01/11/2015 16:54
Eating as much as you want and not gaining weight at the same time sounds tempting, right? But magical products really exist! The beauty is in their negative calorie content.
What is a negative calorie
The name “negative calorie” itself is somewhat misleading, a more appropriate term is “zero calorie”. Breaking down and assimilating the nutrients consumed from such foods, the body spends energy and burns calories as much as you ate.
Here are some minus calorie foods:
Features of taking products with a calorie content "minus"
Many foods can boast negative calorie content, especially fruits, vegetables, berries and various spices.
On a note! The average daily intake of foods with a “minus” calorie content for an adult is about 500 g of fruits and 500 g of vegetables.
For greater usefulness, such products are best consumed fresh, because this way they save a lot useful properties. If you decide to cook something in a stew, do not use fatty sauces, animal fats, and most importantly, salt and sugar. Otherwise, the “minus” will surely change to “plus”, and dishes that are healthy at first glance will add a few extra centimeters to your waist.
Benefits for weight loss
Still, it is impossible to call products with a negative calorie content a panacea for combating overweight. Despite the large expenditure of energy for their digestion, this is not enough to burn fat. 
Imagine: to get rid of even one extra kilogram, you need to burn thousands of calories. The small amount that negative calorie foods can handle will not give a noticeable effect without exercising and following the rules of a balanced diet.
However, there are undoubted benefits in these products - firstly, they contain many useful substances, and secondly, they are an excellent substitute for a variety of harmful dishes.
Wanted to have a bite to eat?
- Don't reach for unhealthy potato chips - better take an apple or an orange. Delicious, healthy, and most importantly - no threat extra pounds. It is for this reason that negative calorie foods are included in the menu of many diets.
Harm from overuse
The properties of zero-calorie foods make them look like the perfect everyday diet, but don't get too carried away! Of course, there are various diets, the diet of which is exclusively low-calorie foods, but it is important to remember that long stay on such diets can seriously undermine your health.
On a note!
- The body will not be full of vitamins alone - it needs proteins and fats even while you are on a strict diet. You should not abruptly switch to a meager low-calorie diet - consult a competent nutritionist and make a complete, but dietary menu.
- Also, do not forget that some people have mushrooms, berries, citrus fruits, and even different kinds greens can be allergic. In this case, from the use of tempting useful products better to refuse.
- Some products are contraindicated for use in various diseases. For example, peaches are prohibited for stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as diabetes, and strawberries - with gastritis.
You should always take into account the characteristics of your body and state of health. The variety of foods with the so-called negative calorie content is large, and everyone will be able to pick up something with most useful for myself.
Can pregnant and breastfeeding women eat negative calorie foods?
Negative calorie foods can and should be included in the diet of future or already nursing mothers. Vegetables and fruits are a real storehouse of pectin and fiber, cleansing the intestines from toxins. And the greens will enrich the body with vitamins and trace elements. For example, beets will help to cope with edema, anemia, and improve kidney function, and apples will strengthen the immune system of both mother and baby.
Important! Pregnant and lactating women should pay special attention to allergenic foods - strawberries, melons, oranges. Their excessive use can lead to allergies in the baby, so you should be more careful about your diet.
Truth and myths
What they just don’t talk about zero-calorie foods. We've put together a few for you. interesting facts and myths!
Myth #1. The body spends more calories digesting negative calorie foods than it receives.
Actually this is not true. For example, you ate 100 g of spinach, which contains 23 calories. It will also take about 23 calories to digest, but no more.
Myth #2. You can eat as much sweet and fat as you want, eat magic foods, and lose weight at the same time.
Perhaps this is the most common misconception. But unfortunately for all admirers of tasty treats, such a miracle food has not yet been invented. If you eat a lot of sweet, starchy and fatty foods, no amount of low-calorie foods will help get rid of excess weight.
Myth #3. Zero calorie foods help burn fat.
In fact, regular exercise and an active lifestyle burn fat, and zero-calorie foods help speed up metabolism and improve digestion.
And now let's move from myths to an undeniable fact:
- Foods with a negative calorie content can become your friends during weight loss - this is the best replacement for candy and other sweets. Following a diet, such products can be consumed with virtually no restrictions, even after 6 pm (but no later than 2 hours before bedtime).
What can be prepared from negative calorie foods?
