1. Sesame Seed Oil:

All the talk about loosing weight lately seems to center around a substance called Sesamin. Sesamin is a lignan only found in Sesame Seeds. It decreases fat storage and increases fat oxidization, and therefore can be extremely beneficial for those wanting to loose weight. Sesamin works by activating a receptor in the human body (PPARalpha) which has a major role in oxidizing fats and how they are stored. It does this by increasing the enzymes involved in the oxidation of fatty acids1. The reason Sesame Oil is recommended over eating seeds is that the oil will provide the same amount of sesamin per serve, but is a lot less concentrated in fats than seeds are. I would recommend one tablespoon of oil per day, or if you’re prefer eating seeds, then take in 50 grams per serve with calories in mind.

2. Salmon:

Protein needs to be high at this time to ensure muscle-loss doesn’t occur, and salmon is one of the best choices because it is low in saturated fats, while also providing valuable Omega 3’s. It contains the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, of which the body is unable to manufacture without the assistance of the diet. The reason salmon, and other fish high in Omega-3 are so valuable is that unlike flaxseed Oil, DHA and EPA are readily available without conversion. Omega 3 DHA and EPA will help fat loss by stabilizing insulin levels which are one of the main causes of storing excess fat, as well as aid in energy production. As a side-benefit, fish is also said to protect against cardiovascular disease, making it an all-round good choice.

3. White Kidney Beans:

White Kidney beans do not only carry all the health benefits of legumes, but also contain 2500 anti-amylase units per serving. These block carbohydrate digesting enzymes and help reduce carbohydrate absorption. This means less carbohydrates are absorbed, and as a result, less fat storage. Some may even find they are able to increase their carbohydrate intake when eating kidney beans. This means you are able to eat more food, which is one of the drawbacks of cutting. On top of being a carb-blocker, white kidney bean is also a highly nutritious food that is high in protein, very low in fat, while containing many vitamins and minerals. Like all legumes, such as butter beans and lentils, the white kidney bean is very slowly absorbed, which means it will keep you full for longer.

4. Green Teas:

Green Tea has been long-known as a thermogenic, while aiding in fat-loss. Green tea can be consumed through teabags to get this desired effect. 2-3 cups of green tea per day is ideal for fat loss, preferably consumed at equal intervals. Green tea also contains the compounds Polyphenols and Catechins, which works as an antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants work by fending off the negative affects of free-radicals, which can be induced by heavy training.

5. Leafy Green Vegetables:

These are packed full of nutrition and are an excellent choice to compliment any meal. Green leafy vegetables, as well as most other vegetables, contain significant amounts of fiber which help slow down the rate of absorption of the other foods in your meal. Eating vegetables is a good habit to get into because it encourages a large portion of your meals to come from vegetable sources, which are bulky and filling with minimal calories. You can also be rest assured that you’re taking care of your health and getting your 5 servings. Additionally, all vegetables contain phytonutrients, substances only found in natural foods. These have an array of health benefits. Good choices of leafy greens are raw salads, spinach, romaine lettuce, bok choy, silverbeet, sprouts and cabbage.

6. Flaxseed Oil:

Flaxseed Oil is the most highly concentrated form of Omega 3’s in existence. Each serve contains a whopping 8 grams of ALA. ALA is vital for fat loss as it helps in the regulation of glucose which is important for carbohydrate equilibrium. ALA also aids the body in effectively metabolizing fats. Both of these make it a great choice for those cutting. As well as Flaxseed Oil’s fat burning properties, it also an energy booster, boosts brain health and learning and protects the heart.

7. Grapefruit:

Grapefruit has long been known as a food that aids in fat loss. Although many studies have been conducted and we are still not sure what ingredients contribute to its weight loss, I’ve read about enough people who have had success with eating the fruit to recommend it. I do know grapefruit is a low GI food, one of the slowest absorbing fruits, as well as being high in vitamin C and flavonoids for energy production and immunity. However, it is also highly acidic, so I wouldn’t recommend too much. When weight loss is your goal, half a grapefruit a day as part of an overall fat-burning diet-plan should work.

8. Tomatoes:

This is a food that isn’t highly talked about when it comes to fat loss, but when I personally try to cut weight, I always include tomatoes as a staple food. I find it helps regulate my appetite, as well increasing mood. I was doing some investigating and tomatoes contain 2 naturally occurring brain chemicals called serotonin and endorphins. Both, especially serotonin, play a vital role in suppressing appetite by sending signals to the brain that make you feel satisfied. Tomatoes are very low in calories. They also contain a compound called lypocene that gives tomatoes its rich red color, and is said to protect against cancer.

9. Whole-Grain Bread:

Foods for bulking and cutting should be different. When bulking you can afford to eat foods more highly concentrated in carbs such as your rices and wholemeal breads, but when cutting its important to find foods that fill you up with less carbs. I think wholegrain breads are one of the best options here. They contain just half the amount of carbs per serve compared to rice, and at the same time are higher in protein, full of nutrients, and encourage you to eat less. All I need is 3 slices with each meal, equivalent to 30 g. Carbs, whereas I need 1 1/2 cups of rice to give me the same fullness (around 70 grams carbs). Look for whole grain bread with moderate sodium, a variety of grains and one that is high in protein. Soy and linseed bread is an excellent choices as its high in Omega 3, proteins and very slowly absorbed.

10. Brewer’s Yeast:

Brewer’s yeast is in my opinion one of nature’s best super-foods. Brewer’s yeasts contains an abundance of nutrients needed for fat loss, and is full of protein. Each serving can contain up to 10 grams of protein, while providing all the essential aminos in a very balanced way. Some of these nutrients include a high level of the mineral chromium. Chromium helps regulate insulin levels and will keep you away from eating excess carbohydrates. It is also nature’s highest source B-vitamins, which have a major in how the body uses the carbohydrates you ingest, and can therefore prevent fat-storage.

