Turn up the heat and you’re bound to burn fat; it’s as simple as that. There’s a reason why people living in hot climates tend to be slimmer (which also has something to do with the need to look good in a swimsuit), men and women living in ‘heat’ tend to be fitter and better toned (which has everything to do with their heightened state of virility) and communities that include thermogenic foods in their diet tend to eat less and burn more body fat. ‘Thermogenic’: that’s the key word of the day. Even if you live in a cool climate, with an equally cold, Antarctic love (we mean sex) life, you can elevate your metabolism by introducing thermogenic foods to your diet.
Thermo-WHAT?
According to livestrong.com "Thermogenic foods may help increase metabolism and calorie burning by enhancing thermogenesis, a process in which the body burns calories to utilize the foods you have just eaten, converting those calories to heat. Your body mainly burns calories consumed through maintaining its regular metabolic functions and through physical activity; however, a small percentage, about 10 percent, of calories are burned through diet-induced thermogenesis." The essence: eat what your body will have to work hard to digest and/or food that will raise your inner temperature and hence your metabolism.
Here is our pick of three easy, accessible foods that are thermogenic and easy to source in Pakistan:
1. Green Tea
You’ve got another thought coming if you felt that the only benefit of green tea was ‘zero’ calories. No sir, there’s much more to the benefits of green tea and that is not an overstatement. Green tea has been linked to improving a person’s memory, cancer prevention, and even weight loss but let’s just focus on weight loss right now. Green tea contains caffeine and polyphenols called catechins that have been shown to boost thermogenesis. Nutritionists claim that green tea helps induce weight loss because it "helps to block receptors from making fat." It pushes food through our digestive tract, inhibiting amylase which aids in the digestion of carbs. This all keeps our metabolism rolling. And it’s zero calories, unless you sweeten it up like the Pakhtuns do. Avoid.
2. Lean Protein
Protein, believe it or not, along with being a major muscle builder, is also a major player when it comes to thermogenic foods! In fact, doctors rate it as the best thermogenic food around simply because it doesn’t convert into quick sugar like carbs do. We’ve heard that from Dr Atkins, right? It can’t all be steak and eggs though; to keep your blood work healthy, it’s advised to indulge in lean proteins like fish, gamey meats, sirloin or egg whites. You want to avoid racking up the fat levels hence making your body vulnerable to blood pressure or heart disease. The best thing is to think of the stoneage and hunters who’d work it out in the snow, bringing back lean meat to roast over the firewood. Best combination!
3. Spices
A little bit of heat can take you a long way! Consuming foods with spices such as red hot peppers or black pepper increases thermogenesis and can potentially have a significant effect on feelings of satiety and fat oxidation, research analysts say. Essentially, hot and spicy food raises our core temperature, thus making the metabolism and fat burning capacity higher. So next time you’re eating out, don’t say no to an extra mill of freshly ground pepper on your steak and salad and definitely don’t cut back on the wasabi when you’re sushi dining. Cuisines that will amp your spice level: desi (barbeque), Mexican and Thai.