Eat Fat Burning Foods

All foods can cause you to gain fat. But there are actually some foods that can help you burn fat. 

Some foods contain minerals or vitamins that raise your metabolism and act to burn fat. There are negative calorie foods with low calories that burn extra calories during digestion. Other foods, even eaten in small quantities, deliver a feeling of fullness with very little calories.

Sticking to the right whole foods will drastically reduce the fat profile in the body.

By eating these fat burning foods at the right time, in the correct amount, you will more rapidly lose weight and melt away stubborn fat. Add in foods that lower the likelihood of fat depositing in your body for an extra boost.

Here is a list of everyday foods that double as secret fat burners:

Poultry

Poultry such as chicken has special assets that increase the body's metabolic rate, helping you melt extra fat away. Chicken is low in fat and carbohydrates with a good protein profile. Proteins require a lot of energy to digest, and more energy for proteins to be stored as fat. It is also a good source of iron, zinc, and niacin. For best results, remove the skin from poultry before eating to avoid excess fat.

Salmon & Tuna

Salmon and tuna are good sources of protein that provide the body with healthy fats from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are meaty fish that are low in calories and unhealthy saturated fat.

Eating salmon positively effects leptin, the hormone responsible for burning and storing calories. High leptin levels cause the body to store fat. Salmon and tuna reduce leptin, giving your body the boost it needs to burn calories.

Other Lean Protein

Research has shown the thermic effect of protein is the most of all the macronutrients. 

Proteins require approximately 30% of its' calories for digestion and processing. Lean proteins also suppress the appetite, reducing the tendency to overeat. Though poultry has a lower fat profile, lean red meats such as top round, lean sirloin, game, and other white meat have a lace in a fat burning diet.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits hike up the metabolism while supplying a big dose of vitamin C, a chemical used in the fat burning process.  Citrus fruits are ranked as the best fat burning foods you can eat.
Oranges, grapefruit, apples, and even tomatoes share these fat burning qualities. Citrus fruits effectively burn fat around the hips and waist.

Apples

An apple a day keeps the fat away. Apples contain a substance called pectin that restricts the cells from absorbing fat and assists water absorption from food. This also helps push fat deposits from the body. Apples have a high level of soluble fiber that helps you control hunger pain.

Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries--take your pick. Fruits as a whole are packed with vitamins and minerals. They are low in calories and high in water compared to refined foods.

Excellent sources of fiber, berries boost the metabolism, breaking down food and fats. Naturally sweet and delicious, a handful of berries will keep you feeling fuller longer and help eliminate the craving for unhealthy sugary snacks. 

Oatmeal

A large portion of oats calories is soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps control blood sugar and helps you feel fuller longer.

Oatmeal also lowers the risk of heart disease. Oatmeal lowers cholesterol.

Choose old-fashioned or steel cut oatmeal and eat with fresh fruit.

Vegetables

Most vegetables (except for potatoes, yams and sweet potatoes) maintain low calories, yet contain essential vitamins and minerals that improve the body's metabolism.

Veggies such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and artichokes contain no fat and very low carbohydrate levels.

In fact, they aid in fat burning since your body uses more calories to digest vegetables than they produce. The extra calories needed to break down food are taken from body fat reserves.

For example, one serving of Brussels sprouts has 50 calories, but the body needs 75 calories to digest.

That's 25 calories of body fat burned just for eating your Brussels sprouts.

Beans

Beans are not only full of minerals: they are also low in calories and rich in amino acids. The amino acids in lentils help decrease body fat while helping to build muscles while maintaining stable blood sugar. Beans are also excellent sources of dietary fiber, keeping you satiated longer, reducing the urge to overeat.

Eggs

Eggs, one of the most nutrient dense foods, are a natural superfood. Their high levels of protein rev up the metabolism and help you burn fat.

Eggs are hands down one of the best fat burning foods.

Among other high protein foods, eggs have the most abundant mix of essential amino acids. And despite having low calories, they are packed with vitamin D, vitamin B12, choline, and selenium.

Eggs contribute to good cholesterol. 

Almonds & Walnuts

Almonds and walnuts are excellent sources of the healthy fat needed for the smooth functioning of the body's cellular structure.

Just one ounce of almonds has 12% of the daily protein allowance and contains calcium and folic acid. 

Plus the form of vitamin E in walnuts is especially beneficial.

A handful of nuts is a tasty, crunchy snack that can satisfy as an alternative to high carb snacks like potato chips or cheese curls.

These are just a few examples of healthy foods that can help you in your weight loss journey. These are foods that can actually help you burn fat. 

You can incorporate these examples into your diet. Healthy eating combined with a consistent work out routine and 4 minutes of cardio a day is the kind of lifestyle change that gives results.

High-Intensity Cardio To Burn Fat Faster

The reason high-intensity cardio works to burn fat faster is that your body is being asked to produce a lot more energy than it has stored in order to deal with the intensity of the workout.

It does this by burning off those fat reserves it has been keeping for a rainy day. Not only that, but your body then has to keep producing energy even after you stop as it needs that in order to start repairing the muscles and settling your body after your strenuous workout.

It is also important to point out that this particular type of workout focuses on burning a different type of fat than what you would get doing a lower intensity cardio workout such as brisk walking.

The problem with lower intensity cardio work is that it only gets your heart working to around %60 of the maximum heart rate.

This is not high enough for optimal fat burning. Instead, you will only burn off the easy stuff, but the harder fat will still be there, so by increasing the intensity you burn off both types. This results in quicker weight loss.

When doing a high-intensity cardio workout to burn fat faster, lactic acid builds up in the muscles. This results in the muscles becoming tired and burning.  You can learn to anticipate this and push through. You can then work out for longer periods of time. This results in more calories and fat being burnt off and that weight disappearing.

