Hunger is the reason so many of us fail at traditional dieting. Even with snacks, we can't seem to get enough filling food. However, with negative calorie foods, this problem is eliminated. You can theoretically eat as many of these foods as you want in unlimited quantities and still lose weight. It is not recommended to consume only these foods in your diet because your body needs sufficient energy to function.
How Negative Calorie Foods Help You Lose Weight
These foods do have calories, but conceivably the body will use up more energy during the digestive process than the food actually contributes. For example, the chewing and digestion required to process a piece of celery would expend more calories than the five calories your body will get from the vegetable itself. A calorie deficit is thereby created. When you combine these negative calorie foods with low fat proteins, you can only increase metabolic rates. Proteins, while not always low in calories, do require a lot of energy for processing and have a high thermic effect on the body. They also limit muscle loss, which can occur as a result of calorie restrictive diets. All of this leads us to believe that incorporating one or more of these negative calorie foods into your regular meals can help you lose weight.
Negative Calorie Vegetables
Many cruciferous vegetables make the list of negative calorie foods. These include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and watercress. Other tasty vegetables on the list that make fine salad ingredients include lettuce, carrots, celery, onions, cucumber and radishes. Stir-fry some asparagus, garlic and zucchini for a tasty negative calorie side dish.
Negative Calorie Fruits
Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries not only have negative calories, but they are also high in antioxidants. Grapefruit has always been known for its weight loss benefits, so it's no surprise to find it among these foods. Papaya and pineapple are full of enzymes for improved digestion, which enhances weight loss. Apples, oranges, tangerines, peaches and cranberries also made the list.
Too Good to be True?
Scientists have not yet found a verifiable method to determine the energy expenditures of digesting foods or meal combinations. With this being the case, it's hard to prove the concept of negative calorie foods. Eating these fruits and vegetables, however, can still have a positive effect on your health and weight because most of them are nutrient dense with a low caloric value. So even if the negative calorie theory were wrong, it would still be a good idea to add these foods to your daily meal plans.
Member Comments