Boost fat burning – healthy and simple!
If you want to lose weight healthily or reduce your body fat percentage, it is important to have a good fat burning process. A healthy diet, an increased basal metabolic rate, a moderate calorie deficit and a healthy intestinal flora will help. We will explain how you can influence and optimize these factors in order to reduce your body fat percentage in a healthy way.
The basis for fat combustion: an overview
The basis for efficient fat burning is a balanced diet and sufficient exercise. Your meals should provide you with many nutrients, vitamins and fibre – but in total they should contain slightly less calories than you consume. So you generate a moderate calorie deficit. This is best achieved with foods that offer many macro and micronutrients with comparatively few calories. Fruit and vegetables belong to this type of food. In addition, you should increase your calorie burn. You can do this with endurance sports and light weight training, for example.
Burning more calories with sports
As far as calorie consumption is concerned, a distinction is made between basal metabolic rate and physical activity level: The basal metabolic rate is the energy consumption in the absolute resting state that the body alone needs to maintain vital functions. The physical activity level is the amount of energy expended during physical activity. Since muscles also burn calories at rest, you not only increase your activity level, but also your basal metabolic rate in the long run: An additional kilogram of muscle mass increases the basal metabolic rate by up to 100 calories per day. If the musculature is then still stressed by physical activity, the energy consumption increases additionally. Due to the so-called afterburning effect, calories are still consumed after exercise. A regular strength training for muscle building is therefore a good method to stimulate a permanent fat burning.
Additionally an efficient endurance training can lead to a better fat burning. Highly intensive interval training (HIIT) consumes a great deal of energy. Thanks to this special training you burn many calories in a relatively short time.
But you can also achieve a lot with moderate exercise. And the best thing is: You can integrate them into your everyday life, even if you don't have the time for a regular sports program. With a quick walk to the bus stop, dynamic housework or climbing stairs, you can get your cardiovascular system going and activate your metabolism.
Additionally an efficient endurance training can lead to a better fat burning. Highly intensive interval training (HIIT) consumes a great deal of energy. Thanks to this special training you burn many calories in a relatively short time.
But you can also achieve a lot with moderate exercise. And the best thing is: You can integrate them into your everyday life, even if you don't have the time for a regular sports program. With a quick walk to the bus stop, dynamic housework or climbing stairs, you can get your cardiovascular system going and activate your metabolism.
Burning fat with a healthy diet:
- complex carbohydrates
- Protein
- Water
Boosting fat burning with a healthy diet
In order to reduce body fat, you should eat a healthy and balanced diet and, if possible, eat metabolically stimulating foods. A nutrition plan can help you achieve your goals.
Make sure that your diet contains less simple carbohydrates, such as those found in white flour products or sweets. Instead, use wholesome, preferably unprocessed foods that provide your body with valuable fibre, vitamins and minerals. This includes whole grain products and fresh fruit and vegetables. These foods keep you full longer and support your bowel function. A total of 50-60 percent of your daily calorie intake should consist of complex carbohydrates.
Your musculature consists to a large extent of protein. Therefore, it is important that you consume enough protein. Proteins satiate, promote fat burning and help to build muscle. Meat as a protein source, however, often contains large amounts of fat itself – not exactly conducive to weight loss. So put either lean meat like chicken on your diet or vegetable protein sources like pulses, nuts, lentils and peas. Your protein intake should be around 15-20 percent of your daily calorie intake.
The choice of beverage also plays a decisive role in fat burning. water supplies your body with many minerals, promotes digestion, supports detoxification processes and stimulates the metabolism. Ideally, you should drink a glass of warm water or a cup of unsweetened tea right after getting up. This fills the stomach and reduces your hunger.
Make sure that your diet contains less simple carbohydrates, such as those found in white flour products or sweets. Instead, use wholesome, preferably unprocessed foods that provide your body with valuable fibre, vitamins and minerals. This includes whole grain products and fresh fruit and vegetables. These foods keep you full longer and support your bowel function. A total of 50-60 percent of your daily calorie intake should consist of complex carbohydrates.
Your musculature consists to a large extent of protein. Therefore, it is important that you consume enough protein. Proteins satiate, promote fat burning and help to build muscle. Meat as a protein source, however, often contains large amounts of fat itself – not exactly conducive to weight loss. So put either lean meat like chicken on your diet or vegetable protein sources like pulses, nuts, lentils and peas. Your protein intake should be around 15-20 percent of your daily calorie intake.
The choice of beverage also plays a decisive role in fat burning. water supplies your body with many minerals, promotes digestion, supports detoxification processes and stimulates the metabolism. Ideally, you should drink a glass of warm water or a cup of unsweetened tea right after getting up. This fills the stomach and reduces your hunger.
Burn fat in collaboration with your intestines
Fibre serve the Bacteroidetes bacteria as a source of energy. These useful bacteria live in your intestines and support your digestion. They also help your body to absorb nutrients and strengthen your immune system. Studies show that people with a large Bacteroidetes population in the intestine lose weight faster.
If, on the other hand, there are mainly Firmicutes bacteria in the intestine, this can possibly reduce your fat burning. Because Firmicutes bacteria convert food components into sugar. To a limited extent a useful function, but they gain significantly more calories from food than other bacteria and also increase the craving for sweets and fats. If one wants to lose weight, then a too high portion of Firmicutes bacteria can stand in the intestine, that thus in the way.
The biotechnological analysis method1 INTEST.pro from BIOMES helps you to find out what the bacterial balance in your intestinal flora is like. With the help of this test you can find out whether certain bacteria in your intestines make your fat burning more difficult and how you can support the beneficial bacteria with a targeted diet. After the test you will also receive personalized recommendations which could help you to further reduce your body fat percentage.
If, on the other hand, there are mainly Firmicutes bacteria in the intestine, this can possibly reduce your fat burning. Because Firmicutes bacteria convert food components into sugar. To a limited extent a useful function, but they gain significantly more calories from food than other bacteria and also increase the craving for sweets and fats. If one wants to lose weight, then a too high portion of Firmicutes bacteria can stand in the intestine, that thus in the way.
The biotechnological analysis method1 INTEST.pro from BIOMES helps you to find out what the bacterial balance in your intestinal flora is like. With the help of this test you can find out whether certain bacteria in your intestines make your fat burning more difficult and how you can support the beneficial bacteria with a targeted diet. After the test you will also receive personalized recommendations which could help you to further reduce your body fat percentage.
Fat burning made easy
In order to boost your fat burning in everyday life, you should heed the following tips and tricks:
- Numerous types of tea stimulate the metabolism and inhibit appetite (e.g. green tea or mate tea).
- Adequate amount of sleep supports your metabolism. It should be seven to eight hours per night.
- Reduce stress. The "stress hormone" cortisol inhibits fat loss, stimulates the appetite and at the same time inhibits satiety. Yoga or Pilates have a relaxing effect and at the same time strengthen your body.
- Chili can promote blood circulation and stimulate the metabolism.
- A short-term increase in body temperature during a sauna activates the metabolism.
- Your body consumes a lot of energy to maintain body temperature. Therefore, hot and cold shower therapy can also stimulate the metabolism: start with hot water and let the shower end cold, there should be one minute between each change.
Alone with these measures a lot can be achieved, and a balanced diet, regular exercise and sufficient relaxation form the
basis for a healthy fat burning.
basis for a healthy fat burning.
1. Cho I, Blaser M J. The human microbiome: at the interface of health and disease. Nature Reviews Genetics 2012:13, 260-270. ↩