Negative Calorie Diet Information
Somewhat of a misnomer, a negative calorie diet is not based on the concept of eating non-calories, but instead exploits the thermic effect of food to reduce overall caloric consumption. Individuals on a negative calorie diet lose weight quickly, because although they are eating relatively moderate amounts of food, their body is able to only utilize a fraction of the calories consumed. If you, or someone you know, is about to embark on a negative calorie diet, here are the facts you should know before you begin.
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About Negative Calorie Diets
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A negative calorie diet is not really a structured diet, per se, but rather a list of recommended foods that have a substantial thermic cost to the body during the process of digestion. Negative calorie foods include many fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, apples, berries, broccoli, lettuce and cucumber.
Negative Calorie Theory
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The thermic effect of food states that the body must burn calories to digest foods, with certain types of food requiring more calories to digest. Therefore, the number of calories on the label is not the amount of energy you receive from eating any particular food. You instead receive the net calories less the cost of digestion. For example, eating 200 calories in cookies might only require 10 calories for your body to digest, for a net gain of 190 calories, while 200 calories of apples might cost the body 100 calories to digest. So while the foods might look similar on paper, the thermic effect shows that no two foods are exactly equal.
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Negative Calorie Benefits
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The idea of building your diet around these foods is a good idea, as many are nutritious fruits and vegetables that promote health, and any diet that encourages you to consume more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis has value.
Negative Calorie Drawbacks
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Be careful, though, because if you limit yourself to these negative calorie foods you might end up thinner but malnourished. As with all things, a balanced approach is best. While eating some negative calorie foods to lose weight is healthy, eating nothing but these foods is obsessive and destructive. Your body still requires adequate amounts of healthy fats (some animal fats, some healthy oils, and some natural fats such as from coconuts) and a sufficient amount of protein (at least 60 to 80 grams a day).
Considerations
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On balance, the benefits of a negative calorie diet far exceed the potential for abuse. Just remember to monitor your weight loss to keep it moderate and measured (aim for one to two pounds of weight lost per week) and remember to include some natural fats and lean protein in your regimen. If you follow these simple rules a negative calorie diet can be a healthy way to lose a few pounds.
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