Prevention.com
What makes dieting interesting and even kind of fun is all the theories about weight loss that come and go. Some of the best ones, the ones that really work, have been around forever. For instance, there’s no denying that if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. Every diet that works has that at the core; the variations on that principle keep it interesting. Luckily, we now have science that proves which theories really work and why.
The Active Calorie Diet has an interesting new angle. It proposes—and research backs this up–-that certain types of food can rev your metabolism, curb your appetite, and help you lose more weight. Just the act of chewing foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can increase your calorie burn by up to 30%! In this diet plan, foods are broken down into four types of “active calories”–chewy foods, hearty foods, energizing foods, and warming foods. Here’s how it works:
Chewy Foods
(Nuts, whole fruits and vegetables, and lean meats) These foods use up calories in extra chewing. To maximize the chew factor, choose food in its most “whole” state—apples instead of applesauce, for instance. High-protein foods really are your best ally in the Active Calorie Diet because they take more work to chew and longer to leave your stomach so you take more time eating—and have more time to register that you’re full.
Hearty Foods
(Fruits, vegetables, brown rice, whole grains and cereals) In addition to being chewy, these Active Calories are packed with fiber, so they take up more room in your belly (compared to other foods with the same number of calories), and leave less room for second helpings. Foods that take more work to chew literally make your mouth work harder (ramping calorie burn by 10 %!).
Energizing Foods
(Coffee, black and green tea, dark chocolate) You can get metabolism-boosting caffeine in coffee and black tea; just be careful not to load them up with milk, cream, or sugar. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily coffee or black tea can boost your metabolism by 5 to 8%—about 80 to 128 calories a day. Green tea doesn’t have much caffeine but it does contain catechins, an antioxidant that raises resting metabolism by 4% (about 80 calories a day). Dark chocolate contains both catechins and caffeine, but stick to 1 ounce per day to limit fat and calories.
Warming Foods
(Peppers, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, cloves, mustard, vinegar) To fully activate the calories from every meal, add some heat. Dieters taking capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their burn, doubled their energy expenditure for several hours after eating, according to a new study from UCLA. Even mild peppers contain compounds that help erase up to 100 calories a day by binding to nerve receptors and sending fat-burning signals to your brain. Cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and garlic help with this, too.
Many other studies give us good reasons to eat these foods for weight loss and good health. But this added knowledge about chewy foods, hearty foods, energizing foods, and warming foods makes it all a little more interesting and a little more fun.
One of the best things you can do to maintain good health and to lose weight is to go on a Vegan Flush. When you cleanse your body of all its toxins, it can function much better so not only do you feel better, but much of the fat trapped in your body will leave. This gentle two-week detox will boost your immune system and restore your natural hormone levels. Click the link to learn a lot more about Vegan Flush. If you try it, you’ll feel better than you have in years!
Source: Prevention.com
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