It is believed that certain foods and spices can help you boost your metabolism, which in turn can turn you into a fat burning machine. Of course exercise and proper diet is encouraged but if you can throw a little spice into your efficiency to burn fat then why not utilize some of nature’s foods and enhance your work toward those fat burning goals. Of course many of these such as celery or grapefruit have not been scientifically proven to increase metabolism yet are still believed to help by natural practice. Apple cider vinegar is a favorite for many purposes but one of them being fat burning.

Vitamin C is said to have a fat burning quality so by adding citrus fruits to your diet you are benefiting yourself in many other ways as well as the boost. Choices such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit and limes are excellent on their own or added to your foods. There are many recipes that utilize these items and the taste is a bonus. Don’t forget tomatoes, which are also a fruit high in vitamin C.

Pectin is also a nutrient found in fruits such as apples and berries. Like the lecithin discussed below, this nutrient will help against fat absorption into the cells.

It is true that when bodybuilders are going through extreme leaning stages they eliminate fruits from their diets to some extent but many still eat fruits during the earlier stages of dieting and some will still have grapefruit right up to contest time. Do not over do the amounts you eat per day and you should be fine! 1 -2 pc of fruit per day is encouraged, filling the other 8-9 servings with vegetables for a total of 8-10 servings of fruits and veggies per day as per suggested by the government guidelines.

Soybeans and soy in general have been controversial in the media but soybeans are a source of lecithin, which many people go out and buy in capsules at their local vitamin or health food store. Yet, by eating soybeans, you get some of this nutrient naturally. Lecithin is believed to help in the break down of fats in your system and block the cells from fat deposits.

Garlic is a blood thinner but also seems to have the ability to break down fat. Most people can take it or leave it but by adding garlic to your diet, even in amounts you cannot detect, will help you in your fat burning goals and get a number of other benefits. Garlic is also a diuretic.

Essential Fatty Acids are fats that ironically aid in fat burning and weight control. Products such as Omega oils (Udos), flax meal and flax seed oil, most nuts and seeds actually contain this (hemp, pumpkin, sunflower, primrose, olive, borage, pistachio, avocados and almonds) and are essential when you are trying to burn fat because the elimination of fat completely is unhealthy. You replace the bad fats with good ones!

Natural diuretics can also help if you are the type to hold high amounts of water causing bloat. Dandelion is one plant which can be taken by capsule but many ethnic groups such as Europeans and Asians will eat the leaves of this plant steamed, boiled or with other foods which is very healthy. Green Tea is another wonder herb which is much more than tea and does many other things but additionally it helps boost the metabolism and is said to increase energy.

Kelp can be taken by capsule or consumed in its real form. Japanese use this in their foods and soups but in dry, cold and shredded form. Kelp is excellent in aiding in water loss.  Onions, pearl onions, shallots and leaks are a related food which are great natural diuretics and help make your food tastier. Cabbage, brussel sprouts asparagus, carrots, celery, beets, cucumber, radishes and lettuce are also said to aid in fat elimination by the minerals they individually carry which vary between them (magnesium, iodine, sulphur, asparagine, carotene, calcium, and iron).

Peppers such as chilies, Cheyenne, and horseradish are also said to help aid in metabolism boost.  All the items listed on this page have cleansing effects, making them all ideal additions to your daily menu.

So what are these miraculous substances that are constantly being touted as the wonder cures of everything? And are they really as helpful as the food ads claim?  Antioxidants, just as the name implies, are substances that combat the process of oxidation. Oxygen is necessary to many body processes, and oxidation is a natural chemical reaction, which takes place both within our bodies and in our environment. Some common oxidative reactions are the rusting of iron and the darkening of foods like potatoes when they are exposed to the oxygen in air. Although the oxidation reactions that take place in our bodies are normal, they can be harmful when they produce free radicals or chemically active molecules that have a charge on them due to an excess or deficient number of electrons. These charged, free radicals are very unstable and they try to scavenge or donate electrons to surrounding tissues, and while doing this, they often damage these tissues. Blood vessel damage that leads to heart disease is believed to be caused by free radical damage. Cancer, some degenerative eye problems, old age, and other inflammatory conditions are also believed to be affected by these unstable byproducts of oxidation. One would assume, therefore, that antioxidants could be very useful in preventing or possibly curing many diseases. And some studies have shown them to be helpful.

Some common antioxidants found in foods are vitamins A, E, and C, the mineral, selenium, and some carotenoids and polyphenols. Carotenoids and polyphenols are part of a group of substances called phytochemicals.  Phytochemicals are found in plants and they affect the taste, color, scent, and other characteristics of the plants. There are thousands of phytochemicals in each vegetable, fruit and whole grain. A lot of studies have been done to explore what they specifically do in our bodies, but we have only begun to see the “tip of the iceberg” of this research.

We have a lot yet to learn about phytochemicals, antioxidants and how they benefit us. Although some studies have shown us that they may affect our bodies in a positive way, some research has been a little discouraging. A recent study to examine whether or not beta-carotene, vitamins A, E, and C and selenium would decrease deaths in adults was done. The results showed that taking a combination of these antioxidants would not make a difference. In fact, taking carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E separately may actually increase mortality. Vitamin C alone did not appear to affect the death rate in the studied individuals and selenium tended to decrease it, but more testing needs to be done. Other studies to find out if vitamin E helps slow heart disease have also not been as promising as expected. And, additional research of beta-carotene has shown us that it may not help prevent heart disease or cancer as we once hoped.

This does not mean, however, that we should give up on antioxidants. There have been some promising studies of these substances in addition to the not-so-promising ones. According to some researchers, a combination of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and zinc may reduce the risk of developing a degenerative eye disease (age-related macular degeneration), which is a leading cause of blindness in our aging population. Also, vitamins E and C may help protect us from developing Alzheimer’s disease. And selenium seems to play a role in preventing prostate cancer in men. It appears, therefore, that there are some benefits to consuming antioxidants.

At this point, however, it is impossible to formulate any meaningful guidelines for how much of the different antioxidants we should eat. We can assume that it is safe to eat foods that contain antioxidants. In fact, a very good way of including more of these health-promoting substances in our diet is to eat the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Eating a variety of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily may be our best shot at getting these antioxidants in the least risky way. If you choose to take supplements, a safe rule of thumb to follow is to take no more than 1 ½ times the recommended daily value of vitamins and minerals, unless you are taking them for a specific medical reason that you have discussed with your doctor. Also, keep in mind that all health claims are not necessarily true. As we continue to study antioxidants and their possible benefits, we will discover many more uses for them; but, for now, exercise caution. And please stay informed as nutrition experts continue to develop better guidelines for including them in our diets.