While it’s true we need a full spectrum of nutrients for our good health, I’d like to show you four nutrients that not only make you healthier, but also help fight fat and weight gain.

The first nutrient is calcium. Scientists aren’t really sure how calcium helps burn fat, but researchers at the University of Tennessee found that obese people who went on low-calorie diets that contained three servings of calcium-rich foods lost 70 percent more weight than those who consumed just one serving of calcium rich foods a day.

Good sources of calcium are fat-free milk, spinach, kale, broccoli, and white beans. If you choose to take a calcium supplement, I recommend 1,200 – 1,500 mg a day. If you choose calcium carbonate, it should be taken with food. If you choose calcium citrate, take it on an empty stomach. Choose one or the other, not both.

The next fat-fighting nutrient is omega-3 fatty acids. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate a balanced diet including omega-3s lost one more pound of torso fat than women on the same diet, minus the omega-3s.

Omega-3s slow your rate of digestion, which makes you feel fuller longer. This helps you eat fewer calories. Omega-3s also reduce inflammation, a major risk factor for diabetes. Good sources of omega-3s include enriched eggs, tofu, shrimp, fish oil, walnuts, salmon, tuna, flax and flax seed oil.

The next fat-fighting nutrient is fiber. Fiber is a great addition to your diet, because high fiber foods are nutrient-rich, filling, and low in calories. According to a University of Minnesota study, individuals who stuck to high fiber diets lost two to three pounds more per month than those who ate lower-fiber diets. Fiber also triggers hormones that help control appetite.

Good fiber sources include whole grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, oat bran, apples, carrots, pears, beans, and artichokes.

Vitamin B12 is yet another nutrient that also helps fight fat by helping to speed up your metabolism. In addition, B12 increases hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin helps red blood cells transport oxygen to all parts of the body. This helps produce energy to help you exercise.

Good sources of B12 include nutritional yeast, B12 fortified dairy, and eggs. Be careful though, if you choose to take a B12 supplement. Taking too much of one B vitamin without all the other B vitamins present (thiamine B1, riboflavin B2, niacin B3, pantothenic acid B5, pyridoxine B6, biotin B7, folic acid B9) will actually rob you of your B vitamins. For this reason, I recommend you take a B-complex supplement, especially if you are adding another individual B vitamin to your program.

Diet or exercise question? Email me at dwcrocker77@gmail.com. David Crocker of Landrum has been a nutritionist and master personal trainer for 29 years. He served as strength director of Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., head strength coach for the USC Upstate baseball team, the S.C. state champion girls gymnastic team, and the Converse College equestrian team. He served as a water safety instructor to the United States Marine Corps, lead trainer to L.H. Fields modeling agency, and taught for four semesters at USC Union. David was also a regular guest of the Pam Stone radio show.