Stock the fridge with these fat-burning foods…

November 10th, 2010 by Lucy-Ann Prideaux MSc BSc RNutr

In one way or another, pretty much any food that is natural, highly nutritious and unprocessed could be deemed to be fat-burning! The reason for this is that natural wholefoods, collectively form a diet that contains optimal energy (calories) and an array of essential nutrients that feed, spin and rev a healthy metabolic rate. The metabolism is simply the process that metabolises (or burns) food to provide all the bodies cells with the energy they need.

Here are some of my top food recommendations to build a healthy and lean diet

Watercress, spinach and other leafy greens
Possibly some of the finest foods to include regularly in the diet, leafy greens, are very low in calories, yet vitamin, mineral, fibre and antioxidant-rich! Eating raw greens is highly alkalising to the body (helping to re-establish a healthy pH balance) and can contribute to a persons daily protein intake too. Noted for being great sources of B vitamins, these are family of nutrients that run the cells metabolic engines, converting fat protein and carbohydrate in energy.

Avocado
Avocado is an excellent all-round food! It is a primary source of monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, as well as plant fibres called sterols. All these nutrients help the body to maintain healthy levels of blood fats (raising HDL, and lowering LDL cholesterol), and can contribute toward creating a meal, that is both filling, and satiating. My all-time top, favourite food!

Hempseeds, flaxseeds and other raw seeds
Hemp and flax are excellent sources of protein, fibres and essential fats! These are perfect foods to give us many nutrients involved in maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Salmon
Salmon is a quality protein food, and protein fires up the metabolism like no other macronutrient. Salmon is also one of the richest food sources of the Omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. These, along with other essential fats can help toward burning body fat not storing it! If you dont like or wish to eat salmon (or other fish), try and include plenty of plant sources of ALA Omega-3, including hempseeds (see above), ground flaxseed, dark leafy greens, walnuts, and some sea vegetables.

Chilli and cayenne
Science shows that these hot spices may actually speed up the metabolic rate via the heat they create. They also have healing properties too! Go easy if youre new to these culinary additions!

Ginger
Another heat-generating spice to add to teas, stir-fries, salads and soups! Try fresh mint tea first thing in the morning, with a slice of lime and chopped ginger root. Feel your whole body and digestion wake-up!

Coconut
Coconut is a very healthy food, containing protein and a helpful type of fat called MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides. These fatty acids are used as an energy source, rather than being stored by the body as body fat. If you like to use oil in stir-frying, coconut oil is a healthy, and tasty choice!

Eggs
Eggs contain essential protein, and 2 nutrients called choline and lecithin. All these help in the fat metabolism process.

Red and purple berries
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are probably the best foods for snacking, and keep the metabolism ticking over! They are full of nutrition, low in calories, yet high in water. Keeping hydrated with high-water foods also helps the body to burn fat!

Apples
Apples are low in calories, yet high in fibre, and packed with vitamins. These are easy snacks to fill you up and keep your metabolism ticking over.

Green tea
With regard to weight loss, some enlightening research from Japanese scientists has shown that green tea can increase thermogenesis, or the heat or fire that the metabolism creates during the burning of food, or in this case drink! Green tea seems to help the body burn calories, and specifically, it helps burn fat. Green tea does contain caffeine (in case you didnt realise), and originally researchers thought it was purely the effect of caffeine that stimulated the metabolic rate. However, it now seems that these metabolic-boosting effects go beyond the effects of caffeine, and are due to other properties in the leaves. Drinking green tea doesnt stress the adrenal glands like too much coffee does which worth bearing in mind!