Super Foods That Burn Fat Fast!
Oatmeal – Think rolled oats and stay clear of the instant, sweetened variety. Rolled oats might be very plain in terms of flavour but you can add to the taste easily with fruit, nuts and some of the berries listed below. Steel rolled oats are even better for you but can be quite expensive.
The Science: Oatmeal is loaded with soluble fibre which causes a slow energy release. Because it releases energy slowly, your metabolism is running at a steady pace – perfect for fat loss. It also helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels and flush out bad fatty acids. Oatmeal has also been proven to prevent heart disease and colon cancer. The perfect food to help you get a flat stomach!
Shop For: Steel rolled oats (if you can find and afford them) or regular rolled oats.
Avoid: Sweetened/ Instant oats.
Tip: Don’t add sugars and syrups, instead try honey, berries and nuts.
Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia etc) – Yes, nuts are a fatty food, but this fatty food actually helps you burn body fat! So if you want to get rid of fat and lose inches on your stomach then you’ll want to incorporate nuts to your diet. Nuts are perfect as a side order for a larger meal, a light snack (ditch those chips and crisps) or for desert.
The Science: Although nuts are loaded with fat, this fat is healthy fat. Furthermore, nuts are packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein which are all vital for controlling blood sugar level and encouraging fat loss.
Nuts also maintain fat burning hormones, they fill you up quickly and keep you feeling full – suppressing your appetite.
Shop For: Aim for raw nuts or mixed nuts – Almonds, Walnuts and Macadamia nuts. Unsweetened peanut butter.
Avoid: Definitely steer clear of the dry roasted and salted variety.
Tip: By varying your nut intake you’ll get a good cocktail of vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Peanut butter is also an excellent substitute for margarine or butter for sandwiches but once again you must go for the natural, unsweetened variety if you’re going for fast abs.
Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Cranberries etc) – We’ve already mentioned that berries are a great way of sweetening your usually bland oatmeal, but that’s not all they are great for. You can also add them to your protein shake, salad, natural yogurt or a mixed bag of nuts for a fat busting snack.
The Science: Berries are a natural source of dietary fibre, which helps slow your carbohydrate absorption, controls blood sugar levels and prevents the insulin spikes that can cause your body to store fat. Berries are also packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of this with low calories – a real flab fighter!
Shop For: Fresh berries if possible, frozen berries are cost effective.
Avoid: Tinned berried with added sugar.
Tip: Try exotic berries such as the Goji, which boasts one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any food on the planet!
Red Meat: That’s right, we’re talking beef, bison and game! Traditionally Beef is seen as a fatty meat. And it’s seen as a fat gaining food rather than a fat burning food. However, Beef that has been raised on grass and other natural foliage is actually much healthier than the grain reared meat you’ll find at your local grocery store. It has 30% less fat, but the fat content has the perfect ratio of essential fatty acids required for fat loss.
The Science: Beef raised on grass (a cow’s natural diet) is much higher in healthy omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E and healthy fat than that brought up on an artificial diet of grains. Not to mention that grass fed beef is some of the highest quality protein available, vital for building muscle and burning fat.
Shop for: Organic, grass fed beef, bison and game from farms where the animals can graze on wild foliage and get much needed exercise!
Tip: Avoid grain fed, mass production animals. The protein in this meat is harder to digest, not to mention the higher ‘bad fat’ content.
Whole, organic, free range eggs: Most people are scared of eggs because they believe them to be high in fat and cholesterol. But the truth is, organic, free-range eggs have no affect on blood cholesterol (blame processed and refined fats for that). Furthermore, the essential fatty acids inside an eggs yolk are vital for fat burning.
The Science: Eggs contain iron, zinc, phosphorus, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid. But you’ll actually find that 90% of these nutrients are found in the yolk, so it’s important to eat whole eggs. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids. Also, the protein of whole eggs is easier to digest than egg whites alone, due to a more balanced amino acid profile that the yolks help to build.
Shop for: Free range, organic, whole eggs.
Tip: Small farm shops are a great source of free-range eggs. Some of the “free range” eggs you find in the grocery store come from hens that are allowed out for about 10 minutes a day! Remember, the natural foods a free range hen eats basically decides the quality of the nutrients you’ll get from her eggs!
Free-range organic eggs are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants (such as Lutein), essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K. Not the processed fats you would find in a vat of vegetable oil for example. Unlike the veggie oil, fats found in free-range eggs actually encourage fat burning not fat storage.
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