The variety of products with a negative calorie content allows you to dream up and cook a huge number of healthy dishes.
The most popular and easy-to-cook dishes:
- Spicy vegetable soup.
- Chicken breast with green beans.
- Soup with spinach.
- Zucchini carpaccio.
- Lentils with celery.
- Cabbage soup.
- Salad of salmon and fruit.
- Chicken with kiwi and vegetables.
- Stewed mushrooms with hot spices.
- Vegetable stew.
Opinions of doctors and nutritionists
Nutritionists confirm that zero-calorie fruits and vegetables are good for the body. But it is strongly not recommended to completely exclude foods containing proteins and fats from your diet.
An integrated approach is a panacea for all ills! Include low-calorie recipes in your menu, combine them with other healthy dishes (low-fat and unsweetened), lead an active lifestyle and get rid of bad habits Only then will your body thank you.
Some vegetables, such as radishes, celery root, bell peppers, spinach, are often credited with “negative calorie content” and are believed to miraculously reduce weight because of it. Allegedly, “negative calorie” foods for weight loss can be eaten in unlimited quantities and not gain weight. As if by regularly eating smoked sausages and eating them with celery, you can save thin waist. So, let's look at the main myths from this area.
Negative calorie myths
First myth states that in order for the body to digest negative calorie foods, it will need to expend more calories than it receives from them.
Let's look at an example. It is known that the nutritional value spinach is 23 kcal per 100 g - so much it brings to the body (income). According to our myth, the body will need more than 23 kcal to digest a vegetable (expenditure). It turns out that if you eat a piece of cake and chew on a good bunch of spinach, then the calories that came with the cake will burn out safely.
But this is a delusion, since no existing product is able to require more calories than it contains. So, instead of the definition of "negative" calorie content, it is more appropriate to use the definition of "close to zero", since when comparing the number of calories received with the amount spent on the digestion of these products, the difference is almost zero.
Second myth assures: If you eat whatever your heart desires, but at the same time be sure to seize fats with low-calorie vegetables, then the weight will decrease.
However, products with a "negative calorie content" cannot burn the fats that came with cakes and smoked meats. The body will not be able to break down all the fat received from a large amount of harmful foods eaten, no matter how much you eat them with celery and zucchini. Therefore, unprocessed fat will inevitably go into stocks.
The optimal diet should consist of a combination of low-calorie vegetables and lean meat and fish dishes. Such a menu provides the body with a sufficient set of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Third myth claims that “negative calorie” foods burn fat.
It is true that low-calorie foods help speed up the metabolic process, improve digestion. However, they do not have fat burning properties. Muscle activity is responsible for fat burning, in other words, regular physical activity.
Lose weight with low-calorie vegetables and fruits
But the statement that foods with the so-called "negative" calorie content contribute to weight loss is not a myth, but the real truth.
Eating salads from cabbage, cucumbers, the lowest-calorie fruits in any quantity will not lead to excess weight. But dressing for such salads should not be mayonnaise, but vegetable oils or lemon juice. Low-calorie vegetables can also be eaten in the evening, but no later than 1 hour before bedtime.
Vegetables and fruits with close to zero calorie content should be used to replace low-fat fatty foods. For example, if you constantly replace chips with a crispy celery stalk, weight loss will certainly occur, although not due to the negative calorie value of the vegetable. It is low-calorie foods that are most often used by diets for quick weight losswhen you need to a short time lose a significant amount of excess weight, for example, 5 or 10 kg per week.
The abundance of consumed low-calorie vegetables and fruits saturates with vitamins, useful trace elements, but you should not eat them exclusively, as they cannot provide all the necessary nutrients. After all, not only food of plant origin can fight fat, in the top of fat-burning foods you can see protein foods and drinks, for example, water, green tea. However, water is a special topic.
Water is a food without calories ness
In the world there is only one single product without calories, without proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It's about about water. Any other products have some kind of energy content, since they certainly contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates. These nutrients are essentially energy sources, so the existence of negative calorie foods is excluded.
What are negative calorie foods? It turns out that the same magical food that you eat and lose weight. That is, food that is not deposited on the sides, thighs and stomach, because the body spends much more energy on its digestion and assimilation than it receives. This seems to be our dream menu - chicken breast with celery for lunch, cauliflower for dinner, and strawberries for dessert! And not a single extra gram at the waist - everything burned down without a trace.
