Are there any foods I can eat that will help my body burn fat?
I know it's not good to starve yourself, and I know some basics of nutrition, but I was hoping there were some insider tips on how to eat to lose inches. Thanks!

Hi Courtney!

Thanks for your question. Many people know they want to change their diet, but they're not sure where to start.

First off, there are a few of negative calorie foods I can tell you about. And I'm not talking about diet soda. Negative calorie foods require more calories to chew and digest the food than the calories actually present in the food. Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, spinach, tomato and cucumber are some negative calorie vegetables. Negative calorie fruits include apricot, grapefruit, peaches, melons, and strawberries. These are terrific additions to your diet because they take up space in the stomach but actually work to burn excess calories.

There are also spices that you can add to your diet that, along with moderate exercise will help to speed up your metabolism. These include cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic. Bananas, apples and citrus fruits also work to engage the metabolism when you are participating in an active lifestyle. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day in order to continue flushing out the system and stay hydrated. Many times, when we think we're hungry, our body actually just wants some water.

You'll notice there are no dairy items, grains, or processed foods on this list. That doesn't mean you should necessarily cut these things out of your diet. Just add the fruits and vegetables, and make starch and sugar a significantly smaller portion of your meals. As a general rule, lean toward colorful, living foods when planning meals. These will always give your body greater health and more resilient fat burning capabilities than brightly packaged, artificially-flavored cereals, bars and meals in a box.

If you're getting over 20 minutes of moderate exercise (walking works great) at least 3 times a week, you should see some weight loss begin to take place.

Remember, it's always better to think of changes like these as lifestyle choices, a habit you plan to take on indefinitely for better health. It may work more slowly than a crash diet, but, you'll find, the results will last a lot longer.

Be Well,
Dan Paul Roberts
123 Feel Better Wellness Advisor
http://www.123feelbetter.net/