By Julian Forbes

"Fat Burning Foods", sounds like a gimmick on an infomercial doesn't it? Indeed the concept has led to many enterprising individuals and companies to create "Miracle Diet Pills". Some boast that they will reduce your hunger and in so doing your food intake. Others claim that they will burn away the fat while you sit on a coach eating cheeseburgers and milk shakes! Cool! So why hasn't your doctor turned you on to these miracle drugs yet? Because they're not telling you the whole story and because anytime you ingest anything that is not natural, there are risks involved. (Yes, even some vitamins and supplements.)

I'm not going into the "hunger" pills here. My view is simple on this subject. You should be able to control what you eat without the aid of chemicals which may someday be proved to be bad for you. It is a good idea in any case to "practice" self control as it will carry through to other aspects of your life.

The "fat burning pill" basically takes the natural science from fat burning foods and puts it in a pill with a bunch of chemicals. The problem is you may be counteracting the effects by eating foods which put fat on! You're better off doing it the natural way by selecting your diet carefully rather than taking pills and hoping for the best.

What are Fat Burning Foods and how do they work?

The concept is simple. These are foods that require more calories to digest than they contain, so they draw on existing reserves in your body. YAHOO!!!!! Melt away that stubborn layer of fat on your stomach!!! What's the catch? None! Double YAHOO!!!! The foods that fall under this category are numerous, diverse, and full of other benefits in the form of vitamins and minerals! They consist of mostly fruit and vegetables but also certain meats and seafood. How hard is it to put diets together that will burn away your fat? Not hard at all! There is SO much to choose from! You do need to watch how you cook them though. For example steamed vegetables are more likely to benefit you than those fried in oil (as in many Chinese style dishes).

So, if there are so many fat burning foods out there, and you probably eat many of them already, why haven't you lost that fat?

The trick is not so much in what you choose to eat from the fat burning foods list, but rather abstaining from adding counterproductive foods to the menu. If you stick to the fat burning foods alone you will lose fat. If however you have 20 cheeseburgers along with your fruit, vegetables and crab, guess what? You will gain fat.

Another tip is to substitute thermogenic foods for others taking advantage of their attributes. For example, use the sweetness of fruits and berries as a substitute for sugar on cereal or oatmeal.

This is truly SO simple, that with a little common sense everyone should be able to achieve great results. For decades athletes were told to eat fruits, vegetables, fish, and certain meats for their many benefits and low fat content. We now know more about the digesting needs of each of them compared to the calories they contain and can make the calculations with more certainty.

I could prattle on here, but what's the point? It truly is a simple concept. So, here are lists of fat burning foods, but remember to always eat amounts that are consistent with what you are asking your body to do. Don't "overfill the tank", or again, you will lose the effects of fat burning.

Berries

Fruit

Greens

Herbs

Meat & Seafood

Melons

Onions etc.

Root Vegetables

Vegetables

Blackberries
1 cup= 75 calories
Great snack or
desert

Apples
Fat Free
1 apple= 80 calories

Beet Greens

Celeriac
1 cup = 40 calories. Great in soups and stews, Great fat burner.

Bass

Cantaloupe
6 oz slice = 50 calories, loaded with Vitamins A and C. Very low calories.

Chives

Beets

Artichokes

Blueberries
1 cup= 80 calories
Great snack or
desert

Apricots

Cabbage
Full of Vitamin C but loses some nutrients if cut up a hour or more before use.

Chervil
Similar to tarragon goes great with eggs, soups, stews and salads.

Catfish
Tasty when small

Honeydew

Onions
1 cup = 70 calories. Parsley helps with bad breath.

Black Salsify
Contains proteins, fats, glycosides asparagine, choline, laevulin, iron, sodium, vitamins A, B1, E and C. Due to containing fructose, it is good for diabetics.

Asparagus
Great for losing weight and full of nutrients like vitamins A & C.

Cranberries

Cherries
When picking these,
pick the biggest.

Chinese Cabbage
Commonly used in stir fried dishes and salads.

Flaxseed
First cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, rich in Omega 3 & 6. These fats release cholecystokinin from stomach telling your brain when you've eaten enough. Fat burning to the extreme.

Clams
Great for losing weight but beware of heavy sauces.

Watermelon

Leeks
1 cup = 50 calories - great fat burning

Carrots
1 cup = 52 calories, Lots of vitamin A (308% daily requirement),
vitamin C , calcium and iron. Great fat burner.

Broccoli
High fiber, vitamin C and said to be useful in fighting cancer due to containing diindolyl-
methan and selenium.

