IBB – Indian Bodybuilding IBB – Home of Indian Bodybuilding and Fitness
Are you worried about your steadily rising weight? Is your shaky belly making you feel embarrassed? If you no longer fit into your clothes and you are looking for a way to shed those extra kilos then you have come to the right place. Today, you will hit the health jackpot when we will talk about the easiest way to lose fat and that is EATING. No don’t be baffled and please don’t blame eating for your weight gain. The reason you are not being able to cut down on your waist size is because of your WRONG eating habits. If only you can replace the wrong ingredients with the right ones, eating can actually help you in reaching your fitness goals. Some foods are naturally good at forcing your body to burn fat. If your diet is rich in such ingredients then the body will naturally burn fat and lose weight. We say eat all you want, just be choosy and picky about what you eat. Here are the 10 most effective fat burning Indian foods.
Facts about Fat Burning
There are three types of fat burn in the body:
- Basal Metabolic Rate: BMR literally means resting metabolism. This deals with the calories you burn when the body is at rest. Even when your body is physically at rest, there are hundreds of activities taking place inside. Circulation, respiration, cell division, hormone synthesis, muscle development, tear, and repair etc. require a lot of energy. BMR thus accounts for up to 60 to 70 percent of your daily calorie burn. Thus, you can burn fat even by lying on the sofa watching TV, provided you are not accompanied by nasty snacks and cold drinks.
- Digestion: Your body requires a good amount of energy for digesting the food you supply it with. Breaking down food into the chemical moieties like that can be utilized by the body burns a lot of fat – carbohydrates to simple sugars, fats to fatty acids and proteins to amino acids. Your body burns the maximum calories while digesting proteins. Digestion accounts for 10 to 15 percent of your daily calorie burn.
- Movement: In order to sustain its physical activities and movements, your body spends a considerable number of calories. From typing on your phone to running at the gym, every movement leads to fat burn. This is 20 to 30 percent of your daily calorie burn.
Now if you notice, up to 15 percent of your daily calorie burn is reserved for digestion. Our aim today is to maximum benefits from this. We will give our body all the ingredients that will make it burn more fat. Hence a lot of our ingredients will focus on healthy fats and lots of protein that lead to maximum fat burn.
Here are the 10 easily available fat burning foods. The best part is that most of these are there in your kitchen right now!
1) Chicken
If you are a bodybuilding enthusiast, then you would know that chicken is one of the most popular sources of protein and is highly preferred for gaining a good lean mass. Chicken meat especially chicken breast, thighs and wings are very rich in protein. About 100 grams of chicken gives you 31 grams of protein. Your body needs to convert proteins to amino acids to digest them and that requires a lot of calories. The second best part is that chicken meat is quite lean i.e. it does not have much of fat. Hence, chicken meat compels your body to burn fat without supplying it with additional.
Note: It is preferable to have baked or smoked chicken. Do not use a lot of oil to cook chicken as that will increase your fat intake.
You can check out our 10 best chicken recipes that can help you to make delicious chicken without fats or carbs.
2) Milk
As we mentioned earlier, in the process of digestion, maximum fat is burnt while digesting protein. Hence, protein rich sources are natural fat burners. Milk is one of the richest protein sources in nature (1 cup of milk gives you 8 grams of proteins) and hence, is a good fat burner. Other than proteins, milk also gives you plenty of calcium, potassium, carbohydrates with very little fats (if you are having skimmed milk). Protein also keeps you full for long. It has also been proven that Calcium is linked to healthy weight loss. Hence, milk is a total weight loss and fat burn food. Have 2 to 3 cups a day (preferably without sugar). It acts as a complete meal without the disadvantages of fats and carbs.
Note: Just like milk, other dairy products like LOW FAT cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese etc. are also great fat burners. You can include these in your diet in small proportions to enjoy satiety for long.
3) Eggs
Eggs are the richest and cheapest sources of proteins. Each egg gives you 12 grams of proteins. This protein makes your body burn more fat and also keeps you full for long. Having 2 eggs for breakfast also prevents any food cravings till lunch. It has been proven in a research study that people who tend to have eggs for breakfast burn more calories than people who have fermented or wheat based breakfasts. The protein also leads to muscle development in the body. The best part about the egg is that it can be had in numerous ways, and goes with almost anything.
Note: All the protein rests in the egg white. The yellow yolk is 100 percent cholesterol which will only lead to more fat in the body. Hence, it is advisable to have only egg whites for your meals and discard the yolk.
4) Whole Grains
The germ and bran also increase the fiber content of the grains making them great for bowel movements as well. Thus, whole grains act as a complete boost to your metabolism. All this makes whole grains a great candidate for fat burn meals.
The most commonly available whole grains in India are wheat, brown rice, oats, maize or corn, ragi, barley etc. Replace polished white rice with brown rice and start having a bowl of oats for breakfast or as an evening snack. You can have popcorn too if it is not flavored with cheese and caramel.
Note: The simplest way to introduce whole grains into your diet is to have brown bread. It is easily available and is not expensive as well. Having brown bread sandwiches can become a great healthy snack.
