Foods That Melt Flab Away

In the April 2009 issue of Cosmo Magazine, I came across an article called, "Foods That Melt Flab Away," and boy-oh-boy did that catch my attention! I'm not one to diet and starve to death in order to get thinner and lose weight. So I learned that if I cut back on my portions, exercise daily (or every other day) and incorporate these foods into my meals, I lost weight faster and healthier! These foods puts your metabolism on high speed so that you burn more calories (yes, you heard me...these foods burn calories!). So what are these foods that Cosmo is talking about? Here they are:

Green Tea
I never really cared for tea much, but once I entered college I began drinking SOOOO much more coffee than I used to. A lot of my friends started to drink tea more so I gave it a try. And I found out that I actually liked it--most especially green tea. Cosmo states, "One ingredient, caffine, is a stimulant that raises your heart rate and compels your system to burn calories faster. Plus, green tea has catechins, substances that some experts believe help burn belly fat." The experts say to try to drink three 8 ounce cups a day. I only tried drinking two cups a day and it still works well, so no worries.

Yogurt
Both the low-fat and regular yorgurt have probotics ("friendly" bacteria that help reduce the amount of fat your body absorbs). I usually eat the regular yogurt such as Yoplait that have fruit in them. When I'm craving for something to eat, I eat yogurt. It makes you feel a bit full and satisfied so that you won't be tempted to munch on junk food. Try eating the low-fat yogurt, add your own fruit, and some granola in it. That will definitely fill you up more and is healthier than the regular kinds.

Coffee
Ah, coffee. One of my addictions. Just smelling it makes me feel energized and awake! So of course coffee contains caffine which boosts your metablism into high gear and also jump-starts lipolysis--the breakdown of fat. Cosmo suggests taking about one to cups daily. So hey, you can alternate it with tea. Tea and coffee everyday, or tea twice a day, or one cup of coffee a day. Whatever!

Cinnamon
Cosmo experts suggest adding 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon spice to something you eat everyday. For me, I eat cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, or toast every morning. Cinnamon helps blood sugar get into cells to be used for energy. As a result, less is stored as fat!

Chili Peppers
Cosmo states that chili peppers, "are packed with a metabolism-boosting compund called capsaisin, which gives the peppers a fiery flavor and increases your body temperature--giving your metablosim an extra calorie-burning push." I love Indian, Thai, and Chinese foods and chili peppers can be found in them. Yummy!

Chicken and Fish
Did you know that your body burns more calories digesting and metablolizing protien than it does while breaking down carbs and fats? I sure as heck didn't know that! Cosmo experts suggest eating a few servings of protein such as chicken, fish, and tofu should be eaten nearly every day.

So there you have it! Incorporate these foods into you daily diet, exercise, and moderate your portions, then say bye bye to FLAB! Now something that I do need help with is MOTIVATION. Oy =/