Negative Calorie Foods: The Ultimate Diet Fantasy

We've all heard of them, those foods that supposedly require more calories to digest than they actually contain. Like celery!  Don't you remember that celery had something like 5 calories, and took 15 to digest?  Now I don't really know where those numbers came from, but I sure remember hearing that statement uttered from the mouths of quite a few of my friends and relatiFves.  But is it really true?  Could you just theoretically eat a whole ton of celery and burn more calories than your daily trek in the gym?

Unfortunately, no.  These rumored zero calorie foods are just that, rumors.  They don't actually exist.  There isn't a single food out there that requires more calories to digest than they actually contain.  Each and every day, your body takes about 10% of your caloric intake and uses it to actually digest the foods that you've eaten.  Now this 10% can vary based on how many calories you actually consumed, and if it happens to be over the caloric value of celery, then whoopee, maybe in that instance celery was a net loss of calories.  But the difference is nearly negligible, and hasn't been shown to aid in fat loss (the effect hasn't, the food most surely has!)

Does this mean you should cut back on celery?  Or how about broccoli? (Another supposed zero calorie food.) HECK NO!  Both of these veggies can aid in huge amounts toward your weight loss goal.  They contain massive amounts of fiber, which will not only keep your digestive system fit and healthy, but will keep you satiated and slow the digestion of other foods, making it a more efficient process and allowing the body to more readily use the nutrients it has been given.

Listen:  You're not going to get fat off of celery.  I'd be willing to wager you that you could eat as much celery as you wanted, and you'd get full long before you ever gained even an ounce of fat.  Raw, green veggies are just too darn nutrient packed to be bad for you, even in huge quantities.  Actually, I'll go out on a limb and say that if "no limit" foods exist, celery, broccoli, and other deep greens like spinach and lettuce are definitely worthy of that title.

Eat to your heart's content!  But don't think you'll be in a net calorie loss by doing so, because even though I hate to say it, your body doesn't work like that.

 Myth BUSTED!  

All in a morning's work, and now off to class.

Eat those veggies, and GOOD LUCK!

Shirataki Noodles: A Gift From The Food Gods

A few days ago, I visited a little store called "Nature's Storehouse" in Canton, NY.  They're quite the health shop, who sell every supplement you could ever desire, and every healthy food that seems to skip over the shelves of more common, "mundane" grocery stores.  I found various grains like amaranth, chia seeds, and quinoa, as well as various seaweed types like dulce flakes.  But upon entering that store I was really only looking for one thing: Shirataki noodles.  These noodles are a dieter's dream food, having only 1 net carb per serving, and between 5-20 calories per 4oz depending on whether they are enhanced with tofu or not.  I'm here to tell you today that my search was not fruitless, and I came back to my dorm with three 8oz bags of tofu shirataki noodles.  Let me tell you all right now, THESE THINGS RULE!

First, let's explore a little and find out what shirataki actually is.  Shirataki noodles are thin, gelatinous noodles made from a yam native to Japan called the Konjac Yam.  They happen to be extremely low carbohydrate, due to the fact that they're composed almost exclusively of soluble fiber, which can't be digested by your body (or at least they're not able to be used as an energy source.)  That means they have almost no calories as well, and each of my 8 oz bags has 40 calories.  Let me tell you folks, 8 oz is plenty of noodles, and will go with any meal quite nicely.  They'll fill you up pretty darn quick too, another plus.

So what's the difference between traditional shirataki noodles and tofu shirataki noodles?  Well, by themselves, shirataki noodles have zero carbs, and practically no calories, making them the ideal choice for the super strict dieter.  However, plain shirataki noodles have a bit of a strange texture to them, and can bit a bit "rubbery" to bite into.  Food production industries found that by adding a small amount of tofu to the noodles, the texture can be softened, and at the same time a tiny bit of carbohydrates and protein is added to the noodles as well.  As mentioned before, 4 oz of tofu shirataki noodles still only has 20 calories, so it's really NO big deal at all, and honestly it's nice to get at least a few nutrients into what basically is just a "filler food."  Tofu shirataki noodles (while still rare) are also much easier to find than plain shirataki noodles.

Just for fun, here are the nutritional facts for shirataki noodles and tofu shirataki noodles.

3 oz of plain shirataki noodles:

Nutrition Facts
Calories 2	(8 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	0g	0%
Sat. Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Total Carbs.	0.5g	< 1%
Dietary Fiber	0.5g	2%
Sugars	0g
Protein	0g

4 oz of tofu shirataki noodles:

Nutrition Facts
Calories 20	(84 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	0.5g	< 1%
Sat. Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	15mg	< 1%
Total Carbs.	3g	1%
Dietary Fiber	1.5g	6%
Sugars	0g
Protein	1g
Calcium	100mg

And also for fun, here's 2 oz of regular angel hair spaghetti:

Nutrition Facts
Calories 200	(836 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	1g	2%
Sat. Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	0mg	0%
Total Carbs.	42g	14%
Dietary Fiber	2g	8%
Sugars	1g
Protein	7g

Big difference right?  If you want low carb pasta, there isn't much substitute for shirataki noodles.  They're easy to get creative with as well.  I'm such a seafood lover that in my dorm the other day I cooked a package of tofu shirataki noodles with a can of drained clams, and two sliced mushrooms.  I added some chili powder, mixed it all up, threw it in the microwave, and before I knew it I had a delicious and filling meal that had 30 g of protein at less than 200 calories.  I'm sure the seafood lovers amongst you can appreciate my creation, and I assure you I was in heaven.

I ran across this recipe the other day and think it a remarkably creative example of using shirataki noodles to their full extent.  Looks delicious!

http://shirataki-noodles.recipesilove.com/2011/11/grilled-tofu-and-chicken-with-tofu-shirataki/

To wrap things up, let me say this:  Shirataki noodles really are a miracle food.  I can't wait to combine them with all sorts of other recipes and ingredients, because after seeing what can be done with them I realize I've barely scratched the surface of their potential.  If you can, I EMPLORE you to pick some up ASAP.  You won't regret it.  They're delicious, easy to cook, low calorie, low carb, and could very easily help your diet out BIGTIME.

Love shirataki, be creative, and as always, GOOD LUCK!