The Negative Calorie Diet – Fact or Fiction?

In principle, the negative calorie diet is great. But is it real, or is it just another fad? There are two sides to the story, and you should know both before making your choice…
On the one hand, the concept of “negative calories” is debatable – some experts consider it to be a myth. They believe that there is enough energy contained in any type of food to have some left over after digestion. To add to this argument, a number of the foods included in the negative calorie diet are fruits containing sugar – albeit natural sugars, or fructose…
How can these foods contain less energy than it will take to digest them? It is rather unlikely…
In addition to that, there is the little matter of nutritional value – which demands that your body has to have access to not only minerals and vitamins, but also to some protein, essential fats, etc – none of which seems to be included in the basic form of the eating plan.
But on the other hand…
The concept – even though it does not quite behave as claimed – does have merit. If we keep in mind that you need well over a thousand Calories or kilocalories per day just to perform bodily functions, then cutting down the energy intake to a bare minimum could be advantageous.
Imagine needing, say, 1200 kcal per day, and you only give your body 500…
The rest will come from your reserves – fat.
Theoretically, it is a great way to limit your energy intake, while still being able to feel full after eating. In fact, companies like Weigh-Less(R) use exactly this principle of “almost zero Calorie food” to have you eat a huge plate of food without consuming any more calories than you need to.
However…
Since the basic form of the negative calorie diet is comprised mostly of fruits and vegetables, you will have to add some form of protein, as well as essential fats to it. You have a few choices – but keep in mind that, when considering supplements, natural is better than anything else.
As such, you can – theoretically – use Omega 3 supplements – but eating fish would be better. Additionally, you do need some protein as well – which allows some options including fish, nuts and seeds, and some “light” dairy products.
At the end of the day, it will not be a “negative calorie diet” any more -but it can be a very low calorie diet – completely nutritionally balanced – if you put it together carefully.

Guest writer: Bushra