Three Top Fat Burning Foods

Believe it or not, some foods actually burn fat. Hard to believe? It’s absolutely true! All other factors being equal, studies have shown that people who consume these three foods on average lose more weight than people who don’t – or who only eat/drink them occasionally. So, what are these three foods that science says will help you to shed those pounds?

Food # 1 - Beans
Beans are a good dietary source of protein. They contain a healthy mix of protein and carbohydrates. Because beans are harder for your body to digest, your body takes longer to process them and this is good. You will seem full longer and your blood sugar level will stay stable – also a good thing.

There is a high folic acid level in beans, which may help to protect against cancer of the lung, colon and cervix. They may also prevent birth defects.

Beans are a great source of fibre, providing up 25-30% of the daily value of dietary fibre, 75% of which is insoluble and that can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

And, they are a low glycemic-index food, making them a good choice for diabetics.

Plain beans are the best choice. Stay away from calorie-rich baked beans or fatty refried beans. These can sabotage your weight loss efforts by supplying too many calories and simple carbs.

Food # 2 - Green Tea

Green tea has been shown to be an effective diet product for many years. The powerful antioxidants in green tea reduce the number of potentially cancerous free radicals in the body. It contains a much lower amount of caffeine so while it can give your heart and metabolism a boost, it won’t give it a jolt like coffee does, so the strain on your body is much lower. It is also a mild diuretic, helpful for eliminating retained fluid.

Green tea has also been shown to be a fat-burner, and the results have been positive. People who drink 4 – 6 cups of green tea per day enjoy faster weight loss than those who don’t drink green tea. (Green tea ice cream does not count!)

Food # 3 - Skim Milk

Calcium is likely the best way to boost your metabolism and studies have shown that calcium can play its part in weight loss. In a recent study of two groups, both groups did everything the same and ate the same meals except that one group received a higher daily serving of calcium. The group that had the higher calcium intake lost almost three times as much weight as the group that did not receive extra calcium.

You can get calcium from vegetables like broccoli, but dairy products remain the most popular choice. Choose products made from 2%, 1%, or fat-free/skim milk. They provide the greatest amount of calcium in the lowest amount of calories.

Is water a food?

Yes, it is. While water doesn’t contain nutrition, it should still place highly on any list of foods that burn fat. It dilutes sodium/salt to reduce bloating; helps eliminate retained fluid from our bodies, promotes healing, and satisfies the appetite. Water can also keep your metabolism running at maximum efficiency.

Our kidneys are our main filtration system. They help control toxins and push waste fluids out of our bodies. Water is vital in supplying the hydration our kidneys need to keep functioning well.

The liver can act as a secondary filtration system to help out the kidneys if needed but its prime function is to turn stored fat into energy. If it is busy helping the kidney because the kidney is not getting a sufficient amount of water, the liver cannot perform its own job to its maximum. Drinking plenty of water every day helps both your kidneys and your liver function at their best. Water also helps speed up your metabolism so I’d have to give water an honorary mention when it comes to the top fat burning foods.

Include daily servings of beans, low-fat milk and green tea in your diet. Add six to eight glasses a day and watch the results. Of course you can speed up the results by watching what else you eat and doing exercises three to four times a week. It won’t be long before you are on your way to losing the fat you want to shed.

Bob Taylor

Bob Taylor publishes a twice-weekly newsletter about weight loss, fitness and eating right. To read more articles, go to his website:
http://www.myweightlosssuccess.biz