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Types of Fat Burning Hormones Foods

The human body produces both fat-burning and fat-storing hormones. Although there are more fat-burning hormones in the body, the fat-storing hormones tend to be more powerful. A poor diet promotes the effects of the fat-storing hormones, further strengthening their power. Therefore, eating foods that support the function of the various fat-burning hormones will maximize weight loss and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle in a variety of ways.

  1. Fat-Burning Hormones

    • Some of the key hormones that promote fat burning are the thyroid, glucagons, growth hormone, adrenaline and testosterone. Although diet may have only a limited effect on some of these (such as testosterone and adrenaline), you can dramatically improve your fat-burning potential by promoting liver function because one of the liver's primary roles is hormone production and detoxification. A healthy, efficient liver will result in a cleaner system and maximum fat-burning results.

    Fat Burning and the Liver

    • According to Dr. Sandra Cabot, the liver helps regulate fat metabolism and pump excess fat from the body. A healthy liver can easily process fat and toxins in the body so that they can be eliminated through the intestines. As liver and overall health deteriorates, the organ is either forced to continually reprocess fat and toxins or it begins to store the fat. This, then, further reduces the liver's ability to process fat and produce fat-burning hormones.

    Foods to Emphasize

    • In order for the liver to operate properly, your diet should emphasize foods that will not strain liver function. Too much added fat and animal protein can cause the liver to work harder, especially if you are not eating enough high-fiber foods. Fiber reduces the amount of fat and toxins recirculated into the liver, allowing it to function at its best. So foods like fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains provide natural fiber to cleanse the body and liver of fat. Drinking plenty of water, fresh juice and green tea also promotes fat-burning and flushes the system of toxins.

    Foods to Minimize

    • Fat is a necessary dietary element for proper brain function, but cutting down on animal protein means your body will have less fat to process. Protein can be obtained through grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, as well as eggs and seafood. The "lower" you eat on the food chain, the fewer toxins you will be introducing to your body. This reduces the contaminants your liver will have to eliminate.

    Other Factors

    • Eating foods that support fat-burning hormones and aid liver function will naturally lead to some weight loss. But medical experts emphasize that diet is only one factor in maximizing fat-burning. Dr. George Best states that one of those key fat-burning hormones, the growth hormone, is converted to insulin by the liver to maintain blood sugar. This process is most active during long periods without food--like when the body is sleeping. So inadequate amounts of sleep mean the liver will convert less of this hormone and, therefore, burn less fat. Also, short periods of high-intensity exercise raise the metabolism more than long stretches of low-intensity exercise, which maximizes the effect of fat-burning hormones. So for fat-burning hormones to function at optimal levels, be sure to incorporate exercise and adequate sleep as well as foods that enhance the fat-burning hormones.

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