Fat Burning Foods

Have you ever heard of fat burning foods? Currently, there have been claims that certain foods can actually help us to lose weight and help our bodies rid themselves of unsightly fat.The diet “experts” insist that these fat burning foods are a solution to our dietary woes, and that by simply adding them to our daily regime, we will be able to quickly burn calories and see our waistlines diminish dramatically. But are these claims too good to be true? Are there really foods that can accomplish what exercise and quasi-starvation can not? And just how safe are these foods? Will these fat burning foods succeed in melting fat, but put our health at risk?

One of the touted fat burning foods is cabbage. Cabbage contains sulfur and iodine, which assist in cleansing the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines by causing belly fat to break up, and then the belly fat is cast off by the body. Readily available and relatively cheap, cabbage is a healthy addition to your menu, but will it truly work wonders on your silhouette? Yes, experts insist! Cabbage is just one of many fat burning foods.

Another example of fat burning foods is salmon. It has been shown that eating this fat burning food can reduce certain chemicals in our body that cause stress and belly fat. Because it regulates the level of leptin, a hormone that affects metabolism, salmon is thought of as a useful means to rid the body of extra pounds. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids, this lean protein has been proclaimed to be not only one of the most effective fat burning foods, but a heart healthy one as well.

Some other popular fat burning foods are turkey and chile peppers. Turkey is one of the must effective fat burning foods on the market. It is low in calories and actually can cause the body to use up almost a third of its calories while it is being digested. The protein in salmon is more filling than fatty foods and most carbohydrates, so there is no need to overeat. As the protein in turkey is broken down, it stimulates the liver to eliminate toxins and fats in the body, making turkey one of the most recommended of the fat burning foods.

Other fat burning foods include chile peppers. These vegetables with a kick can boost your metabolism and rev up your heart rate. This increase in metabolism and heart rate is due to a chemical called Capsaicin, found in both jalapeno and cayenne peppers, which is the reason for this increase in the body’s metabolism. When you eat chile peppers, the Capsaicin causes the release of stress hormones, which stimulate the metabolism, resulting in the loss of belly fat. Dieticiens who are proponents of fat burning foods recommend eating chile peppers if you need to lose weight.

It is a well known fact that cinnamon is one of the best fat burning foods. This sweet smelling spice can improve digestion and eliminate belly fat. According to experts, eating cinnamon can help you to lose weight when added to your weight loss regime. But are these experts right?

Perhaps the answer lies in our perception of food and diets. Hundreds of years ago, no one had ever heard of fat burning foods. In Biblical times diets were followed for religious reasons. Centuries later, most people were barely getting enough to eat; no one needed to lose weight, no one that is, except the privileged few.

The first recorded diet took place in the year 1087. King William of England (of William the Conqueror fame) had gotten too fat to ride a horse, and since that was the only means of transportation back then…besides walking, which was unseemly for a monarch…he decided to go on a diet. No, he didn’t have his chefs prepare a copious amount of fat burning foods. Rather, he went on a liquid diet of the alcoholic nature. The diet actually worked. Unfortunately for William, he died shortly after…in the saddle.

Throughout the 19th century, being overweight was a sign of prosperity Only the wealthy could indulge in rich food, but apparently not in fat burning foods. Still, the general population had no need to limit their caloric intake.
But as people began to become more affluent, they started eating more, and there was an increase in obesity. As a result, we have seen a plethora of diets in recent years:

There was the vegetarian diet, conceived of by a Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham, who went on to create graham crackers. Maybe he was eating fat burning foods like cabbage and chile peppers to achieve his desired results. There was the low carb diet, advanced by William Banting who wrote the first diet book. The theory of the calorific value of food, was put forth by a chemist named Wilbur Atwater. Then there was Weight Watchers, Atkins and, of course, diets based on eating fat burning foods.

Although fat burning foods are a healthy choice for your dietary regime, they are not a panacea. To achieve your ideal weight, you should eat in moderation, exercise regularly and include a variety of fat burning foods in your weekly menu, for if they don’t help you shed pounds at an astonishing rate, they are many benefits in eating these fat burning foods. So enjoy, bon appetit….and who knows.