[ad_1]
I have a list of foods considered "negative calorie" below, but what exactly does the term mean? First off, there is no food available that actually contains a negative calorie. Calories are measured as a actual unit of heat, so this cannot be a negative number. What the term actually means is that the number of calories a food has in it is less than the energy that the human body uses to digest the food.
One of the more commonly known items that are negative calorie is actually cold water. Water by itself has no calories, but when you drink it cold your body has to spend energy to warm it up inside your body. So every glass of cold water burns a few more calories.
Most times what is really being described is that the food has so few calories that even after you digest it, you'll still have added calories to your body, but in such small amounts that it's barely measurable. That is until you factor in the energy the body spends simply keeping all of its functions working in unison.
Celery is one of these foods. While it has more calories than you need to digest it, it does not have enough available calories to keep the human body functioning even when we are sitting idle. This is actually why people call these foods negative calorie.
Here's a list of some other popular negative colorie foods: apples, asparagus, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cantaloupes, carrot, cauliflower, cranberries, cucumbers, eggplant, endives, garden cress, garlic, grapefruit, green beans, green cabbage, lamb's lettuce , lemons, lettuce, onions, papayas, pineapples, prunes, radishes, raspberries, spinach, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini.
Unfortunately, negative calorie foods are very tempting items for people suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia. Used exclusively over a long term period this type of diet can quickly mean you'll actually begin to see effects such as starvation and nutritional deficiencies quickly. But the calories that you do burn come from your own muscle tissue, not fat cells. In essence your body begins to feed on itself to survive and this can result in debilitative wasting away of your body.
The use of negative calorie foods in conjunction with a detox or fasting period is a much healthier option. It's a short term thing that can help you get back in control after periods of over eating such as the holidays or even a vacation. As long as you are physically healthy, this option can be used to great effect to help clean out your body. No matter how healthy you are, it's still your best bet to consult a medical professional before going through with any detox of fasting plans.
When using a negative calorie diet as a fast or detox, be sure you remember the following points:
1. Eat in moderation. While they may be negative calorie foods, if you consume too much of them it may even cause bloating or for you to feel ill. If you plan a short term detox or fast, you should not experience too much hunger. Just take the time and plan to eat smaller amounts of food four or five times during the day so you can give your digestive track a rest.
2. Remember to consciously eat. Take the time, chew your food properly and eat slowly. Slowing down the pace increases the amount of calories you use. Also, try and eat as much raw food as you can. Even steaming foods causes the loss of some of the vital nutrition they provide. You might also find foods become more satisfying if you grate them. Carrots and beets are just two of the foods that benefit from this.
3. At no time is it wise for you to over eat any one type of food. Fruits even more so than other foods. Several foods actually contain compounds that when eaten in excess can actually cause health issues. You may enjoy the taste of fresh pineapple or grapefruit, but each of these foods actually contains a large amount of naturally occurring acid that can irritate and damage your esophagus or stomach lining. Some foods put more of a strain on the liver or possibly even cause diarrhea. Make sure you mix things up a bit and always eat them in moderation.
4. With any fast or detox program make sure your schedule is flexible enough that you will be able to better deal with any of the uncomfortable symptoms you may experience. These include depression, irritability, headaches and tiredness. If any of these symptoms become sever, make sure to stop the detox or fast immediately and talk with your physician.
5. At the end of any fast or detox, make sure you slowly work your way back into eating normal.
Remember, to use negative calorie foods in moderation, exercise a little common sense and you'll be happy that you did.
[ad_2]
Source by Steven Storm