There are foods that make you fatter and foods that make you skinnier. What’s the difference? The foods that make you fatter take minimal energy to burn. They are immediately processed and stored at fat. Foods that make you skinnier are actually foods that speed up metabolism by using up more energy to digest them.
The foods that speed up metabolism are classified as “negative calorie foods”. These foods do not have some mystical properties that erase the number of calories in your body (don’t I wish?) so the name can be a bit misleading.
What actually happens is that these foods cause your body work harder during the digestion process. Foods like this already contain a decreased amount of calories to begin. They are also full of fibrous materials that the system can’t easily break down; therefore it uses more energy during the process.
So the net result is your body uses more energy to convert that food into fuel (burns more calories) than the total amount of calories in the food to begin with. Therefore, there is a negative amount of calories. Essentially you have used enough energy to burn up the calories of the food you ate PLUS some more. Your body then uses stored fat as additional energy to complete the digestion process, thereby boosting up your metabolism.
Did I confuse you? Here is another example. I’ll keep it simple.
Half of a grapefruit contains about 40 calories and it takes your body 90 calories to digest it. You have used all of the grapefruit’s 40 calories PLUS 50 additional calories from stored fat resulting in a net calorie loss. This is where the term negative calories comes from.
In reality, for most of us, it usually works just the opposite way. We consume a rich fudge brownie that contains 180 calories but our body on uses 80 calories to digest it. We have essentially GAINED 100 calories which will be stored as fat for later use. That’s not a healthy thing. Unless you are exercising on a regular basis to burn up those calories, they are going to just sit there around your waistline adding to your already pudgy midsection.
So to get you started with negative calorie foods that speed up metabolism, I have created an extensive list consisting of mostly fruits and vegetables. Add these to your menu and you will begin to see and feel the natural changes in your body.
Salads are always a good choice. Create your own using lettuce, tomato, onion, carrots cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower and radish. Be sure not to load up on the salad dressing. You can add toppings like raisins or sunflower used in smaller quantities.
Steamed veggies as a side dish – broccoli, carrots, onion, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, green beans, spinach, zucchini; flavor with garlic.
Fruit cup – strawberries, apple slices, cranberries, mango, orange, pineapple, raspberries, tangerine, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon.
Smoothies are one of my favorites. You can use any combination of the fruits above mixed with ice or low fat frozen yogurt. Remember, you can also use these fruits in their juice form but fresh-squeezed is healthier than juice from concentrate.