Are you trying to lose weight? Now you can have your fruit and your weight loss, too.
Most fruit contains excessive amount of natural sugars that quickly converts into fat when eaten in excess, but there are some fruits that actually work to help burn fat. Here are my picks for the top 5 fat-burning fruits:
Avocado
Loaded with healthy omega-9 fatty acids (the same fats found in olive oil, olives and macadamia nuts), avocados speed the conversion of fat into energy and boost your metabolism rate.
Coconut
Coconut is rich with medium chain triglycerides (MCFAs), which reduce levels of cholesterol in the liver and other tissues. They also help keep you full so you’re less likely to snack on junk food. Coconut oil frequently aids the functioning of the thyroid gland. Coconut oil, coconut milk (not the low fat variety), coconut flour and shredded (unsweetened) coconut all contain MCFAs.
Lemons
Excellent liver detoxifiers, lemons also alkalize the body. They may seem acidic based on taste, but in the process of being metabolized by the body, they actually alkalize our bodily fluids and tissues. Maintaining the health of the liver is also imperative to the body’s ability to digest and burn fat, since the liver is one of the organs responsible for these functions.
Grapefruit
Many studies confirm that grapefruit is an excellent weight loss food. A 12 week study had people who were overweight consume half a fresh grapefruit before a meal for 12 weeks; results showed they lost almost 5 pounds after 4 weeks and almost 11 ½ pounds after 12 weeks.
Tomatoes
Packed with vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene, tomatoes stimulate the production of the amino acid known as carnitine. Research has shown carnitine helps speed the body’s fat-burning capacity by one third.
How to Benefit:
It’s easy to reap the weight loss rewards of these fruits. Use full-fat coconut milk and oil in curries, smoothies or baking. Try my Super Fat-Busting Green Tea Lemonade as a great way to reap the benefits of lemons. Enjoy a grapefruit for breakfast or as a snack instead of something with processed sugar. Make your own fresh salsa or add tomatoes to soups, stews, salads or curries. Make fresh guacamole with minced onion, garlic, lemon juice, chopped tomato and cilantro.
Super Health Bonus:
Not only will these fruits help with weight loss, they have plenty of other health benefits, too. Avocado helps prevent heart disease. Coconuts help prevent cancer. Grapefruit gives the liver a boost. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that studies show cuts the risk of heart disease by 29 percent.
