No single food will automatically target the parts of your body with which you are unhappy. Fat loss occurs only when you expend more calories than you consume, causing your body to break down lipid stores for energy preferentially. What fat-burning foods you eat, however, will assist you to blast body fat in addition to a healthy training plan.
These foods have been shown to demonstrate an enhanced rate of fat loss, whether it’s by shutting off fat genes, helping to develop muscle that robs energy from adipose cells, boosting your metabolism and ability to burn fat, or helping you feel fuller longer, so you consume fewer calories. Stop the poor behaviors that cause belly fat and replace them with these healthy fat-burning foods to trim your waistline and get your midsection back in line.
Pepper, cayenne
Who knew there was a link between a spicy pepper scalding your lips and belly fat burning? It was scientists that did it! According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, daily ingestion of one of the components found in pepper (capsaicin) boosts the body’s ability to convert food into energy. According to a Canadian study, it also works as a natural appetite suppressant: males who ate spicy appetizers consumed 200 fewer calories at subsequent meals than men who did not. To reap the advantages, season grilled fish, meats, and eggs with a touch of cayenne pepper.
Guacamole
Guacamole is one of the most powerful fat-burning and hunger-suppressing foods ever devised. Avocados are high in vitamin B6, which directly counteracts the stress hormone cortisol, which causes belly fat to form. They’re also high in monounsaturated fat. According to a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, this good fat may prevent body fat distribution around the abdomen by down-regulating the expression of particular fat genes. According to another study, these same satiating fats could also explain why participants who ate half an avocado for lunch had a 40% lower desire to eat for hours after that.
Oatmeal
Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy. That is, not whole-grain carbohydrates. According to a Tufts University study, persons who ate three or more daily servings of whole grains (such as oats) had 10% less belly fat than people who ate the same amount of calories from processed white carbs (bread, rice, pasta). This is thought to be related to whole grains’ high fiber content and slow-burning characteristics, which keep you fuller for longer.
Salmon from the wild
The fat-burning formula is straightforward: Muscle is built using protein, and more muscle equals more fat loss. And fish, particularly wild salmon, is one of the best sources of lean protein, according to dietician Lauren Minchen, MPH, RD, CDN. According to her, it’s also high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which help with fat burning, fat storage, and weight loss. That’s not all, though: “Getting enough protein and good fat has also been proved to help people keep weight off for longer,” says Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS.
Sweet potatoes are a type of potato.
When it comes to burning fat, the term “slow carb” is anything but lazy. Slow carbohydrates take longer to digest, so they keep you fuller and more energized for longer—sweet potatoes are one of them. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help balance blood sugar levels and minimize insulin resistance, allowing your body to efficiently convert calories to energy rather than storing them as fat. Additionally, their strong vitamin profile (which includes A, C, and B6) provides you with additional energy to expend at the gym.
