When striving to eat a healthy diet, it can be helpful to include fat burning foods. These foods have a thermogenic effect on the body, and are beneficial in more ways than one. Here are six foods that you should include in your diet.

1. Whole Grain Cereals & Oatmeal – Because these cereals are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates you blood sugar will not spike after you eat them. This keeps your insulin levels in check, and helps your metabolism to stay revved. It is high insulin levels that triggers your body in to thinking it needs to store fat, so keeping that at bay is crucial. Foods that are high in fiber are also more filling and will can help keep you sustained throughout the day. Filling your diet with whole grains keeps this from happening. These fat burning foods are a great way to start the day.

2. Lean Protein; Chicken, turkey, salmon, pork, tuna, & very lean cuts of beef. Research has shown that lean protein has the most thermic effect of all the macro nutrients. It requires about thirty percent of it’s calories for digestion and processing.

3. Green Tea – Green tea contains the compound epigallo-catechin gallate EGCG which stimulates your brain and nervous system resulting in higher caloric burn. It is said that three to four cups of green tea must be consumed to have this effect.

4.Spicy Peppers; Jalepenios, Harbaneros, Cayenne Chilis/pepper – Not only will these foods heat up your taste buds, but these fat burning foods will boost your metabolism. Spicy peppers can contain Capsaicin which can stimulate your body’s metabolism and can have an, “after burn effect,” on your body.

5. Low fat dairy products – Skim milk, low fat yogurt, and cheese contain calcium which can act as a metabolic trigger. Calcium can increase fat breakdown in fat cells. It is high in complex carbohydrates and lean protein, which can help your insulin levels stay low after a meal.

6. Fruits that are rich in Vitamin C – Limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tomatoes all have a high Vitamin C content. Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster, and activates the carnitine amino acid which speeds up the body’s fat-burning capacity.

Including some of these fat burning foods in your diet is an easy, healthy way to get your metabolism to work with you, helping you to reach your weight loss goals!