This series of posts on healthy weight loss has so far covered some general principles of healthy weight loss, five protein foods that burn fat. and eat fats for healthy weight loss. This post will identify some fruits and vegetables with fat-burning qualities that can be included in a varied whole food diet. Diet is used here in the sense of what each person regularly eats and drinks to provide proper nutrition to their body, and not as a prescribed regimen for losing weight.

Fruits and vegetables are the foods that should make-up the majority of foods eaten in a healthy diet. They provide fibre, vitamins and minerals that need to be eaten every day for optimum health. Also, they are generally lower in calories than proteins, fats and grains, so can be eaten in large amounts to fill you up for relatively few calories. In addition, certain fruits and vegetables are foods that burn fat. A selection of these is given below.

Cabbage Family Foods That Burn Fat

All of the cabbage family below are powerful body detoxifiers, a characteristic that aids weight loss and helps prevent and fight cancer.

Broccoli also burns fat by stabilizing blood sugar and preventing cholesterol from entering the blood stream. It has many other health benefits besides healthy weight loss. Buy broccoli with compact dark-green, purplish or bluish-green flower clusters and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. Eat three to five cups of broccoli a week.

Cabbage is especially rich in cancer-fighting nutrients, and has powerful antibacterial properties that can quickly heal peptic ulcers. Buy green red or savoy cabbage with heavy heads and shiny leaves, and without bruises or cuts. Once cut, cabbage quickly loses its vitamin C. Store for up to two weeks in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Eat 1/2 to 1 cup of cabbage at least three times a week.

Kale is a fat-burning food that energizes the body, stabilizes the blood-sugar and zaps cholesterol. High in fibre and many vitamins, kale has the highest nutritional value per calorie of almost any food, and has many health benefits besides promoting healthy weight loss.

For the mildest taste, buy kale with small crisp dark bluish-green leaves, and store wrapped in a damp paper towel in a perforated plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to two days. Eat it often, raw or cooked.

Other Vegetables That Burn Fat

Tomatoes are a fat-burning food that stabilize blood-sugar, energize the body and reduce cholesterol levels. Rich in fibre, vitamins and potassium, tomatoes also reduce the risk of heart disease and colon-cancer, and strengthen bones.

Buy local vine-ripened tomatoes as these contain more nutrients than those picked when green. Eat alone or with other vegetables

Spaghetti Squash, a blood-sugar stabilizer and cholesterol zapper has many health properties besides burning fat. Buy a squash heavy for its size, with an even colour. Do not wash before storing at room temperature for up to one month, or once cut, for up to two days in the refrigerator. Cooked squash freezes well. Eat one cup or more a week.

Fruits That Burn Fat

High in fibre and water and rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes, fruit has many health benefits. The antioxidants and phytochemicals in fruit help prevent cell damage and chronic diseases, and protect against heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancer. Fruits help to maintain the acid-base balance of the blood (making sure it does not become too acid.) Some fruits also help the body burn fat. In general, eat the whole fruit rather than taking it as juice, which may raise the blood sugar too quickly causing insulin levels to spike.

Apples detoxify the body, control blood sugar and lower cholesterol. The pectin they contain keeps hunger at bay for longer, and prevents the sugar in the apple from causing a surge in blood-sugar and so keeps insulin levels low. Regular consumption of apples also protects against heart disease, stroke, diabetes and asthma, and may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

Buy firm richly coloured organic apples (or those that have not been sprayed) and store in the fridge for up to six weeks. If not sure whether the apples have been sprayed, soak for 30 minutes in a Clorex (brand of sodium hyperchlorite) bath of one teaspoon Clorex to one gallon of water, then remove and soak in clear water for ten minutes, then dry. Eat at least one apple every day.

Berries. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are all foods that burn fat by detoxifying and energizing the body and lowering cholesterol. But they are also highly nutritious, being rich in antioxidants and flavonoids – substances that trigger the release of natural enzymes that fight disease (including heart disease, degenerative diseases and the flu.) Berries are also high in insoluble fibre that prevents all their calories being absorbed.

Buy shiny, plump and firm fruit and store for 3 – 5 days in the refrigerator, (checking and removing damaged or soggy berries daily) though they are best eaten within 2 days of purchase.

Picture credit: C.P. Storm

Fat loss can be accelerated when the tips described in Healthy Weight Loss are combined with foods that burn fat. Some foods that burn fat do so because the food contains fewer calories than they require to break down and digest. Others may burn fat through raising the body temperature, stabilizing blood sugar, detoxifying the liver so it can burn fat, eliminating water from the tissues, or boosting the body energy.

Protein is harder to metabolize than fat or carbohydrates so uses more calories to digest.  It also stays in the stomach longer so keeps you feeling fuller.  It is particularly effective in weight loss because it builds muscle, so ensures that you lose fat not muscle,

Healthy weight loss requires a balanced diet. The five fat-burning foods below are all sources of protein. Other categories of foods that burn fat – vegetables, fruits, and herbs and spices – will be covered in future posts.

Salmon burns fat by stabilizing the blood sugar, producing energy and lowering cholesterol. Rich in omega- 3 fats, an average portion of salmon provides about half the protein required for a day with very little saturated fat, but abundant antioxidants and vitamin B. Eat salmon at least twice a week. Refrigerate after buying and eat within two days. If using canned salmon, buy it packed in water, not oil.

Grass-fed Organic Beef’s different nutritional profile from that of beef fattened on grain, makes it a fat-burning food that is also free of antibiotics, added hormones and pesticides. Grass-fed beef contains less fat, and three times as many healthy omega-3 fats as grain-fed beef. It contains conjugated-linoleic acid (CLA) which burns body-fat while maintaining muscle mass. Eat up to four four-ounce servings a week. Read about other health benefits of organic beef .

Eggs are a nutrient-rich food that burns fat by stabilizing the blood sugar and energizing the body. Hard-boiled eggs take more calories to digest than are in the egg, so promote fat loss. Eggs from chickens that range freely in pasture have less cholesterol and saturated fat than confined chickens, and twice the omega-3 fatty acids, so are healthier. Eat up to two eggs a day, but talk to your doctor before doing so if you have heart disease or a close relative with heart disease.

Lamb burns fat by energizing the body and stabilizing the blood sugar. Lamb is a complete protein, and contains several vitamins and minerals that offer other advantages besides weight loss. Eat once or twice per week.

Whey is complete protein that comes from milk and helps burn body-fat by stabilizing blood sugar, energizing the body, and increasing muscle mass. Whey has a number of other health benefits, including reduction in the risk of certain cancers. Buy only good-quality whey that is lactose-free, and has no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Sweetening with Stevia with inulin is permissible. Use one or two (if very active) servings of whey daily. Mix it with water or juice as a drink, or with fruit for a snack or smoothie.

How much protein should you eat?  Protein is the major component of all cells, including bone.  We need it for growth, development, and immunity to fight off infections and protect the body.  In weight-loss, it should make up about 30 per cent of the calories in the diet (protein has 4 calories per gram)..  Provided you don’t have kidney disease (if you do, you should check with your doctor to see how much protein is safe for you to have) a high intake of protein should not harm you.  Experts suggest, that for weight loss, 120 grams of protein a day is the optimum amount, but it should be built up slowly over a week or so.

Information on amount of protein for weight loss from WebMD.