Tammy Kacev is a nutritionist based in Melbourne who has recommended 6 superfoods to help with fat loss.
Superfood. That’s a word you hear frequently in the wellness and health industry. Sometimes you might wonder what a Superfood is and why it’s all the rage. We have put a list of 6 superfoods to include in your diet; nuts, dairy products, eggs, peppers, and green tea. Before we share all the health benefits of superfoods let’s define what a Superfood is in order to understand why they play such a vital role in your diet.
A superfood refers to a specific food that is extremely beneficial for our health; protects our bodies from cell damage, and helps prevent disease. So a superfood must contain high levels of antioxidants, and/or a range of vitamins and nutrients. (1)* Superfoods have many other health benefits, and when consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle, they can help you lose and manage fat loss.
The following superfoods can help you lose fat. These six foods can easily be added to your weekly shopping list.
It is important to remember that there is a fundamental difference between weight loss and fat loss. When I talk about weight loss, it’s about lowering the total sum of your body weight, which can include water levels and muscles mass. Fat loss, on the other hand, is the amount of fat your body carries.
Nuts
Most nuts are a great source of healthy fats. These good fats provide high levels of satiety and a greater feeling of fullness. By eliminating feelings of hunger, nuts give us the feeling of being satisfied with what we have eaten for a longer period of time, thereby reducing the total amount of calories we consume.
Dairy Products
Dairy products have been shown to accelerate fat loss, as opposed to causing weight gain. We know that dairy foods are a great source of calcium which offers many nutritional benefits such as supporting strong bones. However, calcium can also reduce the amount of dietary fat absorbed by our bodies. Due to the high amounts of protein found in dairy foods, consuming the recommended amounts can actually reduce feelings of hunger. This again can accelerate fat loss.
Eggs
Eggs contain a high amount of protein. When we increase our protein consumption, it raises our metabolism because consuming protein requires our bodies to utilise more energy. When digesting protein our bodies work harder to burn more calories, which allows the body to burn fat. Or try one of our Protein Powders.
Chillies & Peppers
Hot peppers contain a chemical called ‘capsaicin’. Capsaicin has what I call ‘thermogenic characteristics’, it kerbs appetite by speeding up our metabolism which allows the body to burn fat.
Green Tea
Green tea contains high amounts of catechins, a type of phytochemical that has thermogenic characteristics which fire up fat burning and increases metabolism. Please note, one cup may not be adequate. Several cups a day may be needed.
Berries
Berries offer many nutritional benefits, such as adequate antioxidant levels but it’s their high fibre attributes which help fight fat gain. The high fibre content results in high levels of satiety, a greater feeling of fullness for a longer period of time and so reducing the total amount of calories we consume.
When your goal is to lose fat, be sure you are clear about the difference between fat loss and weight loss. Whilst it’s true that some foods can help fight fat, you can’t just eat only those foods. It’s still important to consume a balanced diet that suits your lifestyle and levels of fitness.
By choosing to include a variety of the “superfoods” above, they could help from a number of different angles, whether it be to increase the metabolism through the consumption of ‘thermogenic characteristics’ or to improve satiety levels to assist with fat loss.
