Do you ever read media titles that say things like, “Eat Salmon to burn MORE fat!” or “The top 3 Fat Burning Foods!”…
I’m sure you have, I’m also sure you’ve asked yourself if they’re true or complete marketing bullshit.
There are things in the media about this industry with these kind of titles popping up everywhere all of the time. It’s a shame that a lot of the things coming out on TV and in magazines are of bad quality or misleading, but there is still a ton of amazing content out there that isn’t bad at all.
My point with today’s post is to explain the truths and the myths behind “Fat Burning Foods”.
You see, there is some truth to saying that there are fat burning foods but there is also most definitely some myths coming along with it as well.
The case is this; it is true that certain foods can help you burn fat. But it is a matter of the way your body reacts internally to these foods and also the way your body performs in the gym after consistently consuming these foods. [Notice I said CONSISTENTLY…. No great results come without being consistent.]
Sometimes it is the food directly that can help, other times it is the nutrient of the food or nutrients within specific foods.
The false accusations about this “Fat Burning Foods” deal is that there isn’t really food that directly burns fat. There are some foods that may, possibly, speed up or jump-start your metabolism after consuming and this can be related to fat loss.
But there isn’t a food you can rely solely on to burn fat. You can sit on the couch all day eating “Fat Burning Foods” and expect to lose weight.
So now I will give you a little list of foods that can HELP you burn more fat and should be consumed on a regular basis.
Why? Because consuming these consistently may help increase hormonal function, build more muscle, increase calories burned via digestion, improve metabolism, increase training performance, and… well, just read and you’ll see what the benefits are!
Protein
-I realize this isn’t a food, but it is a nutrient and it is first in line for many reasons. First off, you need to have a higher protein diet to build more muscle and if we can add lean muscle mass to our body we will burn more calories on a daily basis as our body needs to use more energy, calories, to support this muscle mass.
It also has the highest Thermic Effect of Food. This basically means our bodies will burn more calories digesting, absorbing and using protein then it will from fat and carbs. It’s Thermogenic effect is 20-30 percent compared to a 3-12 percent for carbs. The easiest way to understand this is that our bodies need to work harder to break protein down, digest it through are system, absorb the nutrients out of it, and then use it for recovery, energy, rebuild, etc. This is one reason why a high protein diet is superior to most other diets.
Add a handful of protein into each and every meal throughout the day and you will increase your fat-burning potential!
Fish
-There used to be many people, a lot of bodybuilders, who would mainly eat fish for their protein sources because they had lower calories. Makes sense, low calories and high protein, which seems like a great way to get ripped.
But is it really just because fish can be lower calorie? Not completely.
Studies have found that the fat found in fish can raise the hormone leptin, which is a hormone directly linked to fat loss. Leptin regulates your food intake as well as body’s energy expenditure. When the brain senses a rise in leptin, it signals the nervous system to turn down your appetite and turn up your metabolism. This simply means you may burn more calories and stay very satisfied from eating more fish in your diet.
My recommendation is to consume fish as your protein source for 5 meals per week and also take an omega 3 fish oil supplement.
Other benefits vary from brain function, healthy heart, insulin sensitivity improvements, nervous system, and the benefit of possibly raising leptin levels to increase metabolism.
Probiotics
-The digestion system is a home where up to 100 trillion bacteria is living in; many of them are healthy and can benefit us a lot. The healthy bacteria living in our guts are called “Probiotics”.
Scientist now believe that people with certain types of unhealthy microbes [type of microorganism causing disease, sickness, etc.] may get more calories from their food and then pack on extra fat because of it.
What does this mean for you and burning fat?
Well it means if we can manipulate our gut health and get more healthy probiotics in our diet, we can eliminate the microbes that are causing the extra fat to pile on and allow us to burn a little extra fat as well.
How do you do this? Easy, through supplements or foods containing probiotics.
My suggestion is to either take a probiotic supplement or even better, take a greens drink containing many probiotics along with other amazing nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes that will also help burn more fat and have better gut health.
