7 foods that help you lose weight faster

Eat these foods to burn fat!

Obesity is linked to a number of illnesses, including heart disease, gout, breathing problems and even cancer.

Being overweight can also make a person suffer from lack of confidence and feel unattractive.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you know that you must spend time exercising. You also know that you have to eat healthy.

But did you know that some foods are naturally thermogenic -- which means that they increase the body’s metabolism and its ability to burn calories, so you burn fat by just consuming them!

Read on, to find out what these fat-fighting foods are.

Apples

Apples contain pectin, a soluble fibre that limits the amount of fat absorbed by the cells in the body.

Some of the other fruits that contain large amounts of pectin are guavas, plums, oranges, pears, and gooseberries.

Dark Chocolate

Chocolate (darker the better) contains chemical substances named theobromine and caffeine, both of which are diuretics and mild stimulants. Which means that besides helping you to shed off water weight quickly, they also give you the boost you need to spend more time exercising.

Antioxidants found in dark chocolate (more than 70 per cent cocoa content) can also lower the amount of stress hormone cortisol in the body (higher levels of cortisol are linked to weight gain).

Eggs

Eggs are a rich source of protein, consumption of which increases the body’s metabolism (higher metabolism means more weight loss).

Moreover, the body also uses more energy (burns more fat and calories) to digest protein.

Green Tea

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, especially EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), which can boost metabolism and burn fat. EGCG helps inhibit the enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine (a hormone that sends signals to fat cells, telling them to break down fat).

Hence, drinking green tea results in more norepinephrine in the body, thus promoting weight loss. Green tea also contains caffeine, a stimulant that helps to enhance exercise performance.

Wild Salmon

Omega-3 fatty acids present in high quantities in wild salmon (unlike farm-raised salmon) work to reduce the body’s resistance to insulin (insulin resistance is linked to weight gain).

Moreover, omega-3 fats also encourage the body to produce leptin, a hormone that works to suppress appetite and burn fat.

Sesame seeds

Plant chemicals called lignans, known for their fat-burning properties (they increase liver enzymes which promote breaking down of fat), are found in plenty in sesame seeds.

Sesame seeds can be roasted and sprinkled over salads, soups, and other meals to make a weight-loss diet even more effective.

Yellow Bell Peppers

One yellow bell pepper can give you more than 300 milligrams of vitamin C, consumption of which is linked to lower body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentages.

Studies have shown that vitamin C also reduces bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Coupled with hummus, roasted yellow bell pepper is an easy-to-make, healthy and delicious snack that successfully promotes weight loss.

Lead image used for representational purposes only. 

Photograph: captain.orange/ Creative Commons