Foods That Burn Belly Fat

When it comes to losing weight, many people look at food as the enemy. In reality, food can be your best friend. You need to learn how to make food work for you, not against you when it comes to burning fat. The secret lies in choosing foods that are dense in vitamins and minerals and NOT empty calories. 

Vitamins and minerals are catalysts for countless physiological processes. Some foods have the right balance of specific nutrients that can even help stimulate fat burning. Here are some of the top foods that can help your body burn fat!

DISCLAIMER: These foods alone won't help you lose weight or burn belly fat but including these foods in your healthy diet (that's paired with proper exercise) will.  You always have to do the work.  

Grapefruit

Long before celery juice became all the rage, one food was heavily associated with shedding excess pounds. Since the 1950s, grapefruit diet followers have promoted drinking a glass of grapefruit juice before every meal. While many tout that grapefruit has a special enzyme that burns fat, there is no known science behind this claim. 

However, science does show that grapefruit and grapefruit juice promotes a significant increase in High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. HDL is the “good cholesterol” that offsets the abundance of Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol linked to obesity and diabetes.  

Grapefruit has fiber that makes you feel full. Particularly, grapefruit is an excellent source of soluble fiber, which is related to lower risk of heart disease. However, grapefruit also contains a lot of water. So, if you experience frequent bathroom trips, consider consuming grapefruit with insoluble fibers, such as avocados, peas, and whole wheat grains.

Cocoa

Cocoa has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. The cacao bean is rich in antioxidants that help fight free radical damage caused by poor diet choices. In turn, our digestive system is free to work on breaking down the fat we’ve accumulated.  

Furthermore, cocoa is a natural source of caffeine. Caffeine stimulates a process known as fat browning. Fat browning is when our white fat (adipose) tissue gets transformed into a brown tissue.

The fat loses its stickiness, making it easier to detach from white tissue and be converted into energy for the system. When the brown tissue gets used, it stimulates the neighboring adipose tissue to promote fat burning, too. 

Invest in cacao nibs. Pair them with coconut and nut butter on a piece of whole-grain bread. Add some into your smoothie. Bake them into your next batch of guilty pleasure cookies!

Cayenne

Want to burn off your fat, literally? Add some spice into your life with cayenne peppers. Heat causes our body temperature to rise, which naturally causes us to burn calories. It also promotes sweat, which helps eliminate toxins. 

Cayenne gets its heat from a compound known as capsaicin. Research suggests that capsaicin helps curb cravingsby making us feel full quicker. They believe it’s thermogenic, which regulates our appetite and satiety.

This spice is also known to have anti-inflammatory benefits, which is why some athletes use capsaicin-based rubs after a rigorous workout or competition.

Kickstart your day with a glass of lemon water and a pinch of cayenne. Let that be the first thing you drink in the morning. Lemon cayenne water wakes up your organs and provides them with electrolytes. It’s their equivalent of getting a morning cup of coffee. You know you can’t function without yours!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an excellent source of probiotics. We rely on probiotic bacteria to help us break down food that causes weight gain. Probiotics also assist with nutrient absorption and provide our bodies with short-chain fatty acids that help our bodies turn fat into energy.

Also, apple cider vinegar is a metabolism biohack. It contains acetic acid that tricks your system into using fat for energy, rather than for storage. This change in conversation is essential for burning fat for good. So, be sure to drink apple cider vinegar diluted in water before a workout!

Get apple cider vinegar that has “with mother” on the label. That means the brew is enriched with organic enzymes, fiber, and probiotics. All of these are a recipe for gut health, which is conducive for blasting fat.

Green Tea

Like cocoa, green tea is rich in antioxidants that facilitate a healthy system. However, green tea is abundant in a unique antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG blocks an enzyme that depletes our hormone, norepinephrine. Experts believe this hormone triggers fat burning.

Green tea is also a natural diuretic. Diuretics help us pass waste out of our system regularly. This acts as a preventative measure in weight control.

The key to optimal wellness is switching up the game and getting a wide range of antioxidants. There’s plenty of green tea varieties out there with their own unique benefits. Start your day with gunpowder green tea with lemon or make a Matcha and almond milkshake for lunch.

Kelp

This sea-based powerhouse is rich in nutrients that help promote a healthy lifestyle. However, it’s particularly high in a unique fiber known as alginate. Research suggests alginate acts as a fat blocker. Experts hypothesize this fiber stimulates our gastric stretch receptors, which influences our hunger pings.

Kelp is also a significant source of iodine. Our thyroid relies on iodine to run properly. Thyroids play a significant role in regulating energy use. Therefore, unhealthy and fatigued thyroids may lead to weight gain.

Too much iodine may have the opposite effect on your thyroid. So, if you’re using iodine-based foods for thyroid care, please talk to your physician first.