Fat burning vitamins

Sundial’s nutritionist Shirley Ward explains how eating certain foods really can help towards weight loss:

If you regularly suffer from joint pain and back pain then reducing excess weight can certainly have a beneficial effect.

For sustainable weight loss you need to achieve an efficient metabolic rate (the rate at which you turn food into energy not fat).  Studies show vitamin C, B vitamins and magnesium really can help control how efficiently your body burns fat.

Ensure you’re regularly consuming foods that contain these “fat-burning” vitamins and minerals:

B vitamins: brown rice, oats, fruit, vegetables, avocado, bean-sprouts, beans and lentils

Magnesium: green leafy vegetables, soya beans, avocados, cashews, almonds, bananas, apricots and apples

Vitamin C: fresh parsley, broccoli, cabbage, frozen peas, squash, kiwi fruit, mango.

You may wish to try the following soup, which incorporates a good mix of these “fat-burning” vitamins and minerals:

“Fat Burning” Vegetable Soup:

400g can lentils (rinsed and drained)

400g can beans (your choice: butter/barlotti/haricot etc) (rinsed and drained)

2 medium onions

1 tbsp rice bran/rapeseed oil

2 cloves garlic

½ cabbage finely shredded

2 medium carrots, chopped

½ medium squash, chopped

1 medium sweet potato, chopped

1 tsp turmeric

1 litre chicken/vegetable stock

Generous handful of fresh parsley

Gently fry the onions and garlic in the oil until soft.  Add the cabbage, carrots, squash and sweet potato.  Mix well then add the stock and lentils, 1 tsp turmeric and a generous amount of ground black pepper and bring to the boil.  Simmer gently until vegetables are al dente.  Add beans and heat for 5 minutes.  Add fresh chopped parsley and serve.  (Soup can be liquidised if preferred).

Visit this page regularly for easy tips and recipes to improve your health.

The above is provided as general nutritional advice.