This approach results in improving the sensitivity of your body to insulin.

The outcome of this is that the muscles are going to absorb the glucose, and use it to repair themselves and to get energy, rather than it being stored as fat.

An active lifestyle, that includes both low-intensity and high-intensity cardo workout routines will raise your metabolism. Even when you are at rest.

Proper Sleep and Recovery

We tend to assume that sleep is a phase of inactivity and rest. But the matter of fact is, that sleep is that active phase in our entire day's routine when a number of bodily functions are expedited.  While you are curled up in your quilt, blissfully unaware in your dreams, there are many restorative processes going on in your body. While much information is available on the importance of exercise, few embark to learn about rest and sleep...yet it is one of the most important factors on overall health and well-being.

What is sleep?

First, it's important to understand that while the body rests, the mind and the brain go on restorative hyperdrive.

Sleep is a period of nerve and muscle relaxation which begins a period of repair and rejuvenation of all the tissues and organs, much needed after a day of strenuous activity.

The Power of Sleep

Sleep is a powerful energy booster because while we sleep, the process called anabolism takes place. Anabolism is the recovery process for cells and tissues through the production of enzymes and proteins. It counteracts the effects of catabolism, or the process that occurs as you exercise or work out during the day which produces an action wherein energy is released from cells. This affects the molecular components of the body. If your catabolism exceeds anabolism, little growth will happen.

Thus those who strain themselves with a tougher workout must give their body the extra rest to sustain their growth of muscle mass-which is directly proportional to fitness.

While we exercise or lift weights, the muscle contracts or crunches thereby getting compressed or shortened. And between phases of stimuli, the muscle needs to recover by building new bridges across the new muscle groups that are slowly forming.

This growth is only possible when the body rests.

Less sleep increases cortisol which is a catabolic hormone and it decreases testosterone levels that are directly related to muscle gain. Another disturbing consequence that comes with compromising on the amount of sleep, is that higher levels of cortisol have been directly linked to more abdominal fat.

There are many benefits to a good night's sleep. And proper rest is an essential counterpoint to your daily workout routine.

Optimize Hydration Levels

Drinking water plays a key role in losing weight.

If you ever find yourself stuck in a weight loss plateau despite following a strict exercise and diet regiment, then it could be that you're not drinking enough water.

Studies have shown that many people suffer from mild or severe dehydration, and you could be affected as well..

Your body requires water for various biochemical processes. The following are the benefits of drinking water:

*Water assists  the body in the conversion of fat reserves into energy. When the body is dehydrated, the body's metabolism processes are slowed down and this impedes the breakdown of fats in the body, and your weight loss curve hits a plateau.

* Water naturally holds back your appetite. The hypothalamus region in your brain serves the role of controlling cravings and appetites. The control centers for thirst and appetite are situated right next to each other. This means that drinking enough not only quenches your thirst, but takes away the feelings of hunger as well.

A study by Washington University found that drinking a glass of water before bed reduces mid-night cravings.

*Water also helps in the prevention of sagging skin, which is a common side effect of weight loss. It gives the skin a healthier and youthful look by helping in the reconstruction of destroyed skin cells.

* Water is effective in dealing with constipation. If the body does not get enough water, it is compelled to siphon it from it's internal reserves, normally the colon, resulting in constipation. Normal bowel function will resume when the body gets adequate water.

*In general, mild dehydration leads to a number of health complications. Mild dehydration is characterized by the following symptoms: fatigue, cravings, headaches, and constipation.

However, as soon as you get the water in balance, you achieve what is known as the breakthrough point. At this point, as fluid retention in the body eases, the liver and endocrine systems start to operate more effectively, helping to reinstate your natural thirst and curb cravings.

This naturally results in heightened metabolism rates, which facilitate the breakdown and loss of fat in the body.

In conclusion, the above benefits clearly show the importance of drinking water. You should really make drinking water a habit. It should not only be done when you are thirsty. Thirst, itself, indicates dehydration. As a rule of thumb, 8-10 glasses a day is a good rule. If you are exercising, I would recommend a glass every 15-20 minutes.

Must Eat a Good Breakfast

When losing weight, most individuals would skip eating breakfast thinking that it is an effective method of eliminating weight. But, when losing weight, there are several reasons why it is so important to eat a healthy breakfast

Breakfast is referred to as "breakfast", because it breaks the long fast. You are asleep for several hours, so in the morning it is necessary to eat something in order to have the energy to face the day.

These are a few of the reasons why eating a good breakfast can actually help you in your weight loss goals:

*Breakfast will allow you to control your hunger, and to avoid unnecessary snacking throughout the day

*A healthy breakfast will aid in increasing your body's metabolism--Eating breakfast can actually boost your metabolism. If you skip breakfast, you would tend to put your body into starvation mode and try to conserve what energy it can. Now, when you eat breakfast, you are also telling your body that you  are awake and you are not fasting anymore. This means that your body is ready to burn fat and utilize the energy during the day.

* A healthy breakfast would also help you consume enough calories. Having enough calories is essential because this responsible for increasing your energy levels. When you regularly skip breakfast, you are also not consuming calories that would result in diminishing energy levels. This, in turn, would slow down your metabolism, a hindrance to losing weight.

*According to research and studies, those individuals who miss breakfast are the ones' who were 4 times more likely to be overweight.

Eating breakfast is a key to losing weight. Have a good, healthy breakfast everyday and follow the right diet.

A bowl of slow-cooked Irish oats with banana's and strawberries is a great choice. This is my "go to" breakfast. It's high in fiber which helps regulate your blood sugar all day to help curb those mid-day cravings.