Fat Burning Foods for The Holidays

The winter holidays can be a bad time to start a diet or weight-loss program.  It’s next to impossible to get all of the preparations associated with the holidays done and still manage to find time to go the gym.  Eating well can also be difficult; finding time to cook from scratch is hard to do with a busy family schedule. 

A more reasonable goal is to just maintain the weight you’re at.  One simple way to do this is to incorporate more healthy foods into your diet.  Even if most of your meals this season come from restaurants and parties, try to eat dishes that contain at least one of the foods listed below.    

·         Acai Berries and Green Tea   With a very high antioxidant content, the acai berry also has generous amounts of amino acids and fiber, both important for the breakdown of fat. Green tea provides healthy antioxidants and appetite-suppressing caffeine.  In addition, drinking  a version of this drink with no added sugar (look for pre-brewed “diet” varieties) will add no calories to your daily intake.

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·         Whole Grain Bread  Even when consumed in small quantities, whole grains give you a feeling of fullness, so you end up eating less than you would otherwise.  Be careful to replace the processed carbohydrates you would normally eat with whole grain foods, rather than eat whole grain bread in addition to a meal.  Any kind of carbohydrate has a lot of calories.

·         Dairy  According to preliminary research by at the University of Tennessee, the calcium in many dairy products might be a good fat burner.  Try the high-calcium, low-fat alternatives of milk, cheese and yogurt, especially in recipes using these ingredients.  Although later research has suggested there might not be a direct link between these foods and burning fat, switching to  the low-fat version of these products is usually easier when you start using them in familiar recpes.

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·         Vegetables and Fruit  These foods are rich in fiber that can appease your appetite and fill you up quickly. In addition, they are low in fat and contain no processed sugars, making them a great snack.  To incorporate more into your diet, consume a side salad before eating a regular meal and keep pre-cut fruit in your home refrigerator.   

·         Peppers  Chilies and peppers are useful in burning fat because they contain capsaicin, which is a thermogenic agent.  This compound increases the body’s metabolic rate, helping you burn fat.  If you don’t normally eat or care for spicy foods, consider adding very small amounts to chilli and soup.

Remember that in order to not gain weight this season you have to burn as many calories as you consume.  Therefore, eating any of these foods in large quantities will not help you to not gain weight during the holidays.