5 Foods With A High 'Thermogenic' Effect To Burn Fat Twice As Fast

When thinking of ways to burn extra calories, exercise is the first thing that comes to mind. But did you know that eating can help melt away fat, as well? And we’re not talking about cutting calories, either.

During digestion, your body has to convert everything you eat into usable energy—and some foods have more of a “thermogenic” effect than others.

Eating certain foods can literally help you scorch extra calories and burn fat faster for a slimmer, healthy looking figure.

Try these 5 foods to rev up your metabolism, burn more calories, and lose weight—just by eating!

1. Chicken Breast: Lean protein has a super high thermogenic effect on your body. It takes about 30% of the calories the food contains just to digest it. So, if you eat a piece of chicken breast that contains 400 calories, your body will use about 120 of those calories just to digest it.
2. Lentils: When your body is lacking a specific nutrient, your metabolism drastically starts slowing down. For about 20% of us, iron is the one nutrient we’re almost never consuming enough of. Fortunately, just one cup of lentils contains 35% of your daily iron needs—plus they’re high in fiber to keep you feeling full!
3. Hot Peppers: When it comes to finding foods that burn more calories, remember—the hotter, the better! Capsaicin, the compound that gives hot chilli peppers their kick, actually heats up your whole body. So, hot peppers, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper will all heat up your body, boost your metabolism, and help you shed the pounds faster.
4. Low-Fat Dairy: One great way to burn extra calories is by building lean muscle first. Rich in calcium and vitamin D, low-fat dairy products help you build and maintain enough muscle mass to rev up your metabolism and burn more fat. Keep an eye out for low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt to get your metabolism moving!
5. Whole Grains: Your body has to burn twice as many calories to break down whole foods that are rich in filling fiber than it does when digesting processed foods. Try swapping your morning bowl of cereal for plain oatmeal with cinnamon to start burning fat the moment you get out of bed! Brown rice, quinoa, and bulgur are just a few excellent whole grains you should also think about adding to your metabolism-boosting diet.

Do you have any metabolism-boosting foods to add? If so, tell us in the comments!

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