Some foods can help you lose weight! Yes, you read that right!
There are certain types of foods that can boost your metabolism, causing weight loss while preserving your lean muscle mass. These are commonly known as thermogenic foods.
Before we get to thermogenic foods, let’s understand what thermogenesis is…
What is thermogenesis?
Thermogenesis is the increased heat produced by the body. It occurs as a mechanism to maintain either
- The body temperature or
- As a response to food intake when foods are digested.
So, how can this help you burn more calories?
Some foods are thermogenic in nature. These help increase your metabolism because they demand your body to use more energy to digest them, in turn producing more heat. This process is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF).
For example, if a particular meal is 500 kcal, then the thermic effect of processing that meal, aka calories burned to digest it, is about 50 kcal. So, consuming foods with a high thermogenic index will help you burn even more calories, thus helping you lose weight.
7 foods that help burn fat and boost your weight loss game!
Proteins
Scientific studies reveal that thermogenic foods can increase metabolic activity by up to 5%. One such thermogenic food is Proteins. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, proteins take longer to digest. Thus burning more calories in the process, supported by a healthy diet and exercise.
Speaking of the kind of proteins, animal-based lean proteins provide a high degree of satiety which helps cut down the appetite, while plant-based proteins help boost metabolism. So, include protein in every meal to help you lose weight.
Additionally, get a good workout on your home under-desk treadmill for a heavy person or a magnetic resistance spin bike to drop those extra pounds.
Hot Peppers
If you like spicy food, add some hot peppers to your meals. Hot peppers are one of the most well-researched thermogenic foods. They contain the compound – capsaicin, which is responsible for giving that spiciness to peppers. Capsaicin has been shown to boost metabolism and contribute to weight loss. This occurs by increasing energy expenditure, oxidation of fats in the body, and reducing appetite.
Turmeric
Turmeric is not only an antiseptic but also thermogenic. In addition to being a wonder spice, turmeric contains phytochemicals known as curcuminoids, and researchers suggest they may help promote weight loss.
Consuming curcumin along with a planned diet and exercise regime like that on a recumbent elliptical cross trainer will help in losing at least two percent of the total body weight.
In addition, curcumin has protective effects by not allowing the fat tissues to grow and increasing insulin sensitivity, thus helping with weight loss, body fat reduction, waistline reduction, and hip circumference reduction.
Black pepper
Black pepper burns a little when you consume it. This occurs because it contains piperine. Piperine is a proven thermogenic compound that can be distinguished by its biting sensation on the tongue.
Black peppers work similarly to the way hot chili peppers work. The compound piperine boosts metabolism and prevents the body from storing extra calories as fats. Also, piperine helps to absorb other vital nutrients into the body, which are essential when on a weight loss journey.
Cinnamon
Hot water with cinnamon and lemon is a great drink to consume upon waking up. But have you felt that little throat burn when you consume it? Well, that is a sign of a thermogenic food.
Cinnamon contains good amounts of highly potent polyphenol antioxidants, which are researched to act directly on fat cells and help to convert them into energy while also improving overall calorie burn.
Ginger
Ginger brings some severe heat into the body. In addition, ginger contains compounds called gingerols, zingerone, and shogaols, which increase thermogenesis and stimulate the breakdown of fats and significantly help decrease appetite, circumference measurements, and fasting glucose levels.
Green Tea
The catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) present in green tea are potent polyphenols known to be instrumental in starting the process of fat oxidation and break-down in the body. Since these natural ingredients boost your metabolism, it helps increase fat burning, facilitating weight loss.
Mustard
Mustard has this sweet and spicy taste from capsaicin, creating heat in the body and helping boost calorie burn. In addition, food, when cooked in mustard oil, is easier to digest and leads to an increase in metabolism. This increase in metabolism leads to faster burning of fat.
Conclusion
Include these thermogenic foods in your routine to consistently burn more calories while maintaining your lean muscle mass. But remember, though these foods help, they need to be supported with a structured diet and exercise routine to see weight loss results.
Author Info: By healthyandkhush.com
Summary:
Healthy and Khush is a blog dedicated to sharing science-based tips and hacks that will help you lose weight and keep it off.
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