Is it really? In this article, we will talk about what a negative calorie food actually is, what foods have it, and most importantly, are all the statements true?
Magic or Deception: How Reverse Energy Foods Really Work
To begin with, we will try to understand the very process of assimilation of such food. What does she give us and why is she so popular among those who lose weight?
Most often, when talking about minus calories, they mean vegetables or cold water. The body spends the received energy on digesting food - hence the effect.
Plant foods are rich in fiber. And it's very hard to grasp. It turns out that if there are zucchini, celery, cauliflower, our digestion will idle. And this means that the costs of assimilation will be more - Right way to weight loss.
What happens when reverse calorie foods enter the body? That's right, he begins to intensively expend energy. Where does the "fuel" come from? active work? From body fat. So you can eat and lose weight.
But is it really so?
The energy consumption of our body is called the thermogenic effect of food - TEF for short. Not all calories received during breakfast, lunch or dinner go to support life. Part makes the process of digestion and assimilation of food possible.
Different products have different TEF. For example, in meat, eggs and other sources of animal protein, this indicator is one of the highest (up to 30%). That is, in order to break down the protein into amino acids, the body must try hard - work in an enhanced mode and release more energy.
This feature is used with might and main by the creators of popular express diets and other methods based on restrictions. They offer us a ready-made solution - a surplus of protein in the diet. However, if there is a lot of one thing, the other may not be enough. So it is in this case. Our body suffers, which is forced to put up with a lack of valuable nutrients - vitamins, trace elements, carbohydrates, fats.
By the way, what about carbohydrates? Their TEF is between 5 and 10%. But do not forget - there are simple, but there are complex organic substances, and there is a big difference between them. So, to digest and assimilate sweet soda, a lot of effort is not needed, but grains or vegetables rich in fiber are a completely different matter.
To make a list of foods with 0 calories, you need to find food with a thermogenic effect of more than 100%. Here the most interesting begins. It turns out that such food simply does not exist. But there are vegetables and fruits that have a low energy density - they are distinguished by a large volume with a low energy value. Those who want to lose weight should stop their attention on them.
Learn more about our weight loss programs:
Myths about easy food that is difficult to digest
So that you are finally convinced that anti-calorie products are not what they are given out for, we invite you to guess: myth or reality is what we will talk about.
- To digest food with a negative energy value, much more “feeding” is required than the body receives from food.
True or myth? To answer this question, let's imagine that spinach is the same universal product that helps to lose weight, just being present in the diet - no matter what. If its calorie content (23 kcal) is considered the "raw material" that we receive, then the cost of assimilation should be many times higher. And we can eat a cake with fat cream immediately after the salad - because all the calories are guaranteed to burn.
I think you have already guessed that this is a lie - no product, even the most useful and low energy value, can require more calories from the body than it contains.
The bottom line is that negative calories are just a fantasy. But there is food that can be called close to the "zero" indicator - if we compare the income we receive and energy costs, we can see that the balance is approaching zero.
- You can even eat what is harmful, under one condition - to seize sweets, pickles, fast food and semi-finished products containing fats in in large numbers, you need plant foods (greens, vegetables). This will help us lose weight.
True or myth? You can’t do this, and any sane person knows this, who saves the figure and adheres to a healthy lifestyle. balanced diet. If we systematically overeat unprofitable products, eating miracle vegetables and herbs a couple of times a day, there will be no effect - the weight will still grow.
You can eat zucchini, cauliflower and celery salad without worrying about your figure. But if you add cakes, smoked meats, fried and fatty foods to them, your body will store extra calories in the form of new kilograms simply because it cannot process all the nutrients to the end.
What can you advise to those who want to lose weight? The ideal combination is dietary meat or lean fish plus vegetables. This is a great option for both lunch and a later meal. You get a maximum of vitamins and minerals, as well as an important building block for muscle tissue - protein.
- Reverse calorie foods are also good fat burners.
True or myth? There are foods with low energy value - for example, celery, radish, which increase the metabolic rate - disperse metabolic processes and help the stomach and intestines cope with the digestion of food, assimilate all the nutrients without a trace. However, it does not have a fat burning effect. Calories begin to burn when the muscles work. So perfect option for you - a combination of proper nutrition with actively life.
