Feb 20/22 - How to increase fat burning with food...eat this!

Welcome Mexico City!
Feb 2022

I'm in Mexico City and spicy food is EVERYWHERE! Made me think of a fat burning food post!

You may have heard about the "thermic effect" or foods that boost your metabolism and burn fat. Eating certain foods to lose fat can be an effective way to kick start or bump up your weight loss efforts. You may think "thermic" means hot & spicy foods and while spicy foods do help it's not just spicy foods that make the list! 

There are food groups that burn more calories than they consume during digestion, boosting our metabolism as they process the food and have the amazing effect of burning away the fat. What are some foods that burn fat faster?

The perfect fat burning dish!

PROTEIN is the BEST
Did you know PROTEIN is one of the top foods that produce a thermal effect plus protiens keep you satisfied longer so you eat less and therefore LOSE WEIGHT! Lean meats have the highest thermic effect but you can also eat fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Eat the protein first in your meal as this prevents an insulin spike. Protein rich foods could help increase your metabolism for a few hours. Food combining your protein such as this steak with vegetables is a great way to go! Take a look at this dish with lean chicken, egg and avocado! I was full all day after this!

EAT AVOCADOS
Having foods such as avocados, which are made up of good fat, can help your body turn OFF the fat storage hormone! These foods leave you feeling fuller, longer due to the fiber and protein content. Avocados also improve blood sugar and balance your glycemic that aids in weight loss and diabetes control! This should be a daily food! This little meal I made had tuna salad inside the avocado, again I was full all day!

WALNUTS
Nature's best snack! These fat burning nuts have omega-3’s that increase your metabolism while reducing inflammation in muscles and this combination helps your burn more fat faster which leads to weight loss! Also, walnuts are SO good the brain! Why? The brain is 60% fat so it needs fat to function properly! Since Greek yogurt is an amazing source of protein why not add your walnuts to your yogurt! So filing!

GREEN TEA
Drinking lots of green tea (decaf is fine) may increase fat oxidation and may help your body use stored fat for energy more effectively, increasing your fat-burning ability. Even better to put your tea into a fancy mug with inspirational sayings like my favorite mug here!

Mexico City and the famous Los Cocuyos Taco Stand
with their SPICY chorizo tacos!

SPICY FOOD
I have to talk spicy while in Mexico! There is no doubt when you eat something that makes your face sweat you are increasing your fat burning plus it tastes GOOD! Add some spice with every meal, chili peppers, cayenne pepper or hot chillies. Capsaicin, a chemical found in chili peppers may boost your metabolism by slightly increasing the rate at which your body burns calories. Bonus…capsaicin may have appetite-reducing properties. So these spicy chorizo tacos in Mexico City definitely did the trick!

Dark Chocolate of over 80% cocoa is the key!

CHOCOLATE
YES, studies in mice have noted that cocoa and cocoa extracts may promote the expression of genes that stimulate fat burning. Remember 80% or higher cocoa is the right type of chocolate, sorry not Kit Kats and Twix bars! For an amazing hot chocolate recipe check out my blog from Feb 13 on How to eat Chocolate the right way!

Try these tips for a week and see how you feel, it’s not hard to do and you just might notice a difference!
What do you have to lose (other than some unwanted fat? 

Thank you for following my journey to writing a book series!
Stay balanced,
​LeeAnna ​