Foods That Help You Flush Fat Out of Your System

While it's tempting to employ a wash out diet to quickly flush fat from your system, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends eating a balanced diet of produce, whole grains and lean protein to achieve sustainable weight loss. A well-thought-out exercise plan can help too.

The thermic effect of food is the body's metabolic response to the food you eat. An article in the September 2018 issue of the Journal of Endocrinology defines diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) as the energy dissipated as heat after a meal, contributing to an estimated 5 to 15 percent of the body's total daily energy expenditure.

Some foods have a strong thermogenic effect, which may help increase metabolism and calorie burning. For example, eating protein-rich foods may boost your energy expenditure.

A November 2014 article published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism suggests that high-protein diets may stimulate thermogenesis, as the body uses more energy to burn protein. This nutrient also promotes satiety, making it easier to consume fewer calories overall.

Other foods purported to have thermogenic properties include cinnamon, chili peppers and other spicy foods, coffee, green tea, fatty fish and MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil. These claims have not been scientifically substantiated, though, so more research is needed to confirm them.

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Thermogenic fat burners, slimming pills and detox plans guarantee quick fat loss, but they may do more harm than good. Since weight loss supplements are considered dietary supplements, they are not regulated by the FDA. Furthermore, detox plans and cleanses, such as a three-day cleanse diet, are unsafe and lack scientific proof.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that supplement manufacturers rarely perform studies on people to determine the safety and efficacy of their products. If human studies are done, they often involve a small number of people who take the supplement for just a few weeks or months. Therefore, their results may be inaccurate or inconclusive.

Weight loss supplements contain many ingredients — like herbs, fiber and minerals — in different amounts and combinations. Sold in forms capsule, tablet, liquid or powder form, some products contain dozens of ingredients.

The NIH notes that there are potential side effects of weight loss supplements, and they could interact negatively with prescription and over-the-counter medications. Also, some potentially harmful ingredients will not be listed on the product label. The FDA puts out public notifications about tainted weight loss products. While a three-day cleanse diet is unlikely to affect your health, it doesn't have any proven benefits either.

Read more: Side Effects of Thermogenic Pills

While there is no specific food or homemade body cleanse that helps flush fat from your system, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends following a balanced eating plan to achieve safe weight loss and good health. This may also lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, insulin resistance and other common illnesses. You may refer to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for help on how to get enough nutrients in your diet.

The NHLBI describes a healthy eating plan as one that:

• Emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Includes lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts
• Limits saturated and trans fats, sodium and added sugars
• Controls portion sizes

If you are trying to lose weight, reduce your calorie intake and get more exercise. To drop one to one and a half pounds per week, cut 500 to 750 calories a day. Each pound of fat equals 3,500 calories.

In general, most people can maintain their weight by keeping active — the NIH recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Brisk walking is a good example. If you're trying to lose more than 5 percent of your weight and keep it off, get more exercise. The goal is to burn more calories than you take in.

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