12 Foods That Help Switch Off Your Fat Genes
By doubling down on a handful of superfoods, you can reverse your genetic destiny—and start dropping pounds automatically. (Photos: Shutterstock)
Add this to this list of things you can blame your parents for: Your waistline.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard just discovered how a part of your DNA called the FTO gene determines metabolism and fat storage. People who inherit a faulty version of the gene from both parents weigh an average of 7 pounds more than those who don’t have it (although many folks weigh much more). But the good news: Just by doubling down on a handful of superfoods, you can reverse your genetic destiny—and start dropping pounds automatically.
But while there may be a drug in the future that helps to block this gene, there are already foods known to science that effectively “turn off” our fat genes, activating our bodies to burn, not store, fat. In fact, new research from the best-selling book Zero Belly Diet (by Abs Diet and Eat This, Not That! author David Zinczenko) revolves around these powerful foods. Read on for an exclusive excerpt—and click here to be the first to get the brand-new Zero Belly Cookbook, filled with 150+ recipes that help turn off your fat genes!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #1: QUINOA
Eating whole grains has been shown to be a shortcut to belly-fat loss, and quinoa is at the head of the class. It’s a complete protein, meaning that it contains the full chain of amino acids that are necessary for muscle building and fat loss. (Brown rice is an incomplete protein.) It’s also high in the amino acid lysine, which helps you burn fat and maintain healthy bones and skin. According to a study published in the journal Food Chemistry, quinoa has the highest level of betaine, a chemical that revs your metabolism and actually shuts down the genes that encourage belly fat to hang around.
Zero Belly Tip: If you find yourself needing some variety, don’t turn back to brown rice—look to quinoa’s good-carb cousins such as bulgur and barley, or any of these 5 Greatest Carbs for Zero Belly!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #2: GREEN TEA
Adding a cup (or two) of green tea to your daily regimen can help fire your fat furnace in two ways. First, it controls blood sugar and quashes hunger: In a Swedish study that looked at green tea’s effect on hunger, researchers divided up participants into two groups: One group sipped water with their meal and the other group drank green tea. Not only did tea-sippers report less of a desire to eat their favorite foods (even two hours after sipping the brew), they found those foods to be less satisfying. And second, green tea boosts your calorie burn, especially if you have it before any type of exercise: In a recent 12-week study, participants who combined a daily habit of 4-5 cups of green tea each day with a 25-minute sweat session lost an average of two more pounds than the non tea-drinking exercisers.
Zero Belly Tip: It’s the power of the unique catechins found in green tea that can blast adipose tissue by triggering the release of fat from fat cells (particularly in the belly), and then speeding up the liver’s capacity for turning that fat into energy. We love tea so much, we made it part of our brand new weight-loss plan, The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Diet and Cleanse! Test panelists lost up to 10 pounds in just one week!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #3: BLUEBERRIES
Not only are the little blue orbs loaded with polyphenols—chemical compounds that prevent fat from forming—they actively burn belly fat, helping spot-reduce it! A University of Michigan study found that rats that ate blueberry powder as part of their meals lost belly fat and had lower cholesterol, even when they ate a high-fat diet. It’s theorized that the catechins in blueberries activate the fat-burning gene in belly-fat cells. In another study at Tufts University, people who regularly consumed catechins increased their belly-fat loss by 77%. Additionally, blueberries may be muscle builders. Their skins are rich in ursolic acid, a chemical which researchers at the University of Iowa found prevents muscle breakdown in lab animals.
Zero Belly Tip: You can also burn fat by eating raspberries, strawberries and other red fruits—they pack the most phytonutrients, high-powered compounds that make your belly fat see red.
ZERO BELLY FOOD #4: EGGS
Eggs are the single best dietary sources of the B vitamin choline, an essential nutrient used in the construction of all the body’s cell membranes. Two eggs will give you half your day’s worth; only beef liver has more. (And believe me, starting your day with a slab of beef liver does not make for a great morning.) But as more and more research is done into the mechanisms of our fat genes, the value of eggs has only grown. Choline deficiency is linked directly to the genes that cause visceral fat accumulation, particularly in the liver. (One of the reasons heavy drinkers develop fatty liver is that alcohol undercuts the body’s ability to process choline.) Yet according to the 2005 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, only a small percentage of all Americans eat daily diets that meet the U.S. Institute of Medicine’s Adequate Intake of 425 mg for women and 550 mg for men.
Zero Belly Tip: Start your day with this essential Best-Ever Zero Belly Breakfast recipe!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #5: ASPARAGUS
The key nutrient in leafy greens like asparagus is folate, a B vitamin that’s been linked to everything from boosting mood to battling cancer. It’s also a key that locks down genes linked to insulin resistance and fat-cell formation
Zero Belly Tip: While any green salad will boost your levels of folate (it’s also found in beans, lentils and peanuts), you can get an extra hit by choosing steamed asparagus as your side dish.
ZERO BELLY FOOD #6: BEEF
Protein is kryptonite to belly fat, and the building block of a lean, toned Zero Belly. When you eat protein, your body has to expend a lot of calories in digestion—about 25 calories for every 100 calories you eat (compared with only 10 to 15 calories for fats and carbs). Not only that, protein is more filling. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a high-protein meal, as opposed to one high in carbs, increases satiety by suppressing the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin.
