5 Foods to
BURN DOWN
BODY FAT
The benefits of losing weight
I have good news for you: you don't need
to lose much weight to score big wins
for your health. Unlike the huge amounts
of weight loss that fad diets promise,
healthy weight-loss goals are realistic,
achievable, and sustainable for almost
anyone.
Losing just 5 pounds can lower one's risk of
breast cancer by 18%. Losing 11 pounds can
lower one's risk of death from any cause by
36%. And losing 19 pounds can lower one's
risk of mortality from diabetes by 22%!
In this guide I've compiled five of the best
foods for losing weight, walking you
through how they actually burn fat.
CHILI PEPPERS
Chili peppers contain a bioactive called
capsaicin. This is the component that
makes peppers spicy, and it also activates
brown fat, triggers thermogenesis, burns
down harmful white fat, and curbs
appetite.
One study found that eating the equivalent
of 1/4 teaspoon of dried chili flakes led to
a decrease in abdominal fat that was six
times greater than the placebo group in
the study.¹
MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms contain a soluble fiber called
beta-D-glucan. This bioactive fights fat and
activates your health defenses. Beta-D-
glucan can prevent harmful blood vessels
from feeding cancer or expanding fat.
One study recruited obese adults and gave
mushrooms to replace any red meat they
might otherwise eat. At the end of one year,
the group eating mushrooms lost 7 pounds
and shrank their waist circumference by 2.6
inches.²
CINNAMON
Cinnamon contains more than 20 bioactives
that can influence your metabolism.
Cinnamon extract causes white fat cells to
become brown fat cells and triggers fat-
burning thermogenesis. One bioactive,
eugenol, increases healthy gut bacteria in
your microbiome, which is protective
against obesity.
One study gave a group of participants
either a placebo or 3 grams of cinnamon to
consume each day, coupled with an
exercise regimen for 16 weeks. The subjects
who ate cinnamon lost 7.7 pounds, which
was 10 times more than the amount lost by
the placebo group.³
GREEN TEA
Green tea originated thousands of years ago,
but its powerful healing effects are still
evident today. There are two bioactives in
tea that help burn body fat and boost
metabolism. These bioactives are called
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (ECGC) and
chlorogenic acid.
One study gave participants either lukewarm
water or green tea to drink 3 times a day for
8 weeks. At the end, the tea drinkers lost
more weight and had a smaller waist size,
better blood pressure, and lower cholesterol.⁴
SALMON
Seafood is a rich source of omega-3s, which
cause harmful white fat to turn into helpful
brown fat. Omega-3 cells then trigger brown
fat cells to start thermogenesis and burn
down harmful fat.
One study gave participants cod, salmon, fish
oil capsules, or no fish 3 times per week for 8
weeks. Those who had cod or fish oil lost 23%
more weight, and the salmon eaters lost 32%
more weight!⁵
References
1. S. Snitker, Y. Fujishima, et al., "Effects of Novel
Capsinoid Treatment on Fatness and Energy
Metabolism in Humans: Possible Pharmacogenetic
Implications," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
89, no. 1 (2009): 45-50.
2. K.H. Poddar, M. Ames, et al, "Positive Effect of
Mushrooms Substituted for Meat on Body Weight,
Body Composition, and Health Parameters. A 1-Year
Randomized Clinical Trial," Appetite 71 (2013): 379-
387.
3. S.G. Jain, S. Puri, et al., "Effect of Oral Cinnamon
Intervention on Metabolic Profile and Body
Composition of Asian Indians with Metabolic
Syndrome: A Randomized Double-Blind Control Trial:
Lipids in Health and Disease 16, no. 113 (2017): 1-11.
4. R. Hursel and M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga,
"Thermogenic Ingredients and Body Weight
Regulation," International Journal of Obesity 34, no.
4 (2010): 659-669.
5 A. Ramel, M.T. Jonsdottir, et al., "Consumption of
Cod and Weight Loss in Young Overweight and
Obese Adults on an Energy Reduced Diet for 8
Weeks," Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular
Diseases 19, no. 10 (2009): 690-696.
To learn more about losing
weight using food, click here to
order my new book, Eat to Beat
Your Diet.
Over a month of
recipes
Sample meal
plans
Shopping lists
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Food doses for
fighting fat
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