Q. I have heard that there are some foods that burn fat. Is that true???

A: I really wish there were indeed foods that burn fat all by themselves. Unfortunately, that is not the case. That said, there are foods that contain so few calories that a good portion of those calories are burned up as the body digests the food itself.

That is, its thermic effect (the caloric “cost” of digesting the food) eliminates much of the calories the food contains making a smaller impact on your overall daily calorie intake.

The only food that could be considered truly ‘calorie negative’ is ice water. However, here is a list of foods that I recommend eat frequently and having as much as you would like…

Foods that burn fat:

asparagus
broccoli
cabbage (all varieties)
cauliflower
celery
cucumbers
kale
lettuce (all varieties)
onions
peppers (green, red, jalapeno, etc.)
radishes
spinach
tomatoes
water chestnuts
zucchini

* Keep in mind this list is not exhaustive of foods that burn fat, and you have to prepare these foods with little to no additional caloric additives… i.e. steaming is best or you could use a very small amount of PAM Spray, etc you use to cook them.

All of that said, there are also certain foods that will crank up your metabolism by releasing the right hormones. Consuming protein will release more human growth hormone. Foods with selenium and zinc will support a healthy thyroid. You can boost your metabolic rate by eating clean, whole, fresh foods and avoiding processed foods and chemicals.

But there are no foods that burn fat by themselves. For that, you have to get off your butt and get moving!