Fat burners in your fridge

Losing weight and burning fat is never easy. Diets are all about saying ‘no’ to everything we love to eat. But what if we told you can actually say ‘yes’ to delicious foods and still burn that stubborn fat? Here’s how…

Chilli

We all recognise that chilli helps to heat us up, even making us break a sweat after consuming a lot of it. “This is called diet-induced thermogenesis. It is this process that is excellent for those who want to lose weight as it encourages our body to burn up calories rather than storing them,” explains Elouise Bauskis, nutritionist at nutricentre.com. “It is the active constituent capsaicin that creates the heat in our body from the food ingested. Studies have also shown that chilli may help to decrease your appetite, which is more good news for those wanting to reduce snacking between meals!”

Brown rice

This is a much better choice than white rice for many reasons. “Firstly, it is much more nutritious, as it hasn’t been as refined as white rice and therefore maintains more of its fibre, protein and nutrients,” says Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading nutritionist and author of The Natural Health Bible for Women (www.marilynglenville.com). “On the glycaemic index of foods, brown rice is a medium GL food, whereas white rice is a high GL. If you want to lose weight and for proper blood sugar balance, which will help you on many levels, you should ideally consume only low and medium GL foods daily.”

Quinoa

“This is a fabulous substitute for rice or pasta,” says Elouise. “Quinoa is actually a seed, so it’s lower in carbohydrates, higher in protein and very nutritious with a generous amounts of minerals. It’s also alkalising and will be much more beneficial for balancing blood sugar levels as part of a meal. Balanced blood sugar levels will decrease fat storage.”

Almonds

“Almonds are high in essential nutrients, especially minerals and vitamins,” explains Dr Glenville. “They are also full of nourishing healthy fats as well as being high in protein. Fat and protein make you feel fuller for longer, which should encourage you to snack less. They also help to balance your blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is an essential part of healthy weight loss and management.”

Cinnamon

“Cinnamon can help weight management by helping to stabilise blood sugar levels, which can keep you fuller for longer, while reducing cravings for sweetness,” explains Elouise. “It is also a digestive herb, gently warming your stomach and aiding in the breakdown of food more efficiently.”

Green tea

“Green tea contains a wealth of antioxidants, the most powerful of them being EGCG, a substance that can boost metabolism,” says Elouise. “To put it simply, the nutrients found in green tea increase the levels of hormones that tell our fat cells to break down fat. This results in fat being released into the bloodstream, making it available as energy.”

Coffee

“Caffeine boosts your metabolism by up to 11 per cent, which may aid in weight loss. It has also been shown to increase fat burning by up to ten per cent in individuals who are obese, and 29 per cent in those who are lean,” says Elouise. “However this effect may decrease over time as your body becomes used to the caffeine. The chlorogenic acid in coffee helps reduce glucose absorption. Coffee can also dramatically boost your physical performance, on average by 11-12 per cent. By releasing fatty acids from the fat tissues for the body to use as ‘fuel’, and by increasing adrenaline levels in the blood, it makes our bodies ready for physical exertion. Coffee will increase your energy prior to a workout, while also strengthening endurance, which will enhance athletic performance.”

Eggs

They are one of the healthiest foods on the planet! “The yolk is super nutritious. It contains lecithin, nutrients and antioxidants, especially lutein and zeaxanthin,” explains Dr Glenville. “Eggs are full of good-quality protein that is easy to assimilate. Plus they help you feel fuller for longer, which will encourage you to eat less. They have a positive effect on cholesterol levels, increasing our good HDL cholesterol while decreasing the bad LDL cholesterol.”