5) Fish
The numerous health benefits of fishes are not unknown to us. We all know that fishes are naturally rich in Omega 3 fatty acids that are required by the body for efficient metabolism as well as to lower triglyceride levels in the blood. It is also a rich source of protein. However, in weight management, fishes get the credit because of their ability to influence leptin – the satiety hormone in the human body. Fishes help in balancing the level of leptin in the blood thus ensuring our hunger and cravings are well under control. Leptin also influences the fat metabolism in the body.
Note: Almost all the fishes are rich in protein and Omega 3. However, try to have wild fish instead of cultivated and hybrid ones.
6) Beans
Beans are the richest vegetarian sources of proteins and are potent fat burners. In addition, beans are in rich in dietary fibers that along with protein tend to keep you fuller for long. Since beans are naturally very low in calories, you do not load up your body with unwanted carbs and fats even on having bean-heavy dishes. You can have beans the way you want. Have them as such or add them to your favorite vegetables or soups.
Note: Do not go for the marketed ready-to-eat bean preparation as they tend to contain a high amount of sodium and saturated fats. As far as possible, try to have boiled beans in combination with other veggies or soups.
7) Cinnamon (Dalchini)
India is the land of spices and almost all the spices are loaded with health benefits. Cinnamon is of exceptional benefit when it comes to fat burn and weight loss. It does so through numerous ways. Cinnamon tends to regulate the levels of sugar in the blood i.e. it acts like insulin. We all know that excess of unutilized sugar is stored as fat. Also, abnormal level of sugar in the blood is bad for your health. Cinnamon also stimulates metabolism. The most exceptional trait is that it attacks the fat around the belly which is the most problematic form of fat. Adding to it all, it even suppresses appetite. Thus, there cannot be anything better than cinnamon for burning fat and losing weight.
Note: For effective weight loss you need to have one-fourth of a teaspoon of cinnamon daily. You can add it your drinking water or sprinkle powdered cinnamon on your food. Cinnamon tea with honey is a great way of having cinnamon.
8) Coconut and Olive Oil
Indian food largely is not completed without incorporation of fats or oils. Be it chicken, fishes or vegetables, we need some amount of oil to cook it. Hence, would not it be great if this oil could be healthy as well? Coconut oil is rich in Medium Chained Triglycerides that are largely used by the body for production of energy. Hence, the chance for it to be stored in your body is less likely. It is exceptional at helping people lose abdominal fat. The benefits of olive oil are well known. It helps in lowering the bad cholesterols from the blood and is good for cardiovascular health.
Note: You can have both the oils simultaneously. Use Coconut Oil for cooking your meals and use olive oil for your salads or whenever you stir fry your vegetables.
9) Greens
Vegetables do not need any introduction when it comes to health benefits. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers and are exceptionally low on fats and calories. Hence, vegetables keep you full for long in a healthy way. They are also rich in anti-oxidants and help to detox your body. You can have as many vegetables as you want – make a salad, stir fry them or add them to your soups. Some of the must-have vegetables are tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, and cucumber etc.
Note: To get maximum benefits, cook veggies as little as possible. Heating destroys a major chunk of vitamins and minerals. The best way is to have them raw as a salad.
10) Fruits
Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. Their naturally sweet taste helps to kill your food cravings too. Fruits are rich in carbohydrates that require substantial calories for their digestion. The antioxidants protect the body from harmful free radicals. Apples and pears are rich in pectin that keeps you full for long. Musk Melon too is another great fruit for weight loss. It is high in fiber and has a good amount of beta-carotene. Pineapple too is very effective for weight loss.
Note: Avoid having fruits juices as you lose fruit fibers then. Juices are also acidic and tend to have a bad effect on teeth enamel.
These are the top 10 fat burning foods that are very easily available and are economical too. The basic idea is to fill up your body with nutrients that are slow to digest so that the body stays full for long and you eat less. When the food is digested slowly, your body burns more calories in digesting them. The overall effect is more fat burn and utilization.
When you get the most calorie burn from your digestion, you automatically begin to harness maximum calorie burn from BMR too and the major component in this is muscles. When the fat in your body decreases, the muscles increase. Muscles are natural fat burners. They require a lot of calories simply for their sustenance. Hence, more the number of muscles in the body more is the fat burn and more the fat burn more is the number of muscles. Thus, your body steps into a healthy fat burn circle that goes on.
Eating healthy and losing all the visceral fat from around the vital organs, helps the bodily functions tremendously. Less fat and abundant nutrients allow the systems – be it cardiovascular system, respiratory system, cellular processes or synthesis within the body, to function at their best. Thus, you get a maximum fat burn from here as well. Thus, effective digestion fat burn directly boosts your BMR fat burn.
We have said this time and again that health is a habit; it is a lifestyle. Right from your food, to your sleeping habits everything needs to be in place to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Replace street and junk food with healthy meals, add a little exercise to your routines and give your body sufficient rest and that’s it. You will enjoy a healthy life like never before.
