We all know that what we eat is crucial when it comes to weight loss. However, do you know that there are some foods that have a high thermic effect, meaning that they burn calories during digestion and absorption? These foods also provide a higher degree of satiety and so including them in your diet can take you closer to achieving your weight loss goals. Here are some of these healthy fat-burning foods:
- Nuts and peanuts are among the most weight loss friendly foods reported so far. They are low in carbs, but high in fiber, healthy fats and protein. According to an Authority Nutrition report, a low-calorie diet that included almonds resulted in 62% greater weight loss than the same diet supplemented with complex carbohydrates.
- If you like drinking tea, choose green tea for its double benefits. Studies show that this weight loss friendly beverage not only contains caffeine that helps fat burning, but also has antioxidants that liberate fatty acids from areas which tend to store more fat.
- While fried potatoes can be fattening, boiled potatoes can actually help weight loss, say experts. Eating boiled potatoes make you feel fuller and you tend to end up eating fewer calories at subsequent meals. Also, cooling them down after boiling helps to increase the content of resistant starch that aids in weight loss.
- According to a Pennington Biomedical Research Center study, protein can have a huge effect on body-fat percentage. The study found that those on a low-protein diet stored 95 percent of the excess calories as fat and concluded that substituting some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism and burn more calories.
- You might have heard about the many benefits of drinking water and its positive effect on weight loss. According to a WebMD report, drinking half a liter of water can boost your metabolism by 30%. So what’s stopping you from drinking this easily available beverage?
- An article in Prevention magazine says that studies have revealed a link between calcium and weight loss. A 2010 study by researchers at the University of Alabama reported significant fat reduction in people who ate more calcium-rich foods.
Whole grains, hot peppers, and lentils are among the other fat burning foods that you can have. When it comes to weight loss – don’t just focus on food. Getting enough exercise is equally important.