Conventional wisdom leads us to believe if there is fat in the food, that food will then put more fat on us. But our bodies are much more complicated than that.
Wave Goodbye to Fat: Five Fat-Releasing Foods!
Sometimes our fat stores need a little help to be ‘set free’. They need assistance from the right nutritional mix of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs and fats – yes, fats.Here are Anytime Health’s top fat releasing foods:
1. Salad and vinegar – Try having your salad with mixed greens and oil and vinegar before your main meal. The fibre in the mixed greens will make you feel full, leading you to eat less and the vinegar can lessen the glycemic index and may prevent body fat storage. Japanese researchers fed vinegar to mice along with their normal food for six weeks; the mice in the study put on 10% less body fat then the controls.
To really boost the effect, try apple cider vinegar for other added health benefits, including reducing heartburn, improving skin tone and aiding digestion.
2. Dark chocolate – Yes! Chocolate can help you release fat stores, but only the good stuff – milk chocolate does not work here. Aim for organic and dark with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids or higher. Cocoa contains phenolic antioxidants. Recent research shows chocolate can protect nerves, prevent inflammation, protect skin from UV rays, improve mood (we knew that!) and brain function. Back away from the Flake - dark only people!
3. Foods rich in Vitamin C – research now shows people who are deficient in vitamin C release fat a slower rate and hang on to fat longer. Researchers have linked this deficiency to obesity. Yikes!
Some of the richest sources of Vitamin C are capsicum, thyme, parsley, kale, cauliflower and kiwi fruit. Include at least four servings of vitamin C foods daily to release fat!
4. Coconut oil – poor coconut oil has had a bad rap because it is technically a saturated fat, but this one is magical! In countries where they consume lots of coconut oil, elevated cholesterol and heart disease are actually rare. It’s rich in lauric acid, which is antifungal, anti viral and boosts your immune system. It also helps mobilize fat stores.
Try cooking with it instead of olive oil, or soak some muesli, chia seeds, sultanas, and yogurt overnight in coconut oil; you’ll wake up to a delicious bowl of bircher muesli. Who says you don’t have time for breakfast?
5. Protein – yep, this macronutrient tops the charts for fat burning. A 2002 study found eating protein makes you feel more full and increases your ‘after meal kilojoule burn’. In addition, people who eat a high protein diet decreased their overall food intake by 10%. Try to have protein with every meal and watch the fat disappear!
If you don't suffer from separation anxiety and you're happy to release your fat, eat more of these and wave goodbye to your fat!