Currants
Lots of Vitamin C
and many hard to
find antioxidants.

Plums
Full of nutrients.
One of the best
foods!

Dandelion Greens
Medicinal value. Very edible though most people don't know it. Best in spring.

Garlic
Long been used for medicinal purposes as well as a tasty food. Rumored to help lower cholesterol, reduce pain of rheumatoid arthritis, and fight cancer.

Cod
Related to Haddock - Low in fat.

Scallions

Parsnips
1 cup = 100 calories, lots of vitamin C and calcium.

Brussels Sprouts
High fiber, no fat, has potassium, iron, vitamins A & C.

Strawberries
1 cup= 46 calories,
11 g Carbohydrates
Very LOW calories
Great for diabetics

Grapefruit
Caution: Can interfere with some medications.

Belgian Endive

Parsley leaves
Full of vitamin A, C, calcium, iron, and protein.

Crab
Great as long as you don't dunk it in butter or drown it in heavy sauces.

Shallots

Radishes
1 cup = 20 calories. Great in salads.

Cauliflower
Another great cancer fighter/preventer.
In addition has lots of folate, fiber, and vitamin C.

Huckleberries
Easy to find in the
wild and can substitute
for blueberries.

Lemons
When picking these,
pick the brightest and most yellow.

Kale
One of the best foods full of nutrients like manganese, calcium, iron, Vitamins A, K and C, protein, fiber. Great Fat burning food!

Crayfish

Rutabagas
1 cup = 50 calories. Great substitute for potatoes that have 138 calories/cup.

Celery
One of the best fat burners. Eat it daily.

Loganberries
Cross between Raspberries

and Blackberries
accidentally created by
James Logan
(hard to find)

Limes
18th Century naval ships were required to carry limes to prevent scurvy among the crew.

Romaine Lettuce
The best lettuce. Regular lettuce has few nutrients. This one is full of vitamins A, K, C, manganese, folate, chromium, and much more.

Buffalo Fish
Lean meat is very good for you.

Sweet Potato
One of the best fat burners! Full of nutrients, they digest slowly satisfying your hunger longer. Very low glycemic index rating.

Corn

Raspberries
1 cup= 64 calories
Great snack or
desert

Mangos
Cross between a Pineapple and pear

Mustard Greens
Peppery taste which compliments most meals. Full of vitamin K, C, E, folate, manganese and more.

Flounder
Low fat.

Turnips
1 cup = 36 calories
Great substitute for potatoes.

Cucumbers

Grapes
1 cup= 60 calories
(By comparison
1 cup of raisins= 464
calories!!!)

Nectarines
1 = 30 calories
Like a peach without

fuzz.

Chicory Greens
1 cup = 7 calories. Lots of vitamin C and A.

Frog Legs
Tastes like chicken

Oranges
The Super Fruit, contains folacin, potassium, niacin, calcium, magnesium and fiber, plus 1=140% Daily Recommended Allowance of Vitamin C.

Spinach
1 cup = 7 calories. Lots of vitamin C and A, iron, and calcium. Perfect fat burning food.

Lobster

Papaya
Lots of Vitamin C and A. Papaya is the main ingredient in most meat tenderizers.

Watercress
Arguably the best green and fat burning food. High in beta carotene, calcium, vitamin K, iron, iodine, fiber and more! Don't ruin it with high calorie dressings!

Mussels
Cook until they pop open. Make sure they are fresh and closed tightly when you buy them.

Pears
1 = 81 calories.
No cholesterol, saturated fat, or sodium. Great dieters fruit.

Red Cabbage
1 cup = 17 calories,
Lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Oysters
Full of nutrients like vitamins C, D, B1, B2, B3, calcium, copper, iodine, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc.

Peaches
1 = 66 calories,
High in Vitamin C and A, and fiber. Another great dieters fruit.

Chilean Sea Bass
Very delicious!

Pineapple
Should be heavy for their size and have a good fragrant smell.

Shrimp
3 oz serving = 18 g protein, 15% daily iron requirement, no carbohydrates. CAUTION: The downside of shrimp is it is very high in cholesterol. 3 oz = 55% of daily allowance!

Prunes
These are just dried plums. Very high in fiber making them great for your digestive system.

Steaks
Contain no carbohydrates so nothing to convert to sugar and therefore fat.

Tangerines
1 large = 43 calories
Like oranges they are full of nutrients and fiber especially Vitamin C.

Trout
Very flavorful, must be fresh.

Tuna
Low calorie and fat, high protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Very good for people with high blood pressure or cholesterol.