Negative Energy Foods

The term "negative-energy foods" is synonymous with the term "negative-calorie foods" and refers to how your body digests the foods you eat. A calorie is a unit of energy, and any unused energy is stored in the body for later use. The body requires a certain number of calories, or units of energy, to digest the food that enters it. A "negative-calorie" food does not mean that it has no calories; it means that it contains fewer calories than the body needs to digest it. When this occurs, the body is forced to use stored energy to complete the digestion process. Many people believe that weight loss is a result of eating "negative-calorie" foods. Donald Hensrud, M.D,. a preventive medicine specialist with the Mayo Clinic, admits "this is theoretically possible but there are no reputable scientific studies to prove that certain foods are "negative calorie' or that those foods aid in weight loss "See Reference 1."

Fruits and Vegetables

• Most "negative-calorie" food lists consist mainly of fruits and vegetables. Because of the large amount of fiber contained in fresh fruits and vegetables, the body requires more energy to digest them than they provide. Because the body has to use stored energy to digest this type of food, they are termed "negative-energy foods" by diet gurus "See Reference 1."

Lean Protein

• Lean-protein foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs provide a feeling of fullness and thus suppress the appetite. Proteins require approximately the same number of calories to digest as they provide. This means that they are included in many types of diets because the calories consumed and the calories burned, in a sense, cancel each other out. Therefore, lean proteins help you feel full and, when eaten in moderation, will not add or reduce the body's weight "See Reference 2."

Cellulose

• The most referred to "negative-calorie" food is celery. Celery is very low in calories but also very low in nutrients. Celery contains a fiber called cellulose. The human body is not capable of digesting cellulose, so energy is expended to break it down. It is passed through the digestive system and expelled in its original form. Tom Venuto, the expert at Burn the Fat, claims that you are better off by choosing darker greens that contain few calories but more nutrients than celery, such as spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce "See Reference 2."