We’re always searching for that weight loss miracle aren’t we? Minimum effort and maximum results please. Oh wait, that’s not doable? Damn. Back to the drawing board.
We live increasingly busy lives, in fact, just the other week it was reported that HALF of adults do no exercise at all. None. Nada. Zilch. That’s a pretty shocking statistic which highlights a pretty major problem here. Are we all simply too busy or are we just lazy? It’s easy to get sucked into the couch life, I mean, hello – Netflix! But we don’t want to become a world of couch potatoes. So whilst I urge you to pause Pretty Little Liars and move your ass, you can also read up on some handy foods that will give you a helping hand in burning some fat.
So without further ado, five foods for zapping away the fat! *and no this doesn’t mean you can get out of exercising too…
1. Hot Peppers
And I’m talking HOT cayenne peppers. These peppers contain capsaicin, this is what gives them their heat and powerful kick. It also helps to burn away calories too, hoorah! You can buy cayenne pepper raw (if you’re brave enough) or in a powdered form. Alternatively you can pick up a hot sauce which you can use in pretty much everything, to an extent.
2. Whole Grains
These make your body WORK, twice as hard in fact. Whole grains basically burn twice as many calories breaking down foods such as brown rice as opposed to those nasty processed foods that we just don’t need. All too often people make the mistake of cutting out whole grains from their diet in fear that they will bloat or gain weight, but this isn’t the case!
3. Coconut
I bet you didn’t expect this one, did you? Coconuts are rich in medium-chain triglycerides. Did that mean anything to you? No me either really, but what it does mean is that these MCFAS can increase our metabolism rate by up to 30%! Now that’s a statistic I can get on board with. Why not alternate your normal dairy milk to coconut milk? It’s healthy, super tasty and fat burning, duh! If milk isn’t your thing then coconut flakes make for a great afternoon snack.
4. Avocado
Avocados are one of my favorite ever foods! Creamy, fatty goodness that’s technically healthy? YES please. Not only do these taste great and make for a fantastic dip (who doesn’t love guacamole?), they also boost our metabolism and speed up the process of converting fat into energy. Wahey! For a simple guac recipe – mash up a couple of avocados, chop up a red onion, add a pink of salt and a few dashes of lime et voila! Serve with sticks of carrot or cucumber for a healthy option.
5. Ginger
This was a new one to me, but ginger is also a great fat burning food. It has the ability to increase your body temperature which means that your body has to use up more of those pesky calories to keep your temperature down, winning! Fresh ginger is a fantastic addition to soups and stir fries, it can also be used in baking too so there are a lot of options!
There are a load of other amazing foods that are packed with fiber and will prolong your cravings and help you feel fuller in-between meals. Lentils, bananas, quinoa and nuts are all a good bet to try and keep those 9pm sugar cravings at bay. I mean who wouldn’t want a bowl of quinoa over a Krispy Kreme? Yeah, nobody said this would be easy…
Featured photo credit: Dollar Photo Club via dollarphotoclub.com
