Eating as exercise? C’mon, I CANNOT be serious!
Okay, you got me. I’m not being entirely serious.
Eating is not exercise. I don’t think any of us would ever be guilty of confusing the two.
However, any and all types of body movements, functions, and processes do, in fact, burn calories. That includes internal processes such as the digestion of the food we eat.
So, while it’s true that eating is not exercise, it is absolutely true that our weight loss journey can be benefitted by burning calories to metabolize so-called zero-calorie foods.
The list of zero-calorie foods is lengthy – I’m confident that unless you are very new to the weight loss lifestyle, a few foods have already sprung to mind.
In the spirit of full disclosure, few of these foods actually have zero calories. But, generally speaking, their calorie count is so low that our body burns a number of calories that is equal to or greater than the food’s calorie count.
In fact, the term “Negative Calorie Foods” has been coined to perhaps more accurately describe the nature of the caloric phenomenon at work.
After a quick and informal poll of folks here at Mediplan Diet Services, I’ve put together a list of some of our favorite and most versatile zero-calorie or negative calorie foods.
Fruits:
Grapefruit
Lemon
Watermelon
Orange
Tomato
Veggies:
Celery
Cucumber
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Carrots
The best way to truly benefit from the negative-calorie aspect, of course, is to eat these foods raw or lightly cooked, perhaps steamed, with no additives such as oil or butter.
To learn more about so-called zero- or negative-calorie foods and how to most effectively integrate them into your diet, call Mediplan Diet Services today or click the Schedule an Appointment button at the top of this page. We can work alongside you to create a personalized diet and fitness plan to help you reach and exceed all your health and weight loss goals.