Thermic Effect Secret

"Thermic effect of food (also commonly known simply as thermic effect when the context is known), or TEF in shorthand, is the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for storage and use.^[1] It is one of the components of metabolism along with the resting metabolic rate, and the exercise component. Another term commonly used to describe this component of total metabolism is the specific dynamic action (SDA). A common number used to estimate the magnitude of the thermic effect of food is about 10% of the caloric intake of a given time period, though the effect varies substantially for different food components. Dietary fat is very easy to process and has very little thermic effect, while protein is hard to process and has a much larger thermic effect.^[2]"

Professor Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, wrote, "It turns out that lean protein is perhaps our most powerful ally in the battle of the bulge. It has twice the thermic effect of either fats carbohydrates, which means it revs up your metabolism. In other words, protein's thermic effect increases our metabolism and causes us to burn more calories than if we ate an equal caloric serving of either fats or carbohydrates."

The biggest factor in my body fat lost was increasing my animal based protein consumption. You don't have to eat less to lose body fat, but eat more of the right foods that will increase your metabolism and animal based protein foods should be one of your primary food sources.

With Respect,

Bao Tran