the “calorie-negative” diet - Dietitians Association of Australia

THE
“CALORIE-NEGATIVE”
DIET
FOODS THAT CAUSE OUR BODIES TO BURN MORE
CALORIES TO DIGEST THAN THEY PROVIDE? SOUNDS TOO
GOOD TO BE TRUE!
WORDS BY DR KELLIE BILINSKI, ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETITIAN
144
| May/June 2015 | oxygenmag.com.au
PHOTO CREDIT SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Nutrition
Fat-Loss Special
A
ccording
to popular
belief, the
amount of calories it
takes to digest certain
foods, such as celery,
lettuce, cucumber,
cabbage, asparagus,
chilli, grapefruit and
papaya, is actually
more than the
amount of calories in
the foods themselves.
So the theory
goes: if you eat
100 calories worth
of food that takes
150 calories to
digest you’ve burnt
an additional 50
calories…sounds
impressive. So if
you simply eat kilos
worth of these sorts
of foods you’ll lose
weight? Where do
we sign up?
Unfortunately, it’s
not that simple.
Let’s look at it
practically. In
order to consume
100 calories worth
of celery (which
contains 16 calories
per 100g) you’d
need to consume
over 600g of celery!
A few sticks of
celery weigh about
100g, so if you eat a
typical serve you’re
really only burning
an extra 8 calories
for every serve.
THE GOOD NEWS
On the other hand, fruits are higher in calories due to
their natural fruit sugar content, so it’s quite easy to
consume excess calories if large quantities of fruit are
eaten. For example, papaya contains approximately
42 calories per 100g so the calories can add up quite
quickly, and the amount of extra energy supposedly
burnt is also unlikely to be significant.
There are no scientific studies that actually show that
this is true. However if it were true, lets put it into the
context of meaningful weight loss. In order to lose
a kilogram of fat in a week, you would need to burn
an extra 9,000 calories. So burning an extra eight or
so calories in a typical serve of food is really quite
insignificant.
PHOTO CREDIT SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
THE FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT
That’s not to say these sorts of foods,
which are usually quite high in fibre and
water content, have no value as part of an
eating plan aimed at losing weight. These
foods help to fill us up and increase satiety,
which can reduce the likelihood of excess
calories being eaten later on. In addition,
many of the so-called calorie-negative
foods contain important nutrients such as
antioxidants and vitamins, all of which are
essential for health.
to digest proteins than it does to digest
carbohydrates, in terms of weight loss, it’s
not going to be significant. On the plus
side, lean meats and meat alternatives are
an excellent source of protein, which has
been shown to keep you fuller for longer
and prevent that energy slump and midmeal snacking later in the day.
Proponents of the negative calorie diet
also claim that lean meats such as pork,
turkey and chicken make the digestive
system work harder, temporarily boosting
your resting metabolic rate, which in turn
helps you burn more calories. Although
it is true that our body takes more energy
oxygenmag.com.au | May/June 2015 |
145
Nutrition
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Kellie Bilinski is an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Accredited Practising Dietitians are university qualified health
professionals who are able to individually assess your diet and develop an eating plan that will allow you to lose
weight, without risking your health. Visit the ‘Find an APD’ section of the Dietitians Association of Australia website at
www.daa.asn.au to find an APD in your area.
146
| May/June 2015 | oxygenmag.com.au
PHOTO CREDIT SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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