Negative Calorie Weight Loss: Fad or Phenomenon?
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Negative calories. Sounds just heavenly, doesn’t it?
What exactly are negative calorie foods?
The point of eating is to have calories for the body to burn and convert into usable energy.
Therefore, there is a caloric component to every kind of food we eat. Where the "negative calorie" part comes in
is that some foods cause your body to burn more calories during their digestion
than the foods themselves added to our body in the first place; hence, these foods are said to add "negative calories"
to the body. In a nutshell, you basically lose a small amount of calories when eating these
foods as opposed to gaining calories like you do when most other foods are processed within your body.
The concept of "negative calories" is that there are certain types of food, that when
ingested causes the body to produce certain enzymes or stimulates the tissues that cause
the production of these enzymes. The said enzymes are the solvents that break down the
calories in food. It is because of these enzymes and the amount of energy that the body
requires to produce them that technically makes their production a calorie-burning activity.
The Negative Calorie Diet Components
Foods included in the negative calorie diet are foods that take a greater amount of energy in order
to be digested. This amount of energy is more than the energy that they actually provide.
These foods are mostly fruits and vegetables. Among the food group that is claimed
to have the said effect (or negative calorie foods) are:
- apples
- asparagus
- cranberries
- grapefruit
- oranges
- lemons
- mango
- pineapples
- raspberries
- strawberries
- chili
- peppers (hot)
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- beets
- celery roots
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- cabbages (green)
- green beans
- garlic
- cucumbers
- zucchini
- spinach
- radishes
- lettuce
- lamb’s lettuce
- turnips
- onions
- prunes
- tomatoes
- papayas
- blueberries
- tangerines.
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Because most all negative calorie foods are fruits and vegetables, most of
them are very rich in vitamins and minerals. Interestingly, however, the ones that are
claimed to be most effective at producing the "negative calorie" effect have some of
the lowest nutritional value of the group, like celery. Still, each of the foods
on the list are excellent sources of what the body needs. Some broths and juices
(sugar-free) are also claimed to provide negative calorie benefits.
The Pros and the Cons
Despite its overwhelming popularity, the whole concept of the Negative Calorie Diet comes
admist much heated debate and is receiving a lot of criticism from the scientific community.
The name of the diet itself, "Negative Calorie Diet", is being challenged. This challenge is
based off of the fact that there is no food in the world that actually contains “negative” calories.
Critics also say that the diet uses up the body’s reserve of calorie energy that
is meant for exercise and for recovery from exercise. This may have a negative effect
for those who are undergoing weight training, as it will actually cancel the effectiveness
such activities.
Though even the thought of such a diet so wonderful as to include "negative calories"
is music to the ears of every person in search of the perfect weight loss
system, the diet still lacks scientific credibility. Research has yet confirm
that this diet is actually effective. The whole concept at present is more of a theory than a
fact and still cannot be viewed as a practical resort.
Right now, there is still very little information surrounding the diet, and it is still
possible that complete reliance may only lead to disappointment.
However, supporters of the negative calorie diet argue that certain foods do increase
one’s metabolic process. These advocates agree that there really is no such thing as a
“negative” calorie food, but there are foods that can provide an excessive amount of
vitamins that causes faster production of the enzymes that break calories down.
The promoters stand their ground that these kinds of food cause the body to burn
calories present in the digestive system. They also added a few advantages of the diet.
Since the diet is composed of mostly vegetables and fruits, it promotes the consumption
of vitamin and mineral enriched foods. Simply put, you lose weight by eating healthy.
The YourBestBodyNOW Take on Things
We are big fans of so-called "Negative Calorie" foods---not because we necessarily
believe that you will burn "negative calories"---because that is still uncertain. What
we do like, however, is that this system of eating promotes consuming fiber and nutrient
rich fruits and vegetables. Add that to a consistent exercise program and you'll have an
excellent formula for not only weight loss but an overall lifestyle change for the better.
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