Top 12 Meatless Fat Fighting Foods & Spices

1.  Oatmeal: This is a complex (good) carbohydrate, which digests slowly. Because it digests slowly, it helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and keeps you feeling satiated. Research also shows that consuming oatmeal reduces cravings for fatty foods. Think of each rolled oat as a tiny sponge that soaks up cholesterol in your digestive tract.

2. Leafy Greens: Spinach, spring mix, mustard greens, and other dark leafy greens are good sources of fiber and are packed with nutrients. Research demonstrates that their high concentration of vitamins and antioxidants can reduce hunger pangs while protecting you from heart disease, cancer, cataracts, and memory loss.

3.  Olives and Olive Oil: Rich in healthy fats, olives and olive oil help reduces junk food craving and keep you feeling full. Research shows that monounsaturated fats plentiful in these foods help reduce high blood pressure.

4.   Beans and Legumes: Legumes are the absolute best source of fiber. They help stabilize blood sugar and keep you regular. They are also high in potassium, a critical mineral that reduces dehydration and the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Soy, which is also a legume, aids fat-burning due to its Isoflavones, which help to break-down stored fat. In one study, those who consumed high amounts of soy products shed three times more weight than did their counterparts who ate no soy.

5. and 6.   Garlic and Onions: These yummy foods contain phytochemicals that break down fatty deposits in the body,
while also breaking down cholesterol; killing viruses, bacteria, and fungi and protecting against heart disease. Fresh garlic helps cleanse the respiratory tract by expelling mucous buildup in the lungs and sinuses. Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases. That is probably because onions contain generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin. Studies have shown that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

7.   Tomatoes: Packed with vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene, tomatoes stimulate the production of the amino acid known as carnitine. Research shows that carnitine helps speed the body’s fat-burning ability by one-third. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that studies show can cut the risk of heart disease by 29 percent. Cooked tomatoes may be more beneficial to your health than raw tomatoes.

8.   Nuts: Raw, unsalted nuts provide your body with essential fatty acids that help burn fat. The high nutrient content in nuts can also lower your risk of heart attack by 60 percent. Research shows that consuming nuts can be as effective as cholesterol lowering drugs to reduce high cholesterol levels. As bonsuses, nuts taste good and have no nasty side effects. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first qualified health claim for nuts that states: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease“.

9.  Cayenne: This hot spice lowers the risk of excess insulin in the body by speeding metabolism and lowering blood glucose (sugar) levels, before the excess insulin can result in fat stores.

10. Turmeric: This popular spice, used primarily in Indian cooking, contains the highest known source of beta carotene, an antioxidant that protects the liver from free radical damage. Turmeric also helps your liver heal while helping your body metabolize fats by decreasing the fat storage rate in liver cells. Turmeric is also called for when indigestion, gas, and elimination issues imbalance the body.

11.  Cinnamon: Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture showed that a one-quarter to one teaspoon of cinnamon with food helps metabolize sugar up to twenty times better than food not eaten with cinnamon. Excess sugar in the blood can lead to fat storage.

12.  Flax Seeds and Flax Seed Oil: These seeds and oil attract oil-soluble toxins that are lodged in the fatty tissues of the body to escort them out.

Category: Food Fitness