Firstly, you need to realize that whenever the term "negative calorie foods" is applied, it simply refers to a category of food that necessitates more calories to digest than the food really contains.

Let us use water as an example. Water has no calories. When you drink cold water, the body actually has to expend some energy to raise it to body temperature. In this situation, the cold water is called a negative calorie food because when you drink it, our body burns up a few calories.

As a side note, people who suffer from anorexia actually use negative calorie foods as a method to keep thin. Regrettably, this results in them having nutritional deficiencies. Much of the calories that are expended comes from their muscle tissue.

A more appropriate method of utilising negative calorie foods is as part of a supervised fasting or detox programme. You can fast for one to three days to clean out your system. One good time is right after Christmas season or after having gorged on a lot of food. Of course, it's advised that you seek medical advice before attempting a detox plan.

If you may be thinking that you want to start a negative calorie fasting or detox programme, you must pay attention to these areas:

1. You shouldn't concentrate on eating only one particular food. Foods, in fact, comprise of substances that although natural, can have adverse effects when taken in large amounts. As an example, consuming huge quantities of the acid contained in grapefruit can do much damage to your stomach lining. And other foods might result in diarrhea. Thus, if you can, consume as many of the various different negative calorie foods as you can.

2. To avoid bloating and getting sick, you shouldn't eat throughout the entire day. Having 4 or up to 5 salad meals at different times of the day should be enough. Then, do not over burden your digestive system and just leave it to rest.

3. Eat slowly and make sure to thoroughly chew your food. This actually releases enzymes and you end up using more calories by doing so. So if the negative calorie foods can just be taken raw such as carrots and tomatoes, it would indeed have more benefits than cooking them.

4. Schedule a time when you will be free of any important commitments. This is because during your fast or detox period, you may suffer from fatigue, headaches, and irritability. Also, If these symptoms persist, stop the diet immediately and visit a doctor.

5. Once your detox ends, make sure you return very gradually to your normal eating pattern.

After considering all the factors above, here is a list of twenty negative calorie foods.

* Apples
* Blueberries
* Broccoli
* Cantaloupes
* Carrot
* Cauliflower
* Celery stalk
* Cranberries
* Cucumbers
* Grapefruit
* Green beans
* Green cabbage
* Lettuce
* Papayas
* Pineapples
* Prunes
* Raspberries
* Spinach
* Strawberries
* Tomatoes

It may be worthwhile to repeat that seeing a doctor prior to using negative calorie foods in your detox or fasting program is highly advisable.