Dr. Oz’s Burning Fat Secret

It seems that body fat is the guest that just won’t leave. Diets, pills, exercise; nothing seems to get rid of that roll of fat that crept in while you weren't looking. Dr. Oz has a surprising idea for getting that fat to burn itself away: three secret food groups to eat!

We usually think that fat will only burn away if we starve ourselves. Every grocery store checkout lane is packed with magazines touting the latest crash diet that promises to shed that fat in no time at all. On a recent episode of the Dr. Oz show, however, the good doctor explained that eating, rather than not eating, can be the path to burning fat. It may be easier than we thought!

His first tip: eat monounsaturated fatty acids. These “good fats” are found in rich and creamy foods, like avocados, olives (and olive oil), nuts (and nut butter) and dark chocolate. Dr. Oz points to research from the American Diabetic Association that found that eating these monounsaturated fatty acids (called MUFAs for obvious reasons) resulted in reduced abdominal fat.  MUFAs also seem to play a role in maintaining insulin sensitivity, so people on low-glycemic diets can rejoice! Dr. Oz says to add these MUFAs to your diet every day.

In addition to the MUFAs, Dr. Oz also suggests eating PUFAs. Really, this is not something we can make up. PUFA stands for polyunsaturated fatty acids, the big brother to MUFAs. PUFAs are found primarily in fish and nuts (and nut oil). He suggests at least two PUFA foods every day.

Tip number three from Dr. Oz is (you guessed it) another mouthful: alpha-cyclodextrin, which we all call FBCx around the house. FBCx is a new dietary supplement. It is nutritional fiber which bonds with “bad” fats in your stomach and keeps them from crossing the membrane wall of your intestine. This means that the bad fat leaves your body instead of hitch-hiking through your blood stream and forming platelets in your arteries. Think of it as thousands of really, really small bran muffins.

FBCx can cause some cramping and constipation, so don’t take it every day. But those occasional days when you just can’t avoid a greasy hamburger or those chili fries, consider taking FCBx, up to 2,000mg a day. Your arteries will thank you.

These three unpronounceable dietary strategies can make a real difference. Burning off body fat, or avoiding creating more, can lead to a slimmer and healthier you. As always, check in with your doctor before making any dietary changes. It’s almost beach time, so get ready to slim down!