Foods That Burn More Calories Than They Contain: Unbelievably True!

Catabolism is the process by which complex molecules are broken down to simpler ones to release energy. This category is recommended for those who aspire to burn calories and lose weight and consist of certain food items that require the body to burn more calories to get digested as well as negative calorie foods. This is the reverse of Anabolism, in which, simple substances are combined to form complex materials of living tissue. Anabolic foods are those which use lesser calories to get digested than the amount they provide. This category is recommended to bodybuilders and those who wish to gain weight.

Fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, grapefruit, lime, oranges, lemon, pineapple, plums, pears, strawberries, and watermelons are high-grade catabolic fruits.

Vegetables such as broccoli, celery, asparagus, carrots, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, leeks, spinach, lettuce, tomato, sweet potato, celery, pepper, and parsley leaves rank high as calorie burning foods.

Meat sources include seafood such as crabs, lobsters, mussels, shrimp, clamps, and fish like tuna, cod, and flounders. Other low-fat white meat also falls under this category of non-vegetarian catabolic foods.

This category consists of those foods which may not necessarily possess any specific chemical structure to burn more calories, but these are those foods which take up more time to get digested due to their sheer bulk and fibrosity. High fiber foods such as leafy green vegetables, lean white meat, etc. fall in this category.

These are those foods whose water and fiber content are the highest and they stimulate more enzymes than other foods. Prominent among these are papaya, watermelon, asparagus, beetroot, zero calorie foods, and beverage like water.

Despite zero calories, water does require calories to get absorbed in the body. The stomach is not like blotting paper which absorbs water in a swoosh! Calories are burnt even on account of digesting water, and cold water requires more calories to digest than normal room-temperature or warm water.

Foods which give warmth and increase the body temperature come under this category. The heat generated by these thermogenic foods accelerate metabolism and helps break down complex food compounds faster, preventing excess fats and carbohydrates to be stored unnecessarily. This category includes egg whites, chicken and turkey breasts, ginger, garlic, chilies, peppers, green tea, etc.

Foods that burn calories during digestion, the so-called reverse caloric foods, act the way they do due to their thermic effect being greater than their calorie content. To put it in simpler words, calorie burning food are those which make the body spend more energy to break them down than the energy which is gained by them. These include foods which rev up our metabolism, as well as those foods which simply occupy stomach space for a longer time.

Thermic effect refers to the increase in energy expenditure due to the cost of processing food (for storage and use) over the amount of energy spent while at inertia in a neutrally temperate surrounding.

Proteins require more calories to digest than fat, hence protein rich foods such as beans, whole grains, fish oils and lean meat go a long way into accelerating fat loss.

Vitamin C stimulates the carnitine amino acid, which speeds up the body’s fat burning process. Also, vitamin C dilutes fat, and helps the body to expel it.

Calcium from dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese help increase fat breakdown and is especially beneficial for losing stubborn abdominal fat.

Constipation is a significant factor behind weight gain. In trying to process fiber, the stomach body uses up a lot of calories and the bulk created by the high fiber diet ensures regular and comfortable bowel movement, thereby, ruling out constipation. So eat healthy, quit skipping meals and eat frequent but small meals. Burning calories without exercising is possible and simple. Even if you lose out on workout time, eating the right foods can get you into that flattering outfit in due course of time!