Did you know that spicey foods can help to boost your weight loss and healthy eating plan – see below for the top foods to stock 
up on and why they work.
Chilli
Researchers at Canada’s Laval University have found that a chemical contained in chilli could boost your body’s ability to burn fat and curb your appetite. This is because capsaicin, the chemical that gives chillies their characteristic pungency, stimulates the natural process where some of the food we eat is converted immediately to heat. Called diet-induced thermogenesis, this process is good news for dieters because it means we burn up calories rather than storing them.
Scientists found that chilli can also reduce your appetite. Studies show that when men and women eat chilli-spiked food, they feel less hungry and eat significantly less at subsequent meals.
Tip: But let’s not get too lazy, there’s no point eating a lot of chilli if you’re also eating a high CALORIE diet and not getting ANY exercise, because you may still not lose the weight.
Cayenne
Originating from South America, cayenne peppers are used as a food, spice and medicinal remedy.
Eating cayenne peppers or taking a cayenne oral remedy might help you lose weight. Herbalists sometimes suggest cayenne as a natural supplement to treat obesity, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC).
The major active substance in cayenne peppers is called capsaicin, which gives the peppers their spicy-hot flavor and provides the potential medicinal benefits. The capsaicin in cayenne peppers may help to suppress hunger, thereby reducing food intake and promoting weight loss.
Ingesting cayenne peppers or capsaicin-based remedies may also increase heat production in your body, temporarily increasing the burning of calories, adds the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Tip: Natures sunshine make a Cayenne Pepper capsule (good for those that dont like eating spicy food) – the required dosage is 1 capsule before each meal (3 times daily).
Cinnamon
A Scandinavian study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when volunteers were given rice pudding with three grams of cinnamon, they produced less insulin after the meal.
Because insulin is the hormone that turns excess sugar into fat, this means less weight gain. As well as lowering blood sugar levels cinnamon may slow down the emptying of the stomach, meaning it can make you feel fuller for longer.
Tip: Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon daily over cereals, yoghurt or fruit, use to season muffins or even stir into your Healthy Mummy Smoothie. It is especially effective if consumed directly after meals.
If your breastfeeding and you notice eating spicy food upsets your bub in any way – please consume these foods straight after you nurse, that way it should have less impact and make for a healthy mumma and baby.
Written by Elisha Danine ADV. DIP. NUT. MEDICINE
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