The 10 Best Fat Fighting Foods

There are many fat fighting foods that will help you lose weight. Here are 10 of the best:

1. Low-Fat Dairy Products - Low-fat dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, are high in calcium, and calcium increases fat breakdown in fat cells. Also, studies indicate that not getting enough calcium may trigger the release of calcitrol, a hormone that causes fat storage.

2. Oatmeal - This cholesterol reducing complex carbohydrate is slow to digest and helps keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which helps prevent fat storage. The regular, slow-cooking kind of oatmeal is much better for you than the pre-sweetened, over-processed "instant" kind.

3. Beans - Beans are high in fiber and are a good source of protein. Fiber is very important when it comes to weight loss. Fiber fills you up and prevents hunger, moves fat through your digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed, and contains virtually no calories. Avoid baked and refried beans. Baked beans contain high amounts of sugar and refried beans contain high amounts of saturated fat.

4. Apples - Apples, especially the skin, contain pectin, a soluble fiber that is a natural appetite suppressant.

5. Berries - Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are high in fiber and low in calories. They also contain plenty of antioxidants.

6. Citrus Fruits - Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes are high in vitamin C, and vitamin C helps the body metabolize fat faster.

7. Fibrous Vegetables - Fibrous vegetables, such as spinach, asparagus and broccoli, have a high thermic effect and a low calorie density. This means that it's almost impossible for them to be stored as fat because most of their calories are burned off during digestion.

8. Lean Protein Foods - Lean protein foods, such as turkey and chicken breast, lean red meat, and egg whites, have the highest thermic effect of any foods. So just like with fibrous vegetables, most of the calories from lean protein foods are burned off during digestion and very few are stored as fat. Lean protein foods also help to preserve muscle mass during weight loss, which keeps your metabolic rate high. A higher metabolic rate causes your body to burn more calories, even when you're at rest.

9. Fatty Fish - Fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which, besides being incredibly healthy, affect metabolism. Omega-3s alter levels of leptin, a hormone that directly influences metabolism and determines whether you burn calories or store them as fat.

10. Nuts - While nuts are calorie dense, studies have shown that people who eat nuts tend to be thinner than people who don't. Nuts are a good source of fiber and protein and are high in healthy unsaturated fat. Raw, unsalted nuts are best.