Fat Burning Foods - Top 3 Food Myths To Avoid

On the internet, if you type in the words -'Fat Burning Foods' you will be swamped with dieting advice, recipes and eating plans that swear to burn fat off your body quicker than a  New York Minute.


The problem with these fat burning solutions is that many people understand the basics of healthy dieting but have little or no awareness of how the body itself works or processes these foods. Maybe the weight loss foods are correct in theory but unless you know how and when to take them (and with what) - you might end wondering why your not losing any significant weight... 
For example, when the 'Fat Free Diet' fad hit the shelves, half the world went crazy buying fat free foods and diet drinks. The theory of this fat loss diet was that you can eat whatever you want as long as there was no 'fat' in it. Sounds pretty logical, actually. No fat intake = you can't get fat. But this was then debunked as another dieting myth due to the fact that supermarket shelves are crammed with products marketed as fat free but are loaded with sugar and empty calories and that offer little in the way of fiber, vitamins or minerals. 


Refined Sugar (in particular) might go into your mouth as 'plain old' sugar but once it hits the digestive system, it blocks the flow of 'good fats' being absorbed into the body, contributing to weight gain. On this note, all fats are not bad for you and I will elaborate on this below.    


I have spent time with some of the healthiest people on the planet. People who don't get colds, never put on weight and look twenty years younger than their real age. They all have their own regime but do agree on one thing - what most people think they know about fat burning foods is incorrect and often dangerous.


Let's quickly expose some bad eating practises that can hinder your weight loss progress -


#1.Fat Burning Myth No.1-The Meat And Potatoes Love-story


Eating meat and potatoes together on the same plate is what most of us have done our entire lives. Our parents ate this way as did their families and you were told to 'eat it all up' to make you big and strong. While most dieting 'gurus' will agree that white potatoes have very low calories and lean meat is a great source of fat burning protein - there is a missing piece of vital information to the story and it's this - 


The principles of food combining are dictated by digestive chemistry. Different foods are digested differently. Starchy foods (like potatoes) require an alkaline digestive medium which starts in the mouth by the enzyme 'Ptyalin'.

Protein foods however, require an acid medium for digestion; hydrochloric acid to be specific.

Anybody who has studied chemistry will assure you that acids and alkalis neutralize each other when combined. If you eat a starch with a protein, digestion is impaired or sometimes completely halted. This is not just a 'meat and potatoes' hate campaign either, these rules apply to such things as mixing milk and broccoli. The broccoli ultimately prevents the calcium nutrients from being effectively absorbed into the body.


In plain English - if you constantly combine these foods, your body can't digest it properly and it gets stored as fat. This is a difficult concept to take on board, especially if this is what you've always ate for dinner but it is a fat - burning fact worth knowing and one that is often over-looked.


#1.Fat Burning Myth No.2- All Fats Are Evil


Top natural dietician Lyndel Costain says: 'People tend to think they need a low-fat diet to lose weight, but you should still have a third of your calories coming from fat.'


This does not mean, of course, that you run out and buy twenty packets of high fat chips, what Lyndel is referring to is the intake of 'good fats'. Let me take you through what I have come to call - 'The Philosophy Of Fats' and you'll see why. 


There exists in the world - good fats (polyunsaturates/mono) and bad fats (saturated, trans...). Bad fats are found in such things as - chips, cookies, cheese, processed foods, most normal meat, white bread, and oils (coconut, palm). Good fats on the other hand consist of -  nuts, seeds, fish, veg and so on. While the bad fats are a tempting force in most of our eating habits, the good ones reap the greatest rewards in your weight loss goals. 


If you are finding it hard to veer down the 'good' path and you need to keep meat and dairy in your diet then make sure that you only choose the leanest free range cut of meat and the most natural dairy products (organic range). The reason for this is that contrary to popular belief, foods that have been chemically altered or mass produced contain a higher level of negative fats than the saturated fat from a natural product. 


A chicken for example, that has been reared as a happy hen; roaming outdoors, getting fresh air and exercise is going to have a higher level of lean muscle for you to eat. A caged hen, as is popular in modern farming, is more likely to have had no chance of developing muscle which then turns to fatty and unhealthy meat. My verdict = not good.


Finally, I'll tell you what my uncle told me and it has become a ritual in my daily diet. Buy Udo's Choice - Organic Omega 3 oil.  If you have read any of my health articles, you'll see me promoting this oil again and again. I think it's the best source of essential fatty acids out there, plus as an added benefit, it's amazing for creating youthful looking skin.


I've sourced the original on this site - Netrition 


If it doesn't appear right away (it should) just type in 'Udos' and it will come up. My suggestion (because I use this one) is to go for the 'Dr. Udos Choice - Organic Blend Omega 3-6-9'. It's the most nutritionally complete in my opinion.  


#3.Fat Burning Myth No.3- The 'Eat Less' Tragedy


Many people who decide to lose weight use this logic - "If I eat less often, I'll shed pounds". Traditionally, we are all enrolled in three staple mealtimes - Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snacking in between, of course, is seen as a negative.  However, the opposite is true and eating two big meals as opposed to six smaller portions is counter productive to your weight loss. 


I'm sure you've heard the term - 'Little and often' and this 'grazing' approach is exactly what your body needs to keep you in shape. Ironically, this attitude to food is what most dieting experts will advise against with great conviction. In reality, as long as what we are eating  are healthy regular snacks/mini -meals, the chances of losing weight is much higher.

Nutritionist Antony Haynes. states - "Grazing was the way our body was designed to eat... large meals burden the digestive system, often causing bloating and lowered energy while the body struggles to digest them.'

He adds - 'By eating smaller meals you prevent this, and the body functions more efficiently throughout the day. When we eat a big meal, the sugar level in our blood rises, but once that meal is digested that blood sugar level falls, taking your energy and mood with it.

The problem is, the bigger the meal, the bigger the crash - and the higher your need for sugary snacks to refuel your body.'

If you have ever felt like you'd love to go to sleep or unfasten your belt after a meal then you'll agree with this statement. Food is designed to energise you, not make you feel tired and weak!

Celebs that have used the 'little and often' approach include - J- LO, Angelina Jolie, Rachel Hunter and Halle Berry. They all believe that eating more frequently with smaller servings allows the body time to digest food plus you are less likely to feel huge pangs of hunger that lead to overeating. Frequent eating also means that you won't feel like your on a diet.

With this in mind - I particularly like this proven program  - The 2 step wellness and weight loss program. A tried and proven weight loss and wellness program based upon healthy organic eating that promotes optimum weight loss and overall health and vitality. the great thing is that they also teach you the 'reality' of food and how it works in harmony with your body's core principles.


True to form, I've checked them out first to make sure that the ingredients in the meals are actually natural and don't go against the general ethos of the blog. They are indeed fat- burning foods with a positive twist.


Until next time,
Cherie

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