Negative Calorie Food: Is There Really Such a Thing?

April 17, 2011 by Weight Loss Tips
Filed under Weight Loss Tips

Negative Calorie Food

You have probably heard of the term negative calorie food and wondered what the heck that they were talking about. Then you read an article and think to yourself that it can’t possibly be true.

Well it is – BUT – well maybe – possibly be –no

Yes, there is a but – lets first talk a bit about what a negative calorie food is and how a food can have negative calories.
First off, every food except water has calories – that’s a fact.

When we eat these food, our bodies need energy to digest this food. Now it may only be a few calories but it still a few calories.
The more dense and complex the food is the more calories our bodies use to turn this food into nutrients for the body.

So a simple food like a sugary candy or a food that is highly processed will hardly take any calories at all to digest.

For example: take food like an apple or broccoli. Both are rich with nutrients, high in fiber and densely rich. These food take longer to digest so your body has to work harder and longer to digest them –so they take more calories to burn the food.

Now since both of these foods are already low in calories, they actually take a few more calories to digest and burn the food then the amount of calories that is in the food itself – so you can a negative calorie sum for the food.

This is where you get the term “negative calorie food”.

Scientists still can’t agree whether or not there truly is a negative calorie effect. Some say yes and others say that the food still contains more calories than what is used in the digestion process but both groups agree that the food on the negative calorie list are some of the best food for you and that you should be adding them to your diet anyway.

In addition to being high on the nutrient scale, they are are high in fiber ( which can help you feel full longer and will keep away cravings) plus they are high in water hydrating our body.

Here is a list of the most popular negative calorie food to add into your diet:
Apples – be sure to also eat the apple skin
Cabbage – cooked or raw ( raw tastes sweeter and takes longer to digest)
Cucumber
Eggplant
Lettuce – the darker green the better
Beets
Asparagus – fresh or frozen is best
Celery
Blueberries – great on top of oatmeal
Broccoli – raw or cooked
Cauliflower – raw or cooked
Radishes
Cantaloupe
Papaya – papaya aids in digestion and may be good for heartburn – some do get the poops so if it is a new food for new only have a small amount.
Carrots – again raw or cooked
Green beans – raw of cooked – these are great raw to snack on like carrot sticks
Tomatoes
Zucchini – great steamed – sorry zucchini bread doesn’t count
Grapefruit – if you are on medications read your label to see if you should avoid grapefruit within an hour or two of your meds
Endive
Garlic
Onion
Pineapple
Spinach – raw spinach makes a great salad. Raw spinach often is sandy so wash well
Turnip – turnips are a little hot ( just a little) and are a great addition to a salad
Raspberries – one of my favs
Strawberries – be sure to wash well & if possible buy organic strawberries. They are loaded with insecticides.
Tangerines
Prunes – if you use dried prunes be sure have ones that have no sugar added and only have 1 or two as they are high in calories when dried
Cranberries

As you can see the list is made up of fruits and veggies and not a single processed food in the list. By the way there are many more foods that some consider negative calorie foods just make a few internet searches and you’ll find loads of info.
Remember that these foods are to added to your diet, don’t rely on just these. Besides them all being high in fiber and if you all of a sudden just feat on them you will not only get constipated but also gas. So go easy.

Negative calorie food can help you keep your weight down, keep craving away, help you feel full longer and are very nutritious – so enjoy!

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