A common concern about food is weight gain, but there are some foods that are considered natural calorie burners. Many fat-burning foods are sometimes referred to as negative calorie foods. This means the foods require more calories to digest and burn than they contain. Most of these foods are high in fiber content, which is considerably more difficult to digest than many other types of foods. The result is that you can actually burn more calories than you consume. It should be noted though that the concept of negative calorie foods is somewhat controversial. According to Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic, although it is theoretically possible to have negative calorie foods, there are no reputable studies to prove that certain foods are negative calorie or that they actually aid in weight-loss efforts.
Vegetables
The first step in the process is learning which foods are considered food burners. The trick is to stick with foods that are low in calories but high in volume. According to information found at the Mayo Clinic, it's a good idea to increase the ratio of fruits and vegetables in your meals. For example, top off pasta with sauteed vegetables in tomato sauce. Or add berries to breakfast cereal. Vegetables that should be eaten more often include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, endive, green beans, onion, papaya, radishes, spinach and zucchini.
Fruits
Although all fruits are thought of as being healthy, the fact is that only some have fat-burning properties. The best choices include citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. These fruits contain vitamin C, which not only works to dilute fat and cholesterol in your body but also helps release the fat cells. It is advised that you eat the fruits whole for added fiber, which will lead to increased feelings of fullness. Apples are another choice because they are high in fiber and antioxidants. Plus, apples contain pectin, which limits the ability of your cells to absorb fat.
Carbohydrates
Because the best fat-burning foods are high in fiber content, the best choices among carbohydrates are whole grains. This includes whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain cereal. Oats are extremely rich in fiber, which results in slow digestion and improved metabolism. This also keeps insulin production down, which is important because high insulin levels can trigger your body to hold on to fat.
Protein & Dairy
Foods from both plant and animal sources can be high in protein and low in fat and calories. Some of the best choices include legumes, fish, skinless white-meat poultry, fat-free dairy products and egg whites. Salmon is a fat-burning food option as it contains omega-3 fatty acids, which lower the level of leptin in your body. This results in more calories being used for energy. Milk is another choice because it contains calcium and complex carbohydrates, which work to kick metabolism into action.
Spicy Foods and Fat-burning Liquids
Spicy foods can work to substantially speed up the metabolism. This includes meals that include jalapenos, habaneras, cayenne peppers and most other chili peppers. Drinks such as black tea, green tea, coffee and yerba mate contain caffeine and or a chemical called EGCG. Both of these elements directly affect metabolism. But it should be noted that caffeine speeds up the heart rate, which is not always desirable. EGCG aids in speeding up the brain and nervous system.
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