Zero Belly Tip: In addition, lean meats are key sources of choline, just like eggs. Find the perfect one using this list of the 5 Best Cuts of Meat for Weight Loss.
ZERO BELLY FOOD #7: HALIBUT AND TUNA
Halibut is one of the best sources for methionine, a nutrient that reverses genes for insulin resistance and obesity. It’s also found in other coldwater fish, freshwater fish like sunfish and pike, and in chicken and turkey. And if you want to look better on the beach, look no further than the ocean—or at least the local sushi joint. Tuna a primo source of docosahexaenoic acid, an type of omega-3 fat that can ward off stress chemicals that promote flab storage and down-regulate fat genes in the stomach, stopping belly fat cells from growing larger.
Zero Belly Tip: Salmon, also high in omega-3s, can also be a belly-blasting choice—if you buy the right kind. Click here to read our special report: 8 Mistakes To Make Sure You Avoid When Buying Salmon!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #8: CURRY AND OTHER SPICES
In the kitchen, the genius has always been in the details. What makes an Iron Chef winner isn’t his or her ability to carve a duck with a Ginsu knife; it’s knowing the magic of herbs and spices, and finding the proper balance for each food. In fact, a recent behavioral study showed adults how to jazz up meals with herbs and spices instead of salt. As a result, the subjects cut nearly 1000 mg of sodium a day from their intake—that’s more salt than you’ll find in 5 bags of Doritos! Now, research is showing that herbs, spices, and flavorings do even more. Yellow mustard seeds have high levels of anti-cancer compounds called glucosinolates and cinnamon has been linked to improved insulin response.
Zero Belly Tip: Turmeric—a spice found in Indian food like curry—is our best-known source of a compound called curcumin, which helps to control the genes that influence inflammation and fat storage.
ZERO BELLY FOOD #9: PEANUT BUTTER
All nuts and nut butters are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, and popping a handful into your tank means you’re in Zero Belly territory from the first bite. Peanuts in particular are good sources of genistein and resveratrol, both powerful anti-obesity gene hackers. Skip trail mixes and canned nut mixes, which are often coated with oil, sugar, and salt, and buy nuts raw and in bulk to save money and calories.
Zero Belly Tip: When you’re buying peanut butter or other nut butters, check the ingredients list: there should be no mention of sugar, oil, or any other additives. Peanuts and maybe a little salt, that’s it; if there’s anything on the label besides that, you’re being duped. Speaking of which, make sure you’re not being lied to by food manufacturers by bookmarking this brand-new exposé: 24 Astonishing Nutrition Myths—Busted!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #10: KALE
Sulforaphane is a nutrient found in leafy, cruciferous greens like kale, broccoli and kohlrabi, as well as spices like horseradish. When your body has sufficient levels of it, the genes that determine whether stem cells will become fat cells decide “Nah. Looks like this body doesn’t need any more fat.” Your weight gain is reduced, even if you’re eating more calories!
Zero Belly Tip: Bonus—a 2010 study in Clinical Cancer Research found that sulforaphane inhibits the formation of breast cancer cells.
ZERO BELLY FOOD #11: RED WINE
Resveratrol is a supernutrient linked to heart health, but new studies show it may also work on a genetic level to prevent our bodies from storing belly fat. The nutrient is found in the skin of grapes, and while eating grapes or drinking grape juice will give you what you need, red wine is particularly effective. The alcohol draws resveratrol out of the grape skins, so you get a more concentrated punch. (You know that flaky dark stuff at the bottom of your glass the next morning? That’s resveratrol concentrate!) It could also help you burn fat better, according to a 2015 study in Nutritional Biochemistry. Over a 10-week trial, mice that got the human equivalent of about 1 ½ cups of red grapes a day accumulated less abdominal fat, and had lower blood sugar, than those that didn’t—even though both sets of furry subjects were being fed high-fat diets. In fact, the ellagic acid in the grapes lowered the fat mice’s blood sugar to nearly the same levels as lean, normally fed mice.
Zero Belly Tip: That’s just one of our 10 Best Nutrition Tips of All Time—click here to see the other 9!
ZERO BELLY FOOD #12: DARK CHOCOLATE AND BERRIES
Think of your colon as a little moonshine still, where your food ferments and all the good stuff gets drawn out. One of the things that happens during that fermentation process is that your body produces butyrate, a fatty acid that forms in your colon when bacteria feast on fiber. When your body has high levels of butyrate, its inflammatory response is reduced, and it does a better job of modulating blood sugar. High levels of fiber help your colon produce this moonshine, but recent studies have shown that combining fruit with dark chocolate—which is naturally high in fiber—can increase the rate of fermentation, and boost your butyrate production!
Zero Belly Tip: And if you need an extra energy boost, get it from healthy snacks, like the ones on this ultimate list of the 50 Best Snacks for Weight Loss!
TURN OFF YOUR FAT GENES—AND LOSE UP TO 16 POUNDS IN 14 DAYS while eating the delicious foods you love—with the 150+ brand-new recipes in Zero Belly Cookbook!
More from David Zinczenko!
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8 Secret Superfoods You Need to Know Now
5 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Cut Back on Carbs
