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There has been a lot of good research recently on foods that help you burn fat. In particular some wonder foods that reduce that most stubborn of all fats – belly fat.
Health wise, belly fat is arguably the worst fat you can have. It has been attributed to a lot of diseases in later life; liver problems, diabetes and heart disease in particular.
The benefits of eating fruit and vegetables and a low fat diet have been well researched but recent studies have shown that some foods actually help to reduce belly fat by increasing fat-burning and decreasing fat storage.
Blueberries Burn Fat
Blueberries in particular may help reduce belly fat. Researchers at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center suggest that this is due to the high levels of phytochemicals contained with blueberries. Pytochemicals are naturally occurring antioxidants in plants. In the study, rats given blueberries where found to have less belly fat and less risk of diabetes than those who were not. Even without a low fat diet the effects were pronounced but in combination with a low fat diet the health benefits were dramatic. According to the researchers, “We found by looking at fat muscle tissue, that blueberry intake affected genes related to fat-burning and storage.”
What to eat for Breakfast
Another study shows that eating a low glycemic content (LGI) breakfast increases fat burning and actually benefits your workout and helps burn more fat. So the trick is to eat more proteins (such as whey, cottage cheese, vegetable juice etc) and eat less carbohydrates (rice, potatoes) before a workout.
Put V8 Vegetable Juice in Your Engine
Finally another study showed that drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily helps people with slow metabolisms to reduce belly fat. The study conducted by the Bayor College of Medicine found that people who drank at least 8 ounces of low sodium V8 vegetable juice while on a calorie controlled diet lost four pounds over 12 weeks. People who followed the same diet and drank no juice lost only one pound.
The excitedbylife healthy life recommendation is that people eat blueberries and/or a couple glasses of V8 (no sodium) vegetable juice each morning for breakfast and avoid the usual high carbohydrate diet. We have already stocked our fridge up with V8 and blueberries!
About Danny Sheehan
Danny lives in Hong Kong but is originally from Australia. He is Married to Maggie and together they have two children with whom they enjoy sharing and enjoying an exciting life with daily. Danny's passions are freedom, adventure and discovery, mainly in nature and science but also spiritually. He is a great believer in living in the NOW.
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December 7, 2011 at 11:24 pm
It is true belly fat is a big issue, and sometimes you may hear other referring it as stubborn belly fat. Simply because, it takes time to get rid of it. The other thing i could add is drinking a lot of water, at least 8 glasses of 8oz per day. Water normally increases metabolism and you are able to burn more fat. Also, taking a glass of water before meal helps in the sense that , you feel full and you wont take as much food, hence,wont have any fat deposits.