What Foods Are Natural Fat Burners?
Natural Fat Burners are foods that are rich in fibre or nutrients that can help you lose weight. These fat burning foods area better option than taking weight loss dietary supplements as there are no side effects or risks in taking them. Foods that are low in calories and high in fibre, protein and nutrients keep you feeling full for longer so you eat less. There are other foods that contain healthy fats that can help your body burn fat for fuel.
5 Natural Fat Burners
Remember that no single food eaten on its own can help you lose weight magically! All of the natural fat burners mentioned below need to be eaten as part of an overall healthy diet made up of a variety of foods, as defined in the healthy food pyramid.
Apples contain high amounts of pectin which binds with water and restricts the amount of fat cells absorb. There is also a high amount of fiber in apples (about 4.4g in a medium apple) which slows digestion and helps you feel fuller for longer. Apples are also high in water content and low in calories with a medium apple containing less than 100 calories. They also have a low glycemic index. Therefore, apples are ideal natural fat burners. Eating one or two a day, especially about half an hour before meals can help you lose weight as you will eat less. A particularly good variety of apple to eat is a Granny Smith apple, as these have higher insoluble fibre than other types.
Pears are another fruit that is high in fiber. A medium pear has about 6g of fibre and only 102 calories. For an average person, this high fiber content is about 24% of the recommended daily intake of fiber! Pears are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and provide potassium in the diet. Because pears are rich in fructose and sorbitol, in combination with the high fiber pears can prevent constipation and improve gut health. Therefore, like many other fruits and vegetables pears are beneficial addition to any healthy diet and can help with weight loss.
Coconut Oil is a natural fat burner because it contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (available from NCBI) cites clinical studies that suggest that consumption of MCTs may be useful for weight management. This is because MCTs are metabolised differently to long-chain fatty acids and break down rapidly. Therefore they can go straight to the liver and be turned into ketones for instant energy, rather than be stored as fat. However, it must be remembered that coconut oil is still a fat, and is therefore should be used in moderation, especially if you have heart disease.
Yogurt is a dairy product that is high in calcium. Studies have shown that dietary calcium helps the body to break down fat and preserve metabolism while dieting. So yogurt can be counted as one of the natural fat burners that help with weight loss. Additionally, some studies also show evidence for reduction in abdominal fat with extra calcium in the diet. However, this is when yogurt is consumed as part of a reduced calorie diet combined with exercise. Yogurt is also rich in protein which has the added benefit of making you feel full. A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found that full-fat dairy may help people manage their weight better. This could be because the low fat versions tend to compensate for flavour with a higher sugar content, which is worse. However, if you have heart disease, be wary of consuming full fat products.
Coffee contains caffeine and other stimulant compounds which have several health benefits including reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. It is listed as one of the natural fat burners because it increases metabolism and keeps your more alert and energised. Additionally, when the nervous system is stimulated, adrenaline levels go up and signal your tissues to break down fat to release energy. If you use this energy up, then you can lose weight. Studies have also show that coffee may act as an appetite suppressant as well. Unfortunately, people develop a tolerance for coffee over time, so the benefits for weight loss may be short term.
Low-Calorie Fruits To Help You Lose Weight
Fruits are a good source of minerals and vitamins and make an ideal substitute for snacks as they generally contain a low amount of calories. The chart below shows calories in different fruits in servings of 100g