- Negative calorie foods will help you slim down.
True or myth? It is difficult to disagree with this, because for the most part these are vegetables with a low energy value. You can eat as much salad of fresh peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes as you like without fear of gaining excess weight. Do not forget about the correct dressing - no fat mayonnaise, only vegetable oil or light dressings.
Healthy eating is the first and most important step to slim figure. The diet must be balanced. This means that you can not eat only vegetables. We need food containing animal protein, polyunsaturated fats. Do not forbid yourself what is beneficial for the body - allow it. The main thing is not to forget to control the situation. To do this, you can start a special diary, where you will note the energy value of each meal eaten per day.
Negative Calorie Products for Weight Loss: List and Table
So, we are convinced: food that requires more energy from us than it gives, simply does not exist. There is only food as close as possible to this definition, which we will talk about later.
For the most part, these are vegetables, fruits and berries, rich in fiber and having a relatively large volume with a low calorie content. In almost all lists of such products, cabbage is the leader. Her TEF is around 15%. Another assistant in getting rid of extra pounds is Iceberg lettuce with green juicy and crispy leaves. There are only 3 carbohydrates in 100 g.
What happens? Vegetables don't give us much energy - you still can't do without protein food. But they fill the stomach well (fiber plays a role here), give a feeling of satiety on for a long time, so when losing weight, these products are indispensable.
What else should you know about plant foods?
Raw fruits and vegetables are of great value to us.
During heat treatment, the fibers are destroyed, vitamins and nutrients are lost.
Have you seen how the volume of vegetables changes after stewing or baking? During cooking, liquid and soluble substances leave them.
Is it really necessary to eat plant foods exclusively raw? Let it be 50 to 50 - part of the vegetables in the salad, part in the stew or casserole.
Below is a table that presents the participants in the list of products with a minus or negative calorie content.
We will tell you more about the most famous vegetables and berries that will help you lose weight.
Celery root - this root vegetable not only strengthens bone tissue, improves immunity and has an anti-inflammatory effect, but also improves digestion. Calorie content of only 100 g of celery - 25 kcal. 94% is liquid - that is, we no longer eat, but drink. The use of the root before meals helps to speed up the metabolic processes in the body, and the coarse fibers contained in it perfectly cleanse the intestinal walls of toxins and toxins. Another proof of the benefits of this product is the low GI.
Cauliflower - it can be found on the table of those who are trying to lose weight. And for good reason: it has a minimum of calories and a maximum of useful substances. There is not much fiber in it, but this is for the best: the inflorescences irritate the gastric mucosa less. Cauliflower helps our digestion, accelerates slow metabolism. It can be boiled, baked, added to a variety of salads, included in vegetable stews.
Artichoke - removes excess fluid from the body, activates metabolism, contributes to the normal absorption of food. This plant has recently appeared on our tables, and many do not know how to eat and cook it. And this is not so difficult: the artichoke is boiled, after which the central coarse leaves are removed, leaving the edible part in the very middle - similar in shape to a potato.
Kalina - the low calorie content of this berry is a reason to include it in your diet. Light pies are baked with it, jelly is cooked from it and natural and tasty marmalade is made. For lovers of sweets who want to lose weight without denying themselves goodies, this is an ideal option.
Rhubarb is another rare guest on our table. This plant cleanses the intestines, improves metabolism, helps to normalize digestive processes and strengthens the immune system. The edible part is the stem. Appetizing desserts are made from it, it is also added to salads, used as a side dish for meat and fish.
Strawberries are an indispensable source of vitamins, a low-calorie base for homemade ice cream, mousses, compotes, jams. This berry contains substances that remove excess fluid from the body, as well as fiber, which normalizes the functioning of the intestines and creates all the conditions for the proper digestion of food.
There are no products without calories in our list - there are only those without which it is impossible to imagine proper nutrition. Do not forget that the diet must be balanced - then every dish on your table will contribute to weight loss.
Our experts will help you find the right solution for getting rid of excess weight and fixing the result. We will draw up an individual program, taking into account your preferences and characteristics of the body, give valuable recommendations and support at every stage, so that the transition from unhealthy food to the right and "profitable" does not cause difficulties. Lose weight with pleasure - without restrictions and prohibitions.
