Fat Burning Foods

Are there fat burning foods?  The answer to that is yes, and no.  No in the sense that  there are no foods that you're going to eat and that will magically burn body fat.  Yes in the sense that there are foods that will help your fat burning goals by helping your body set up a foundation that will turn it into a fat burning machine.  Some foods will help more than others. 

For starters, if you want to burn body fat, a boosted metabolism is essential.  In order to have a revved up metabolism and burn body fat efficiently, you need to have a solid foundation of muscle.  Muscle doesn't only help you burn calories during your workout, but muscle will also burn calories after you workout and while you rest.  Part of this is due to what's referred to as After Burn or EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). For more on After Burn or EPOC check the article Exercise After Burn: Research Update at About.com.

In order to build and maintain this solid foundation of muscle, you need to feed the muscle properly, especially after intense workouts. Foods high in protein will feed your muscle, which in turn will keep you metabolism revved up, and which will help burn body fat and assist in your fat burning goals during and after workouts.  So therefore, foods high in protein, are fat burning foods. 

Most clients that come to me tend to have a diet extremely low in protein. Increasing that protein content is usually one of the biggest adjustments that I have them make.  I attribute this adjustment to their diet as one of the main reasons they get such great fat burning and fitness results.

Here is a short list of foods high in protein:
Chicken breast
Tuna
Salmon
Steak
Eggs
Turkey Breast
Talapia

After a workout, a protein smoothie is a good idea as the protein will quickly be absorbed and utilized by the body to begin the building and maintenance of muscle tissue.

Once you add these fat burning foods to help build and maintain muscle, there are others foods that will also help your fat burning goals.  The next most important list of foods that will help set up you body to become a fat burning machine are foods high in nutrients, yet low in calories.

By limiting excess calories, your body will be forced to break down body fat for energy.  But the key is not just to lower your calories, the key is to find foods low in calories but high in nutrition (vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidants). Your body needs the nutrition to continue to run it's metabolic processes optimally so that it helps you burn fat efficiently and keep it off long term.  These foods that are low in calories, but high in nutrition, therefore are fat burning foods.

Here is a list of these foods low in calories, but high in nutrition:
Broccoli
Spinach
Cucumber
Bell Peppers
Wheat Grass
Mushrooms
Blueberries, but generally all berries fit this category

A lot of people confuse the Fat X Diet with a no carb or low carb diet because I don't mention carbs (carbohydrates).  The reason I don't mention carbs is because with the Fat X Diet I decided to simplify the subject.  Vegetables contain carbs, they just happen to be considered "good" carbs.  The consumption of "good" carbs and a solid amount of protein are the engine that drives the Fat X Diet, and the reason that when combined with the Fat X Workout Program, the fat burning and fitness results are what some refer to as amazing. 

There's another list of foods that I consider fat burning foods. I'll post that soon on the Fat X 101 Facebook page.  Make sure you "like" the page so you stay updated.