1. Prioritize protein in the morning.
There's no need to fear carbs, but studies show eating protein for breakfast may help increase how satisfied you feel throughout the day and help prevent nighttime noshing. Protein also helps build muscle, and more muscle means more fat burning. If you're a cereal junkie, try protein-packed options like avocado toast with smoked salmon, turkey sausage with eggs and avocado Greek yogurt.
2. Fat is your friend.
Friends help ya out, right? Well, fat helps you burn fat! Portion control is key, but aim to get about 30 percent of your calories from fat (eaten consistently throughout the day.) Don't forget to get it from the right sources. You can even include the fat you consume from grass-fed beef and milk, yogurt and cheese from grass-fed cows (which are all high in conjugated linoleic acid) as being your buds, too. Again, portion control is key.
3. Get moving!
We all know by now exercise is good for us for a whole bunch of reasons, including improved cardiovascular health and mood. But if it's burning fat you're after, you may want to take a close look at the kind of exercise you're doing. The acronym HIIT is certainly as popular as EVOO right now and that's because high Intensity Interval training may help you burn more fat than other forms of exercise.
4. Spice things up.
Herbs and spices are packed with nutritional value, almost no calories and the best part: a whole lot of flavor. Plus, a couple even have bonus "powers." Cayenne pepper's active component, capsaicin, is linked to lowering blood pressure, improved digestion and weight loss. Capsaicin may also help control appetite by making you feel more satisfied. If you want to get spicy, give these recipes a go: spicy roasted zucchini and corn or spiced kale chips.
5. Supplement with a probiotic.
Probiotics are the good bugs that have gained a lot of notoriety in the past few years, and for good reason. There's the possible link to weight loss, improved satiety and decreased cravings. Consider a probiotic or incorporating these fermented foods.
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