by Susan Z. Miller

Created on: November 13, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2009

While it may sound too good to be true, it is factual that certain foods are proven fat burners. What classifies a food as a natural fat burner is that, once ingested, it burns more calories than the calorie count of the food itself. Some fat burners even have powerful qualities that raise the body's metabolism, help promote healthy cholesterol levels, and detoxify the body. Including the following top 5 fat burning foods in your diet just may provide that extra boost you need towards achieving a svelte, lean body.

(1) Cinnamon
According to George Mateljan, author of the World's Healthiest Foods, seasoning a high carb food with cinnamon helps lessen its impact on your blood sugar levels. By lowering its blood sugar, the body is able to regulate its energy levels and food cravings, which decreases the body's tendency to store fat. Cinnamon is also proven to increase the body's metabolism. In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture has documented that just to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon can increase the body's metabolism to 20 times its natural state. Cinnamon's ability to balance blood sugar levels, along with its powerful metabolism boosting effects, make it an awesome fat burner. Try using it on low-cal and high-fiber foods, such as a bowl of oatmeal, for a super nutritional fat burning boost.

(2) Ginger
Another deliciously sweet and spicy treat, ginger is like cinnamon in that it increases the body's metabolism. Ginger is a known vasodilator, meaning that it expands the blood vessels and increases the body's temperature. Quality Health reports that ginger can increase metabolic rates by as much as 20% after consumption. As an added bonus, ginger is also good for digestion, and studies show that it can also help to lower cholesterol. Ginger is available in a wide variety of forms, from powdered to the unprocessed ginger root that may be found on your grocer's produce section. Remember that sugar is a set back when it comes to burning fat, so avoid candied ginger and ginger ale when consuming ginger for its fat burning power.

(3) Apples
The key to the apple's success as a fat burner is pectin. All fresh fruit and berries contain pectin, but apples have it in abundance. Pectin in itself is defined as a carbohydrate that lacks calories. It has a natural water-binding property that, when ingested, limits the amount that your fat cells are able to absorb. One of the most interesting things about pectin is that it causes the stomach to empty slowly; more slowly

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