[Click here for the top greens supplement you can get for these benefits]
I also suggest consuming foods high in probiotics. These foods are things such as whole grain sprouted wheat, flaxseed, onions, garlic, bananas, raw honey, leeks, artichokes, kefir, kim-chi, kombucha, sauerkraut, olives, pickles, and…. Dark chocolate! [Take it easy on the chocolate, a little goes a long way!]
Green Tea
-This is a widely known one because it can increase thermogenesis in your body leading to increased metabolism and fat burning. Add some caffeine into the mix and it can boost this effect any more.
But why does it increase metabolism?
One reason is because there are chemicals inside Green Tea called catechins. These chemicals have a direct effect on the body’s ability to increase thermogenesis and with higher thermogenic effects comes higher metabolism.
Green Tea has also been shown to natural suppress appetite, which can be a huge benefit when trying to stay compliant on a diet.
Chili Peppers
-Just like green tea, chili peppers can increase thermogenesis. But there are other effects that can help lead to more fat loss.
One of them is the effect they may have on blood insulin levels. A study showed that when people consumed meals containing chili peppers regularly for 4 weeks their blood insulin levels after the meals was lower than would be from meals containing no chili peppers.
Unfortunately they did not record or track weight loss in the study, but the fact that chili peppers had this effect on blood insulin levels tells us that if we can lower our insulin levels more we can achieve more fat loss.
My suggestion would be to implement more peppers into your diet, they can be used on many different types of meals, taste delicious, and actually have many more benefits such as – preventing disease from health promoting properties; boost metabolism; reduce LDL cholesterol; full of antioxidants; contain minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese; have lots of vitamins as well; and they can even help digestion as well.
Coconut Oil
-I am a huge advocate of coconut oil, it is one of the healthiest fats you can consume and it is the only oil I cook with.
First off coconut oil is made up of MCT’s (Multi-Chain Triglycerides), which are metabolized differently than typical fats, it is converted in the liver rapidly for quick energy. It is a great solution for more energy, better performance in the gym, when trying to achieve a low carb diet or really any diet at all.
Not only do these MCT’s create quick energy, but they also form ketones in the body, which can directly help curb appetite and actually helps derail cravings in us. So it is a great way to eat clean, light and stay away from treats.
Coconut oil has been shown to help the body digest food and extract/absorb he nutrients out of the food eaten. This is huge for someone seeking fat loss because now the workout nutrition we’re taking in can be directly useful for recover, glycogen replenishing, and fueling training even better, not too mention avoiding storing food as fat!
Last but definitely not least, coconut oil helps our hormones balance properly. The MCT’s in coconut oil help the body convert cholesterol in the blood; this chemical process is essentially key for hormones to function and process properly. It has effects of increased sex-drive, metabolism, mood, thyroid function, digestion, and it even helps us balance our blood sugar levels, which is directly linked to carbohydrate digestion and utilizing the nutrient as fuel rather than storing as fat.
My suggestions, jump on this stuff…it’s the shit! Excuse the language but there isn’t a better way to describe it.
Best way to implement it is to cook with it, add it into your coffee [Don’t need too much, 1-2 tsp. is enough & stick to guidelines or your macros to balance your nutrients daily], or you can even buy MCT oil extracted from the coconut oil. This stuff can be used for cooking in, you can add it to shakes, make dressings with it, and plenty other awesome ways you can consume it.
[Click here for the best MCT Oil or Coconut Oil to help you burn more fat, perform better, & increase hormonal balance!]
Now that I’ve broke it all down from the truths behind fat burning foods, which ones have the biggest benefits, and why some media can be misleading with their titles….
GO GET ON IT!
Utilize these suggestions and get the results you deserve!
If you feel like you could use even more help with what to eat, how to eat it, how to train, the mentality behind it all, or even just the support of a coach – please click the link below for a free strategy session.
I would love to help YOU reach the goals you’ve been dying to achieve.
