Top 5 Fat-Burning Spices

Losing weight can be a lot easier if you spice up your food. Add these top five fat-burning spices to your diet to ramp up weight loss:

1. Garlic and 2. Onions; These yummy foods contain phytochemicals that break down fatty deposits in the body while also breaking down cholesterol; kill viruses, bacteria and fungi; and protect against heart disease.

3. Turmeric: this popular spice, used primarily in Indian cooking, is the highest known source of beta-carotene, the antioxidant that helps protect your liver from free radical damage. Turmeric also helps your liver heal while helping your body metabolize fats by decreasing the fat storage rate in liver cells. Turmeric has the added advantage of being shown in study after study to protect the brain against damage, including diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

4. Cinnamon: Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture showed that one-quarter teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with food helps metabolize sugar up to 20 times better than without cinnamon. Excess sugar in the blood can lead to fat storage. Because cinnamon balances blood sugar levels it has the added advantage of stabilizing mood and energy levels.

Raw, Vegan Cinnamon Buns

5. Chiles: Add some heat to your food to fire up your metabolism. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chile peppers, significantly improves fat burning. Additionally, chiles help boost energy levels as well.

It’s easy to benefit from the fat-burning ability of spices. Simply start adding more fresh garlic and onions to your vegetable dishes, soups, stir-fries, stews, and curries. Turmeric is excellent in curry dishes. Cinnamon is not only good with sweet foods, it is also excellent in savory dishes and can be added to Asian-inspired foods like curries, stir-fries, and stews. Chiles can be added to almost anything for a blast of heat.

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