein) or to generate energy (carbohydrates), lipids are normally broken down into fatty acids. Those then form lipoproteins before being deposited in fatty tissues.

However, the so-called medium-chain fatty acids found in virgin coconut oil are different. They are not treated and used by the body like fats, but like carbohydrates. What this means is that medium-chain fatty acids do not circulate freely in the blood or get stored for later use. Instead, they are sent directly to the liver, where they are converted into energy.

Instead of being stored as fat it is directly used up to generate energy, and this in turn speeds up your metabolic rate. A number of studies have confirmed this unique characteristic of virgin coconut oil. Making it a preferred cooking option when compared to refined vegetable oils.

This does mean that coconut in general is a healthy option. This, of course, does not mean that sweets, such as Bounty, are a healthier option just because they contain coconut in them.

You can use coconut flakes and add them to pretty much anything you can think of.

Chickpeas are a great source of protein and dietary fiber, making it a powerful fat-burning food. Each cup of chickpeas contains approximately 15g of protein and 13g of fiber. Fiber and protein are well known for boosting satiety, so by consuming chickpeas you are going to lower hunger and banish cravings for bad foods.

A study published in Advances in Nutrition in 2010, found that individuals who consumed pulses, a food group that includes chickpeas, tended to feel more satisfied after their meals, which helped them lose weight during the three-to-weight week study. Another study found out that chickpeas boosted satiety by 31%. 

Of course, due to the fact that chickpeas are so high in fiber, then that means that your body will require more energy to break them down. Ultimately leading to the point where your body uses more energy to break down the chickpea to a nutritional value – thus increasing your metabolic rate.

Black beans of any shape, size, or color are incredibly healthy source of fiber and protein, as well as numerous other valuable micronutrients. The ones that are higher in protein and fiber are black beans, kidney beans, and soybeans.

Beans contain a low glycemic index black beans (GI:30), kidney beans GI: 30), soybeans (GI:15). A low glycemic index, as mentioned above, means that beans have a low impact on the body’s blood sugar, keeping your insulin at low levels (as insulin is the one hormone in your body that comes into play to lower your blood sugar, if insulin comes into play to lower blood sugar it creates a blood sugar crash, leaving you hungry. This is one of the main reason why added sugar is so bad for you).

Beans are relatively high in protein content – 100g of kidney beans has about 5.5g of protein. They can be used as an alternative source of protein that are higher in saturated fats such as beef and pork meat (I am not saying that you must eliminate meat from your diet, just implying that you can use it as an alternative in some days so that you bring some options in your diet).

Due to its high dietary fiber content (6.5g per 100g of kidney beans; soybeans have 6g; and black beans have the whopping 9g). Dietary fiber will lead to a boosted metabolic rate. This is because your body needs energy (carbohydrates) to break down the food so it can digest it. By eating foods higher in fiber content you will literally burn calories as you are eating. Keep in mind that eating too much fiber can cause digestive problems, so make sure that you do not overdo it – average fiber intake for men is 38g and for women is 25g.

Studies show that a steady consumption of 30g a day will lead to a heightened metabolic rate and to a boosted fat loss.

I can just hear all of the jaws dropping right now. Milk is one of the foods that is largely dodged by people who are trying to lower the stored body fat. This is why some of the information that I’m about to drop on you may come as a shock for some of you.

In reality, low-fat milk offers multiple nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and protein. Including milk in your diet can assist you to lose fat.

Several studies have lead to the discovery of links between drinking low-fat milk to weight loss. A study published in the August 2009 issue of the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association”, researchers from the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise concluded that consuming three servings, at minimum, of low-fat milk may improve fat loss.

Another study performed on comparing fat loss of dieters who were grouped in two groups – those given three servings of dairy versus fiver servings of dairy (low-fat milk, cottage cheese and yogurt). The results concluded that those who consumed the most dairy had lost significantly greater amounts of body fat after 12 weeks.

Conclusion:

The listed foods will greatly influence your body’s ability to reduce stored body fat, but you really need to understand that without a properly constructed diet (where you have estimated your calories and made sure that you are consuming enough macronutrients and micronutrients) you are not going to notice any impressive results just by including these fat-burning foods into your diet.

No matter what, there is one thing that you needs to be clear here. The only reason why you are going to lose fat is because you are on a caloric deficit – meaning that you are consuming less calories than your body needs to maintain your current body weight. Keep in mind that if you lower calories too much you are going to start losing muscle and bone weight, leaving you with a non-aesthetic and bony body.

Your aim is to lower your body fat and maintain your muscle mass.

There are a lot of good calorie calculators available on the internet this one is one that will give you the closest estimate in my opinion. Lower your calorie consumption with about 100-150 and extend it to a maximum of -300 calories.

Follow your results, once you notice that you are hitting a plateau, lower your calories or change something in your diet or training regime (of course calorie reduction is the last option – meaning that before you lower your calories make sure you implement other changes such as increasing cardio intensity, changing workouts, trying out new methodologies like swimming or hiking).

Thank you for taking the time and reading this article! I hope that I have been of help to you somehow!