New Year’s resolutions often include gym memberships. You probably resolved to join a gym, work out every day, lose 20 pounds and reduce your stress levels. You started out great but then, in mid March, when you still hadn’t lost 20 pounds, despite going to the gym every day, you threw up your hands and stopped going to the gym. What now?
Perhaps you needed to pay as much attention to your nutrition as you did to your training. Training is the fun part, the social part, the concrete part, but nutrition is the tricky part. Nutrition is every meal and every day, not the two or three times a week thing like training. Nutrition encompasses daily planning, commitment, and discipline.
There are foods that have been scientifically proven…yes, scientifically proven with research paper credentials…to help burn fat. If you had coupled some of these fat burning foods with your training, you’d have likely seen some results and lost at least some of those 20 pounds.
- White tea – We all know about the benefits of green tea but concentrated white tea extract actually prevents the formation of new fat cells and reduces the number of fat cells already present in your body.
- Spinach – Popeye was right. Not only did spinach make him stronger, it helps reduce hunger by 21%, helps increase satiety by 14%, reduces cravings for snacks (both fat and salty) and sweets by approximately 35%.
- Coconut oil – Coconut oil is primarily composed of triglycerides that can be used by your cells and your brain as fuel.
- Legumes – Black beans, kidney beans and chick peas are all linked to greater weight loss. Don’t go crazy on the portions, however.
- Green coffee – Green coffee beans are raw, unfrosted beans that have been scientifically proven to burn fat.
- Garlic – One of our most under-rated spices/foods, the National Center of Biotechnology Information found that eating garlic helps you not overeat.
- Grapefruit – Grapefruit, the real thing and the juice, helps induce weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Pumpkin Seeds – Raw, unfrosted, unsalted pumpkin seeds are often called “nutritional gold mines” for a reason. They are packed with everything your body needs and everything your fat cells don’t.
- Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate has less sugar content than milk chocolate. Give yourself a treat occasionally and indulge your craving for sweets with a piece of dark chocolate.
- Chili – Chili is composed of capsaicin oil, an irritant, that increases your body temperature. The harder you body has to work to keep and stay cool is a good thing because that extra energy helps burn body fat.
