Foods That Fight Fat

The idea that some foods can magically melt kilos away has been around for a long time. Of course, while exercise and a variety of wholesome foods are the secret to long term weight control, there are foods that help us burn calories and quash hunger. Here are ten to help you stop overeating-and stay healthy.

1. SPINACH

The rumour. Dark leafy greens like spinach and lettuce make you feel stuffed for almost no calories.

The reality. Foods such as raw spinach contain bulk. So the space they fill in your stomach-partly because of their high water content-leaves less room for pastries and ice cream. They are also jammed with iron, folate, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and E.

The bonus. Women eating plenty of folate-rich foods significantly reduce the risk of giving birth to a child with a cleft lip or palate.

2. GRAPEFRUIT

The rumour. Grapefruits melt away the kilos.

The reality. They're not magic, but they are powerful fat fighters due to their fibre content.

The bonus. Phytochemicals and soluble fibre in citrus fruits lower cholesterol.

3. APPLE         

The rumour. Apples keep the doctor-and fat-away. In one American study exercise and three apples daily helped 346 people lose more than 2700 kilos in 12 weeks.

The reality. Eating several apples a day a great idea. Hard fruit like apples take time to chew and fill you up. (one small glass of juice, however, contains the calories of about two apples.)

The bonus. In a Finnish study, those who ate foods high in flavonoids

found in fruit, vegetables and especially apples and oranges were 20 percent less likely to suffer a stroke.

4. CELERY 

The rumour. Celery is packed with wat er and has "negative calories."

The reality. Start chomping: You burn more calories chewing and digesting celery that it actually contains. Celery has vitamins E and C. It's a diet food, it should be on every one's plate.

5. BLACK BEANS

The rumour. Beans keep you feeling full longer than other foods.

The reality. Proteins-packed legumes such as black beans, chickpeas and lentils aren't just low in fat and rich in soluble fibre, they digest slowly and keep blood-sugar levels steady.

The bonus. Regularly eating black or navy beans may lower your risk of colon cancer.

6. CHILLIES

The rumour. Chillies don't just add kick to your salad, they can also pep up your body's ability to burn calories for hours.

The reality. Capsaicin, the compound found in chillies, does boost your metabolism slightly, increasing the energy your body burns during digestion. But don't make your food so hot that you'll want to wash it down with a bucketful of bread.

The bonus. Eating capsaicin may curb your appetite for three hours.

7. LOW-FAT MILK

The rumour. When humans ingest enough calcium, the body breaks down fat more efficiently.

The reality. Calcium-rich foods do seem to boost metabolism. Women and girls who consume dairy products regularly have lower weight and less body fat those who don't.

The bonus. Women consuming plenty of calcium-rich dairy foods slashed their ovaries-cancer risk by 54 percent.

8. MACKERPEL

The rumour. Omega-3 fatty acids curb hunger.

The reality. It is not the omega-3 in fatty fish like mackerel, hilsa and sardines that tells your brain.

The bonus. In Australia, overweight and hypertensive study subjects who ate fish daily saw their blood fats drop and "good" cholesterol rise.

9. COTTAGE CHEESE

The romour. Cottage cheese (paneer)  has much less fat than chedder cheese.

The realty. It's true, 'And cottage cheese is a very good source of protein. The yummy white curds are also stuffed with calcium, vitamin B-12 and some zinc and folate.

The bonus. Riboflavin found in paneer guards against anaemia and cancer.

10. STRAWBERRIES

The rumour. You can eat all the fruit you want and never gain a kilo.

 

The reality. While all fruits contain vitamins, some are bigger nutritional winners than others. Strawberries, peaches, plums and grapes come with cancer-fighting carotenoids and appetite-suppressing fibre. But water melon, pineapple, musk-melon and papayas fly through your system and cause your blood sugar to spike. Aim for five to ten serving of fruit and vegetables a day, choosing more of the winners.


The bonus. After following 9600 adults over 19 years, US researchers found that eating at least three servings of fruit and veggies a day shrank the odds of dying from heart disease by 24 percent.

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