11. Kelp:

Kelp has been classified as one of nature’s superfoods. It is a plant that is found in the sea, and can be either eaten, or taking as a supplement. I will discuss supplements for fat loss in the next section. Why kelp? It is extremely high in many minerals including selenium and iodine. Iodine is the one most worthy of noting for its role in thyroid metabolism. If you want to target fat-loss effectively, you have to target it from all angles, and considering how effectively your thyroid is functioning is a vital step to getting there.

12. Turkey Breast:

One of the best sources of protein for cutting due to its protein/fat ratio. While cutting you should look at getting as much protein from sources that are low in calories and turkey breast achieves this balance perfectly. There is no one particular ingredient that sticks out in turkey for fat loss, but it is a complete food that is high in amino acids such L-cartinine, it contains plenty of protein and little fat.

13. Cottage Cheese:

Cottage has long been known as a staple in the bodybuilder’s diet. Although it’s known as a “bulking” food for several reasons, I have also found it a good food for loosing weight too. Cottage cheese has one of the highest quantity of protein of all dairy products; but more importantly it is full of calcium which recent research suggests contains valuable weight-loss properties. Always select the low-fat varieties.

14. Lean Beef:

What would a diet be without some meat? Beef is high in iron, b-vitamins and creatine, which can work together to increase ATP, and give you longer, harder workouts. Always choose lean varieties, usually the pinker the color, the less fat it has.

15. Red lentils:

Of all legumes, red lentils have the highest amount of Protein per serving, while being very low in calories and saturated fat. They are low GI, and high in fiber and phytonutrients. I like them because you can eat a lot without blowing your budget, or your waist.

16. Mushrooms:

Very similar in nutrition to brewers yeast, mushrooms are very high in B-vitamins and chromium. You can add mushrooms to salads or eaten raw. Eating vegetables raw are always better to maximize nutrition.

17. Chicken Breast:

Chicken breast is another choice of protein for those looking to cut down. Like turkey breast, it has a very high protein ratio and is low in fat. Just make sure you select skinless varieties, or remove the fat.

18. Apples:

Apples are great. They have been rated very highly on the Satiety index. The satiety index is a measurement of how filling common foods are. There have been many studies on different foods, and apples rate as one of the most satisfying foods around. This means they fill you up quicker and keep you full for longer. Apples are also high in fiber, and contain a lot of other nutrients, so they are a good overall choice in a healthy diet.

19. Soy Lecithin:

Soy lecithin is a fat extract from the soy bean. Lecithin is a vital component of both the brain and liver, but is now also being thrown around as a fat-aid. I’m not sure what it is about lecithin that makes it work so well, but I can conclude through eating the product daily, that it does work. You can add it to your cereal, or blend it into your shakes to give it a nice, nutty taste.

20. Pears:

Pears are high in fiber, and very nutritious, but it’s the fact that they contain naturally-occurring endorphins which make it stand out. These are a chemical that provide euphoric feelings, and helps suppress appetite by making you feel more in control. Overall, all of these foods above are very good choices for cutting. They should form the staple of your cutting diets, but always remember that the key to any successful diet is variety. Ensure you are eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, legumes and wholegrain, and a lean body and healthy mind will be yours.

HIGH INTENSIVE INTERVAL TRAINING:

If you’ve ever researched the most effective fat burning exercises out there, you’re probably heard of High Intensive Interval Training. Not only does this exercise build muscle since it involved heavy sprinting which is anabolic and builds muscle, but it sheds fat NINE TIMES as quickly as jogging. I myself don’t really like jogging, especially if gaining muscle is one of your goals. Interesting enough, jogging is a catabolic exercise which means that while it does burn fat, it also burns muscle. That’s no fun is it? Anyway, to perform HIIT properly, you have to keep in mind one thing: This workout WILL kick your ass. If it doesn’t, then you didn’t do it properly. So make sure to eat and drink properly during the day to keep yourself properly energized for the exercise.

Here’s how it works: The exercise is just as it’s name suggests. It’s an intense workout in the form of intervals, sprinting intervals that is. Depending on your fitness level, there are different levels of HIIT. The way it works is that you sprint, as fast as you can for 30 seconds then rest for 90 seconds. However, when I say sprint, I mean to SPRINT as fast and hard as possible. Nearing the end of the 30 seconds, your legs should feel like it’s almost impossible to go on. So sprint, rest for 90 seconds. That’s one set. Just repeat about 8 or 9 times. By the time you’re finished with this workout, if you’ve done it properly, you’ll probably want to go to sleep or something cause all your energy will be spent. In which case, you’ll know that you’ve done the exercise properly.

The workout becoming too easy? Challenge yourself. Reduce your rest time to 30 seconds instead so you’re sprinting for 30 and resting for 30. Or if you’re really well acquainted with the exercise, perform a more advanced version where you sprint for 60 seconds and rest 90.

So how does HIIT burn fat so easily? It’s simple. The fat burning doesn’t actually take place during the exercise, it’s afterwards and the time after that that it happens. What happens is that your body is oxygen depraved since your lungs were working so hard to keep you going during the sprinting. So what it will do to make up for all of the lost energy and oxygen, is use your fat for fuel. This is known as fat oxidation (or beta oxidation). With a workout, you want to create as much fat oxidation as possible. This is probably the most direct and effective way to burn that stubborn fat.

Combine High Intensive Interval Training with a healthy diet, and you’ve got one killer method to torch that body fat. Good luck! And remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated before and after!