29. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a bit of a tricky one. First, it’s one of the only plant based foods to be high in saturated fat – 90 percent of coconut oil is saturated fat. Saturated fats are linked to cardiovascular disease and other diseases but when they come from coconut oil, these fats do have some health benefits. Coconut oil contains fats called medium-chain triglycerides which help to increase good HDL cholesterol.
There is evidence that, when consumed as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, coconut oil can reduce body fat, particularly so, the fat around the middle that’s deemed the most dangerous since it surrounds the vital organs.
There are various forms of coconut oil including partially hydrogenated coconut oil, refined coconut oil, and virgin coconut oil. The partially hydrogenated version should be avoided as it can be as harmful as other processed oils that contain trans fats.
The refined oil is made by extracting chemically bleached and deodorised coconut meat. Virgin coconut oil is extracted from the fruit of fresh, mature coconut and doesn’t use high temperatures or chemicals. This is the unrefined version that may have the health benefits. Coconut oil has a high smoke point which makes it beneficial for higher temperature cooking but still contains a lot of calories so needs to be used moderately.
Good nutrition is, of course, essential in the process of fat burn and weight loss. However, always keep in mind that what we eat needs to be part of a healthy lifestyle, including keeping active, drinking plenty of water, minimising stress and achieving enough good quality sleep.
Also think about minimising alcohol intake and quitting smoking if you smoke, along with keeping processed, high fat, high salt, high sugar foods to a minimum.
Eat plenty of these 29 fat burning foods and see what difference it makes to you!
Also read: 10 Easy Ways To Reduce Calories
