Did you know that you could lose weight by eating? Its true! Foods that you probably have right in your kitchen can speed up your metabolism and help you burn fat more efficiently. What are these foods, and how do they work? Read on to find out... Fruits and vegetables top the list of fat burners found in your kitchen. If you like fruit, try eating more blueberries and grapefruits. Blueberries are very low in calories and packed with sugar-stabilizing antioxidants. According to the USDA, eating blueberries can curb blood sugar swings and suppress appetite for as long as four hours. And they taste great too! Similarly, eating grapefruit may also help you burn fat. In fact, a while back there was a fad called the Grapefruit Diet. The choice of grapefruit as a staple of this diet may have had something to do with plant compounds in grapefruit that seem to help control insulin levels. Insulin makes you feel hungry so if you can control insulin levels it follows that you shouldnt be as hungry, and therefore, youll eat less and lose weight. Certain vegetables have fat-burning properties as well. One of my favorites is the wonder food broccoli. Broccoli is not only packed with nutrients that protect you from disease, its also high in fiber which helps keep the absorption of fat in check. Broccoli also has a compound in it called sulforaphane that cranks up metabolism by activating certain enzymes involved in fat burning. Bell peppers also work well on a fat burning diet by providing a number of phytonutrients that can help boost metabolism. Research from the USDA confirms that the carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin in bell peppers can help suppress food cravings. If you want to add more spice to your fat burning menu try cinnamon. According to Dr. Richard A. Anderson from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cinnamon appears to increase sugar metabolism, which means it can help your body make energy from sugar faster before it gets stored as fat. Cinnamon may help increase the bodys sensitivity to insulin, which brings blood sugar levels down, so less insulin is needed. This is especially good news for anyone with diabetes or the risk of developing it. Another amazing study that will make all you dairy lovers smile suggests that eating more dairy products can help you lose weight as well. Michael Zemel PhD conducted a study at the University of Tennessee in which people who consumed 1200 to 1600 mg of calcium a day from dairy foods lost 11% of their total body weight. The way this works is really interesting; when there is not enough calcium in the body, a hormone called calcitriol gets released and controls the way fat cells work. The idea is that if you eat enough calcium you keep calcitriol from being released and your body will keep burning fat. Of course, the goal is not to add extra calories from ice cream and cheese to your present diet, but to replace calories from other sources with calcium-rich calories, preferably from low fat dairy products. Hopefully you like some if not all, foods mentioned here and are getting ready to make them fit into your daily diet to help boost your metabolism and burn fat. Nature is abundant in foods, plants and herbs that can affect metabolism and help safely accelerate your weight loss efforts. You just have to choose them wisely. |
