Healthy weight loss involves the burning of body fat, while preserving
other tissue (such as muscle mass). While “fat burning” may sound
like a fairly simple process, it is anything but.
In chemical terms, “fat burning” means oxidation of fat. In order to
breakdown body fat and turn it into energy, many different enzymes
and nutrients are required. Directly involved in this process are the
vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B5 (pantothenic acid).
Also involved are proteins, together with sulfur- and phosphorus-
containing molecules. If our food fails to provide us with an ample
supply of these fat-metabolizing nutrients, we are not going to burn
body fat in an optimal way. That’s why it’s so important to focus on
nutrient-rich World’s Healthiest Foods—for their concentration of
these and other nutrients—when looking to optimize healthy weight
loss.
There is also some preliminary research on the role of certain nutrients
to induce “thermogenesis” in brown fat cells. The World’s Healthiest
Foods—notably those that provide higher protein and lower refined
carbohydrates, as well as those rich in fiber—are integral to activating
the thermogenic production of heat in brown adipose (fat) cells. In
addition, they decrease storage of dietary fat in ordinary cells;
therefore,they may be helpful aspects to consider in the process of
weight loss or any aspect of weight management.
One of the foods (well, actually beverages) that I emphasize in the
CHAPTER 6