For those of us who are trying to lose weight, the most common advice we are likely to hear is ‘eat less and exercise more’. Besides the fact that eating less is not the equivalent of being healthy and losing weight, most people just don’t have the time to fit a workout into their daily routine.
We live busy lives and often have a lot on our plate. As a result, exercising for 60 minutes a day can be hard to realise for most people. And although we pay attention to what we eat, losing weight can still be a slow and difficult process.
Fortunately, we are here to help.
While most of us know that eating a healthy diet is essential to losing weight, we aren’t all aware of the small tricks we can implement to make this entire process easier. One of which is related to the consumption of specific foods that actually help us burn energy without exercise.
Now while this may sound too good to be true, I can guarantee it isn’t. Eating the following foods actually help promote weight loss rather than weight gain, and by implementing them into our daily diet we can improve the rate at which we lose fat considerably.
Without further ado, here are 7 foods that will help you burn fat without exercise:
1. Celery
When most people think of healthy snacks, celery is more often than not pretty close to the top of the list. Despite this, most people don’t know why?
Celery actually consist of mostly water (approximately 75%) and fibre (the remaining 25%). So firstly, this means that celery actually contains very few calories to begin with (as it is mostly water).
Secondly, fibre isn’t actually digested and absorbed into the intestine like other carbohydrates, but passes through the digestive system almost completely untouched. So ultimately, the energy we use to digest celery actually outweighs the energy that it provides the body with!
Moreover, fibre is known to expand in the intestine, making us feel fuller for longer. As a result, by eating celery we can reduce snacking throughout the day.
2. Grapefruit
Similar to celery, grapefruit is roughly 60% water, with almost all of the remaining 40% fibre.
Moreover, the type of fibre found in grapefruit is known as pectin. Pectin has shown to be both extremely filling, and extremely beneficial for digestive health. As such, eating grapefruit can reduce hunger signals and improve our ability to digest food.
As a bonus, grapefruit is also known to improve energy levels and has been suggested to speed up our metabolic rate slightly, which can lead to further weight loss over time.
3. Leafy Greens
While salad is one of the most healthy meals on the planet, the leafy greens (such as lettuce) prioritised within salads deserve special mention.
Leafy greens are almost half water and half fibre, meaning that they again require more energy to digest than they actually provide the body.
Furthermore, leafy greens are known to have anti-carcinogenic properties, meaning that if we consume more of them we reduce our risk of developing cancer of the prostate, ovaries, and bladder.
4. Watermelon
Most would be somewhat surprised to see watermelon on this list, but it is undoubtedly more than just a delicious snack. Watermelon, again, contains a high water content and is extremely low in calories.
You see, watermelon contains very few calories per gram, making it an extremely filling choice of food. This means that eating watermelon is going to be extremely satisfying, and will reduce our cravings for food throughout the day’s duration.
Watermelon has also been suggested to improve metabolism slightly, and is known to protect against cancer of the womb and lungs.
5. Lean cuts of meat
Again a somewhat surprising inclusion, but no less effective.
Lean meats (such as chicken breast) contain virtually no fats or carbohydrates, while providing a moderate portion of protein. Protein is the most filling of all the macro nutrients, and as such will make us feel much fuller for longer.
Protein is also extremely difficult to digest in the intestine, and as such requires a substantial amount of energy to breakdown. As a bonus, protein is not stored as fat, but broken down and used to repair and build various tissues within the body, so as a result the consumption of lean meats will not contribute to weight gain.
6. Chili Peppers
Now, chilies themselves don’t actually contain a huge amount of fibre and do provide a small amount of energy, but their weight loss benefits lie in other areas. Chili contain a compound known as capsaicin.
Capsaicin is known to boost metabolic rate for some hours after eating. So by eating chilies regularly, we can keep our metabolism elevated, resulting in increased energy expenditure throughout the day (which results in an increased rate of weight loss).
7. Arugula
Arugula (also known as rocket salad) is often used as a garnish, but should honestly be a key component in all your dishes. It is a leafy green that has a somewhat peppery flavor, and contains a mere 4 calories per cup – and of those 4 calories 3 are from fibre, meaning that its total calorie content is in fact 1 calorie per cup.
As a result arugula makes us feel full despite providing extremely minimal amounts of energy.
Arugula also contains an abundance of vitamins, including large amounts of Vitamin K, C, and A. By ensuring adequate intake of these vitamins, arugula ensures optimal cellular function which can lead to further weight loss.
Summary
Losing weight doesn’t have to be difficult. Through the smart and regular inclusion of these foods into your daily diet, you can increase the amount of energy you expend breaking down and digesting foods, while also seeing increases in your metabolic rate.
The combination of these two factors can create an ideal environment for fast and effective weight loss – without the need for exercise. Of course, we recommend exercise because it is beneficial to both weight loss and living a healthy life.
Moreover, a number of these foods are known to improve digestive health and reduce the risk of developing cancer, making them extremely valuable to the maintenance and improvement of your overall health.
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Author: Demmy James
Demmy James is a fitness buff, strength and conditioning specialist and content contributor with Muscle & Strength. He is constantly looking to inspire and motivate through his writings.
