Burning body fat with your diet? Yes, it is possible. To make losing weight easier, nature has many fat burners in store: besides exotic plants like prickly pear, more familiar crops such as the artichoke also count among effective slimming aids.
A good metabolism is half the battle
Many people know the problem. Once you reach a certain age, your metabolism slows down more and more. The result: fat accumulates faster than before, specifically as little rolls on the hips and stomach, while muscle mass decreases. Visceral belly fat, in particular, is anything but beneficial to health and has a negative effect on your metabolism. Fortunately, there are helpful foods that support you in burning fat and boost your metabolism.
How bitter substances improve your figure
Bitter substances in herbs and vegetables are natural all-rounders when it comes to our digestion. But unfortunately, in times of junk food and industrially processed foods, bitter ingredients are disappearing more and more from our diet – everything has to be sweet and fatty. Very much to the detriment of our health. Obesity, digestive problems, and metabolic diseases are often the consequences.
The secret of bitter substances lies in the fact that they noticeably stimulate overall digestive activity. They naturally increase intestinal activity and accelerate gastric emptying. Bitter substances stimulate the secretion of bile acids, thus supporting your organism in the digestion of proteins and carbohydrates, but also in the breakdown of fats. At the same time, bitter substances also inhibit unpleasant fermentation processes in the gut.
Fat burner 1: The bitter substances of the artichoke
Even among the ancient Egyptians and Romans, the flowering vegetable artichoke was considered a valuable delicacy. But what makes the artichoke plant so interesting? It contains cynarin and bitter substances. These ingredients not only give the vegetable its tart, bitter taste. They also have a lipid-lowering effect. Bile flow is optimized and dietary fats are broken down more effectively. Discomfort, loss of appetite, feelings of fullness, and bloating caused by meals that are too fatty are thus effectively prevented. Other healthy ingredients of the artichoke include flavonoids as well as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Additionally, the flowering vegetable offers inulin. This is a soluble fiber that primarily benefits our gut. With inulin, a weight-loss regimen can lead to success more easily, as the feeling of satiety lasts longer. This lets your fat melt away slowly but surely.
Fat burner 2: Detoxing with milk thistle
A detox cure with milk thistle doesn't just melt away excess pounds. The vital organs—the gallbladder and liver, which perform heavy lifting during fat digestion—benefit from it in particular. The fruits of the milk thistle are known for protecting the liver from toxins. Crucial to this is silymarin, a mixture of liver-protecting substances (secondary plant compounds). Silymarin strengthens the outer shell (cell membrane) of the liver cells, thus protecting them from harmful influences. Silymarin even supports the liver in three ways, especially during diet periods: it prevents the penetration of toxic substances into the liver cells, acts as a scavenger of cell-damaging free radicals, and stimulates the formation of new, healthy liver cells. This allows the liver to recover more quickly after damage. According to studies, extracts from the fruit of the milk thistle can provide help for liver complaints, such as a fatty liver.
Fat burner 3: Prickly pear as a satiating agent
The ingredients of the prickly pear work on a very similar principle by blocking fats. Due to their binding affinity, they ensure that the body does not store dietary fats as unsightly fat deposits, but instead eliminates them undigested. The soluble fibers of the prickly pear form a gel that encloses this fat-fiber complex. Fat absorption from food and calorie intake from dietary fats are reduced, and the feeling of satiety after a meal is prolonged.
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