It may sound really weird but I never drink something because it tastes nice. To me, having a drink is to quench your thirst and so I usually just drink water. However, I also like to have a herbal tea to help with a cold, boost my metabolism or similar and love to have a homemade smoothie or protein shake to ensure I get my daily nutrients.
A lot of people who are on a weight-loss journey can usually agree that by cutting down the number of teas, coffees or sugary drinks they have on a daily basis is one of the easiest ways they can shed the pounds. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, adding these five fat-burning ingredients to your water or fruit juice can help to boost your metabolism and help burn off any excess fat you may be, unintentionally, holding on to.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is massive within the health and fitness industry at present. It tastes like actual vinegar – I expected it to taste like fizzy apple juice – but is amazing for the metabolism. Some of the many advantages of apple cider vinegar include:
- Apple cider vinegar has shown great promise in improving insulin sensitivity and helping lower blood sugar responses after meals. [Source]
- Studies suggest that vinegar can increase feelings of fullness and help people eat fewer calories, which leads to weight loss. [Source]
- Apple cider vinegar also has various other non-health related uses like hair conditioning, skin care and dental care. [Source]
You can use it in the following ways:
- Simply add it to water, though by itself this can be rather disgusting. I tend to put a cap full (1.2 tsp) into a glass of water and then add 2 tsp of my Mango & Lychee Tea Powder.
- You can add a cap full to a glass of orange juice (I love orange juice with bits!), a pinch of ginger, a handful of mint leaves and 1 tsp of lemon juice.
- Also, you can add a cap full to any herbal tea and then a tsp of honey to help sweeten it.
This is exactly related to adding apple cider vinegar to your diet but since I mentioned the instant tea powder, these ones are next on my list…
2. Cinnamon
Cinnamon has many health benefits for it’s loaded with antioxidants. These are great for protecting your body from inflammation, infection, tissue damage and more.
- The antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help lower your risk of disease. [Source]
- Cinnamon may improve some key risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. [Source]
- Cinnamon has been shown to reduce fasting blood sugar levels, having a potent anti-diabetic effect at 1–6 grams or 0.5–2 teaspoons per day. [Source]
This super autumnal ingredient is a tasty addition to a cup of tea, coffee, milkshake or smoothie. I love adding it to a cherry green tea or similar through cinnamon powder.
3. Ginger
Ginger is another great autumnal ingredient that is jam-packed with nutrients. It has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional/alternative medicine. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold. [Source] It can also be used after exercise to help reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness.
Ginger is one of the very few “superfoods” actually worthy of that term.
Use it in your herbal teas or in coffee with the addition of honey or an alternative flavoured syrup. I love adding it to green tea to create my own “Gingerbread Green Tea“.
You can use it to create a detox drink. My favourite uses 1 lemon, 1/8 tsp of ground turmeric, 2 tsp of honey, 1-2 cups of boiling water and of course, 1-inch fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger. Alternatively, you can make pure ginger water using this recipe.
4. Turmeric
I always watch Victoria Secret model videos on YouTube where they talk about their daily diets and how they prepare for the annual VS fashion show. A running theme is to add turmeric to your diet may that be in the food you cook or what you drink.
Some of the health benefits of turmeric include:
- Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. [Source]
- Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in your brain. [Source]
- Curcumin has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. It improves the function of the endothelium and is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant. [Source]
- Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer. [Source]
Tip: Add a pinch of pepper to your drink and this will help the water/liquid absorb the turmeric rather than allowing it to sink to the bottom of the cup.
5. Cucumber
The final food that burns fat fast is the cucumber. I know that most people would advise adding something citrus to your drinks to help with fat burning but foods like lemon, grapefruit and pineapple are extremely acidic and hence, can damage your teeth. Instead, add cucumber. This has similar effects like a wedge of lemon or lime, without the negative impacts on your enamel.
Some of the benefits of cucumber water include:
- We know that we need water to keep our bodies hydrated. Adding cucumber flavours your water in some cases making your more likely to drink it. Staying hydrated also helps you to feel full, reducing your want for taking on calories. [Source]
- If you’re trying to lose weight, replacing sugary sodas, sports drinks, and juices with cucumber water can help you cut some serious calories from your diet. [Source]
- Cucumbers are rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese, molybdenum and several flavonoid antioxidants. [Source]
- Cucumber water can help soothe your skin from the inside out. Staying hydrated helps your body to flush out toxins and maintain a healthy complexion. Cucumbers are also high in pantothenic acid or vitamin B-5, which has been used to treat acne. One cup of sliced cucumbers has about 5 per cent of the recommended daily value of vitamin B-5. [Source]
Got another fat burner ingredient you add to your water? Share below!
What do you think?