Food’s biggest losers
I recently came across one of those scrolling news flash items on Facebook regarding 鈥渘egative calorie foods.鈥� I鈥檒l bet you just did what I did: Double-take, and a big 鈥淗uh?鈥� Of course, like many topics in the world of preventive health and nutrition, there is some disagreement. So what does negative calorie mean?
Obviously, ALL foods contain calories, no matter how low. A common definition is food that 鈥渞equires your body to burn more calories for digesting them than their calorie content.鈥� As is true of most healthy foods, they are usually low glycemic, meaning they do not spike your blood sugar, and cause an insulin reaction. This is vital to the success of the strategy because insulin causes sugar to be stored as fat. It does not matter how good the food is once the insulin has flooded the bloodstream; the body will shut down fat burning, and start mass storage.
However, if we choose low glycemic food sources, the body will make up the calorie 鈥渄eficit鈥� by turning to stored fat. Not surprisingly, a list of these negative calorie foods is comprised largely of foods which are high in fiber: Vegetables, fruits, and spices. They are typically high fiber, effectively filling us up faster and making us both feel full faster, and more regular in elimination, both key ingredients to health and weight control. Fiber slows absorption of sugars, and its bulk both makes us feel more full, and helps the elimination process by helping the intestines not work as hard to move the food down the tract.
In case you haven鈥檛 noticed yet, the same 鈥渦niversal鈥� principle is popping in for a visit again; food as nature provides it is what heals us 鈥� fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. These should be the foundation of our diets, regardless of whether we are vegan, vegetarian, paleo, or low-carb.
Proponents of these foods claim the following to be among the benefits of these foods: Boost metabolism, helping fat-burning vs. fat-storage; increase overall energy; control the appetite, reducing hunger pangs; eliminate excess water from body; stabilize blood, sugar and mood; improve digestion and cleanse the colon; cleanse liver (the fat-burning organ) so it can burn fat more efficiently; anti-inflammatory effects, improving circulation; lower blood cholesterol; promote increased mental focus and clarity; lower stress, anxiety and depression; restful sleep; and rejuvenate skin, make hair shinier and strengthen nails.
So what are examples of the heavy hitters in this group of foods? Short list of veggies (alphabetically): Asparagus, bean sprouts, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory/radicchio, cucumbers, endives, green beans, jicama, kale, leeks, lettuce, radishes, spinach, squash, tomatos, turnips and zucchini.
Fruits (eat mostly on an empty stomach because they digest very fast, and will ferment in your gut if they are stuck behind slower foods): Apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, grapefruits, honeydew, lemons/limes, mangoes, oranges, papaya, peaches, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines and watermelon.
There are even herbs and spices on the list: Anise, cayenne, chili peppers, cinnamon, cloves, coriander/cilantro, cumin, dill, fennel seeds, garden cress, garlic, ginger, parsley, flax seeds, onion, mustard seeds and watercress.
Remember, most seeds and nuts are far more digestible after their enzyme inhibitors are deactivated by soaking; soak charts are searchable on the internet.
Along the lines of eating close to how 鈥渘ature provides鈥� them, when possible eat them raw or only lightly steamed. The more heat, the less nutrients. Smoothies are great; I enjoy a kale/blueberry/banana smoothie several days of the week. This boosts my blood oxygen in the morning, and starts me off with a huge load of fiber. Of course, organic or local pesticide free is best. Why add chemicals to your body that you are trying to eliminate? In fact, part of what holds body fat in place is when the fat cell is storing toxins the body rejects. Moreover, eat these foods 鈥渃lean.鈥� Do not eat them with sugar drinks, or fried foods, etc., which counteract the very efforts you are making.
Now, I would be disappointed if readers of a column entitled 鈥淣utritional Agnostic鈥� were to be free of skepticism and willing to accept all of this at my word. So, dear reader, you have two choices: Either dedicate some time to doing your own research, or eat these foods I am advocating, regardless of their having or not having 鈥渘egative鈥� calories. Why? Because even if they aren鈥檛 good for you for the above reasons, they are irrefutably good for you鈥nd it is a bonus if they help you lose weight for the reasons suggested! There is no diet plan, no culture, no doctor worth listening to, no religion, no time in history when mother nature蘑菇视频 foods as she gives them are not abundantly healthy for us.
It is this author蘑菇视频 belief that whether these foods promote weight loss because they are 鈥渘egative鈥� or whether it is because they clean our liver and other organs, which helps us to process excess fat and toxins, the effect is the same: A leaner, cleaner, more energetic YOU.