Fat burning foods and weight loss

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Title: Fat burning foods and weight loss

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Author: McEvoy

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Fat burning foods and weight loss

Copyright 2006 McEvoy

We all know about foods that are good for us and have

various proven benefits. But many people aren’t aware that

there are actually fat-burning foods, which help kick-start

your body into shedding excess weight. These wonder-foods

can increase the number of fat calories your body burns –

they’re like little diet-helpers, stimulating your

metabolism. They are known as ‘free foods’, and as you’d

expect they are low in calories. However, some of them

actually have ‘negative’ calories, meaning that your body

burns more calories metabolising the foods than it absorbs

from the food itself. Add them to your diet and see the

effect for yourself!

The great news is that such ‘superfoods’ contain real

health benefits in addition to their amazing weight loss

assisting properties. These benefits make them ideal

components in any weight loss programme. You may be

surprised to discover where to find some of these great

little helpers.

You normally think of chilli as being found in

traditionally unhealthy meals and snacks, but it contains

capsaicin, an active ingredient which as a thermogenic

agent helps to increase metabolism and the burning of

calories and fat. Capsaicin is unsurprisingly found in many

natural weight loss formulas – it is believed to be an

appetite suppressant. Cayenne was shown by two Japanese

studies to increase metabolism of dietary fats in women –

it also showed a modest reduction in appetite. Capscaicin

does even more than this – it has been shown to relieve

sinusitis, psoriasis, migraines and arthritis, improve

circulation and stomach conditions and even inhibit the

growth of cancer cells. It also works as a good all-round

painkiller.

Then there’s bee pollen – again you might associate that

with unhealthiness, as bees can give a nasty sting, but

their pollen is quite different. It’s a virtually complete

food with an amazing composition of nutrients, enzymes and

phytochemicals as well as being 40% protein. It’s meant to

stimulate the metabolism as well as helping to flush fat

from the body due to its high lecithin content. Pollen also

makes for a good appetite suppressant, but has no negative

side effects.

You still might not be shaking bee pollen over your dinner,

but coconut oil is more likely to be found in your

supermarket or kitchen. It’s a saturated fat, and helps to

get rid of unwanted body fat, unlike polyunsaturated fats

like processed vegetable oils. It really is a low-fat fat,

unique from animal saturated fats with its medium chain

fatty acids – these are absorbed directly and used

straightaway for energy. Sufferers of diabetes, chronic

fatigue and fibromyalgia, digestive disorders, thyroid

imbalances, and viral, bacterial and fungal infections have

all found that coconut oil helps their condition.

Another ‘nasty’ natural ingredient with surprising benefits

is the nettle. The stingy plant we were all told to stay

away from as children contains the neurotransmitter

serotonin, which calms and raises the spirits. It also

functions as an appetite suppressant, as it plays a part in

the feelings of fullness experienced after eating.

Serotonin supplements have been designed to fight food

cravings and help slimming. Decreased levels of serotonin

have been found to be directly linked to overeating

obesity. Nettles are reputed to improve weight loss for

this reason. They’re also very mineral dense and are

detoxifying and cleansing for the body – amazingly they are

also great for the skin, hair and nails, thanks to their

sulphur content.

Here’s the really good news – chocolate can help you lose

weight! Cacao or pure chocolate contains chemicals that

increase serotonin levels in the brain and suppress the

appetite. Serotonin levels can be raised by the amino acid

tryptophan in cacao as well as the action of monoamine

oxidase enzyme inhibitors (MAO inhibitors). These decrease

our body’s ability to break down serotonin so that more of

this neurotransmitter remains in the brain, creating

feelings of fullness for longer. Cacao is also a great

source of antioxidants and has potent aphrodisiac

properties, healthy minerals and mood-boosting compounds

such as PEA, known as the ‘love chemical’. Make sure you

get unrefined chocolate, though – commercial products are

full of sugar, hydrogenated fats, milk, additives,

agro-chemicals and solvents which cancel out the benefits.

The benefits of green tea have been widely reported. One

study indicates that substances in green tea extract may

actually promote weight loss. The catechin flavonoids in

green tea may alter the body's use of norepinephrine, a

chemical transmitter in the nervous system, to increase the

rate of calorie burning. Green tea also lowers cholesterol,

reduces the risk of stroke, protects against cancer,

prevents teeth cavities and has anti-inflammatory

properties. And it even has a pleasant taste.

Another beneficial supplement which is becoming more and

more well-known is omega-3 fish oil. These serve many

different bodily processes – they’re especially good for

the heart and the immune system, but also help with

arthritis, skin conditions, pre-menstrual tension, mental

function, improving memory and reducing depressive

symptoms. It reduces insulin levels in the body – insulin

promotes the use of fat for storage and reduces the use of

fat for fuel, hence lower insulin levels mean greater

conversion of fat for energy rather than storage.

Omega-3 is most abundant in oily fish like sardines, salmon

and mackerel. Plant sources include flaxseeds (the richest

plant source), walnuts, pumpkin seeds, green leafy

vegetables, evening primrose oil, wheat germ and spirulina.

It’s possible to boost your immune system, lower your

cholesterol, improve your energy and generally give your

health a big help by eating the right foods. The body is

usually in a state of homeostasis, meaning that your body

automatically tries to keep its internal environment

constant. Exercising more and cutting calories makes your

body adjust, making changes to stop you losing critical

body fat – push it too far and it goes into survival mode,

grimly hanging on to all the calories it can. What you need

to do is understand metabolism and coax your body to

release stored fats.

There are two metabolic phases – anabolism and catabolism,

which occur constantly and simultaneously. If you don’t eat

enough or give your body the right nutrients it will go

into a heightened state of catabolism, meaning you build

less muscle – this is slow metabolism. To lose weight and

improve your health you should aim for high metabolism – a

greater degree of anabolism.

You may in fact need to eat more in order to lose weight –

it’s not as simple as saying ‘just eat less’. Your body

will hang on more tightly to calories if it doesn’t get

enough nutrition. If you eat more calories more frequently

you raise your metabolism. If you get your calorie intake

right, you will see improvement and feel it too. This is

where ‘negative calorie’ foods come in. Eating them makes

the body exert more energy than contained in the foods

themselves, so just eating them gives you a potential for

net loss of calories.

Along with that omega-3 fish oil, these foods are all

negative calorie foods:

Vegetables: Asparagus, fennel, gourd, aubergine, broccoli,

leek, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, marrow, cauliflower,

peppers, celery, chicory, radish, spinach, cress, tomato,

cucumber, turnip

Fruit: Apricot, blackberry, mandarin orange, cantaloupe and

honeydew melon and watermelon, clementines, peaches, plums,

damsons, raspberries, grapefruit, rhubarb, guava,

strawberry, lemon, tangerine.

So where do I go from here, well it’s easy, eat the right

amount of calories you need for that day, exercise

moderately daily and snack throughout the day on the

negative foods that are listed above and your waist line

will begin to change for the better.

About the Author:

Dave Mcevoy is an award winning personal trainer he also

runs a high quality supplement site

http://www.mind1st.com http://www.mind1st.co.uk