9 Foods to Help You Burn Calories

1. Broccoli Rabe

The phytonutrient sulforaphane in broccoli rabe, stimulates an enzyme that tells your fat cells to burn fat. Meet your negotiator.

2.Avocado

The much-maligned fat in avocado is actually a triple-fat burner. Its monounsaturated fat plumps up cell membranes, enabling cells to better chat with fat-burning hormones. It also switches off the body's fat storage hormones. In addition, it boosts the metabolism by protecting the energy-producing part of cells from free radical damage. 

3. Brazilian Nuts

They help boost the metabolism by converting the thyroid hormone to its active form. They also bind up toxins that would otherwise store themselves in your fat cells and contribute to cellulite.

4. Chia Seeds

Packed with omega-3 fats, fiber, and protein, these tiny seeds help suppress the appetite, fire up the metabolism, and turn on glucagon, one of the body's fat-burning hormones. The trick is to soak them for 15 minutes so they swell up to 10 times their size. Just as with oatmeal, the larger the seeds are, the quicker your stomach will release those hormones that let you know you're full—and hopefully satisfied.

5. Wild Salmon

 You can strip abdominal fat by consuming wild salmon on a regular basis. The omega-3s in wild salmon help improve insulin sensitivity, which shrinks fat from your waistline. Wild salmon also activates the thyroid hormone for a faster metabolism. 

6. Oysters

 In addition to being low in calories—it's only 50 calories for six oysters—they are the richest dietary source of zinc, which helps to decrease the appetite and PMS-induced cravings.

7. Coconut Oil

   Coconut oil is rich in medium-chained-triglycerides (MCTs), which your body preferentially uses for energy, leaving less opportunity for them to be stored as fat. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed greater abdominal fat loss over a 16-week period when MCTs were consumed versus olive oil. 

8. Cinnamon

his aromatic spice helps move glucose into the cells faster so our fat storage hormone, insulin, hangs around a lot less. But note: Eating a cinnamon bun doesn't count! You need to consume at least a quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon to reap its fat-burning benefits. 

9. Coffee

Coffee stimulates adrenaline, which sends a message to your fat stores to burn fat. When you drink coffee 20 minutes before a workout, it also acts as an ergogenic aid enabling you to train more intensely. The key is to make it caffeinated and black, as milk reduces its fat-burning potential. Also, if you drink more than one cup a day, coffee can start to interfere with your body's ability to regulate insulin, its fat storage hormone.

Courtesy: Elle