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The Truth About Negative Calorie Foods

You may have heard about so-called “negative calorie foods”. However, the reality is that all foods contain calories so it really is impossible for a food to be negative in calories.

What Are Negative Calorie Foods?

These foods been defined as those that require more calories to digest than they contain. So while these foods don’t actually contain negative calories, they do result in a calorie-burning effect in our bodies.

For example, one of the most commonly cited negative calorie foods is celery. One stalk of celery contains about eight calories. However, according to the New York Times, the process of chewing, swallowing and digestion may burn only slightly more calories than the celery contains.

Other foods commonly quoted as having negative calories include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, spinach and zucchini.

Can You Burn Fat Eating These Foods?

In theory if you ate a lot of celery, lettuce or cucumber you could actually be burning calories. Unfortunately the truth is that this calorie deficit is so minimal that its impact on weight loss would be negligible, even if you were eating these foods all day long.

Can You Eat Only Negative Calorie Foods?

While it might seem a good idea to go on a diet of only these foods to quickly lose weight, this is not practical or advisable for several reasons.

1. The diet would quickly become boring because there is a limited number of foods. It is also necessary to eat these foods raw to maintain their negative calorie effect. Even gentle steaming can neutralize their calorie-reducing qualities because it enhances our ability to digest and absorb the calories from these foods.

2. We all need calories in order to function in our daily activities. A diet devoid of calories will result in fatigue and a slowing of the metabolic rate – the rate at which we burn calories – whenever followed for more than a few days. This will actually increase your tendency to gain weight when you resume normal eating.

3. A diet based on negative calorie foods is lacking in a number of important nutrients including adequate protein and essential fats. These substances are of paramount importance for maintaining your health.

Should You Eat Negative Calorie Foods to Lose Weight?

It is clear that these foods are certainly not a “magic bullet” when it comes to weight loss. However, there are still some advantages of including them in your diet if you want to lose weight.

They are best used as an addition to a calorie-controlled diet, and can be especially beneficial when they are substituted for unhealthy snack foods that are high in calories. These foods are high in fiber and water content, which keeps you feeling full and controls your appetite.

Conclusions

You might end up burning a few more calories by eat a lot of negative calorie foods but this effect is insignificant. The true value of including these foods in a diet for weight loss is that they can be used as a replacement for other high calorie foods, in effect allowing you to reduce your caloric intake without feeling hungry.

Reference:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/health/25real.html

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Hot Destination Wedding Locations You Might Not Have Considered

When we think of destination wedding locations our minds often turn to white sandy beaches in tropical climates. That is understandable. Who doesn’t enjoy lazy days on the beach in the warmth of a tropical breeze? But if you have been there and done that, or just want something a little more memorable for your destination wedding where do you turn? Consider these five options for building nuptial memories that are as rich in culture as they are in luxury.

Crete: Enjoy the rich history of the Island of Crete with a destination wedding on this sparkling island in the Mediterranean Sea. Imagine your wedding ceremony at sunset with the deep blue waters of the sea behind you and a warm breeze fluttering by. Afterwards spend a week or more relaxing on the beaches of Crete and alternately touring the rich historical sights of this ancient Island.

Stockholm: There are few places as romantic and overlooked as Stockholm, Sweden. Built around one of Europe’s largest most beautifully maintained medieval city centers spread out over fourteen islands Stockholm and the surrounding picturesque countryside is the perfect spot for a memorable destination wedding getaway. Go in the spring and see the spectacular carpet of flowers dotting the countryside. Get married by the light of the midnight sun in June and July or time your destination wedding to coincide with the traditional and spectacularly beautiful celebration of Santa Lucia on December 13th.

Venice: Who can resist the seductive charm of the Italian city of romance? Famous for its gondola trips through canals that intersect throughout the city Venice is an adventurer’s paradise. With centuries old architecture all around the history and romance of the city seems to seep into your soul. Create a lavish memory by choosing to hold your destination wedding in a historic villa with breathtaking scenery all around you in the historic hub of travel between Europe and the east.

Salzburg: Nestled snugly into the snowcapped Alps, Salzburg is often overlooked as the romantic getaway that it is. So much the better for the rest of us who are in the know. Rich in history and stunning scenery, Salzburg is one place where time seems to slow down. Not only okay to stop and smell the roses in Salzburg, it is expected. As such, it is the perfect place for a destination wedding. Add the fact that Salzburg is the home of Mozart and the setting for “The Sound of Music,” and there is plenty to engage your senses while you explore your honeymoon with your new spouse.

Israel: Israel holds the promise of a wealth of opportunities for a couple seeking a destination wedding. For Christians and Jewish people alike, Israel is a land of great history and meaning. Imagine exchanging nuptials on a terrace overlooking the old city of Jerusalem as the setting sun causes the stone to burn copper. For some a ceremony by the Western Wall would fulfill a lifetime dream. Or perhaps a ceremony back dropped by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus performed so many of his miracles… Or maybe simply feeling the warm breezes blow off the Mediterranean Sea with palm trees swaying overhead and the pulse of thousands of years of human history behind you is the right setting for your destination wedding.

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Ways to Find Cheap Hotel Packages

Traveling for work or pleasure can be a worry-free experience especially if you can find cheap hotel packages. Sometimes, travelers are faced with the difficulty of locating cheap hotel packages that is very important especially when on a tight budget. Being able to save on the travel costs and to stay at reasonable priced hotel accommodation can definitely go a long way in making your trip a pleasant one. This allows you to focus budget planning on your trip.

Some people find searching for the best deals to be a frustrating package most especially if they do not know the right place to look considering that there is a mountain of information when searching for the best hotel deals online and offline.

The most ideal place to begin your search is on the internet. You may not know it but it is through the internet where you can find great hotel deals. Various websites online can give you with comprehensive information on the cheap hotel packages within your budget. Many aggregate travel websites online are containing information on hotels due to the links of the partner suppliers to hotels from different parts of the world.

To effectively narrow down your search, you can take advantage of the search and compare options of the website allowing you to compare the different rates of hotels they have in their database that have the same characteristics suitable to your search criteria. This enables you to search easily and compare the rates of hotels in the same are with similar star rating among other criteria you may have in mind when it comes to choosing hotels.

One of the benefits of booking a hotel through aggregate travel website is the presence of the best rate guarantees, discounts and special deals that you may not be available when booking directly through the websites of hotels. But, you have to take note of the fine print before booking as there might be additional charges that are involved.

Interestingly, people are searching for online portals offering cheaper options during peak travel seasons. You may find out that the prices of hotels are generally during peak travel periods including long vacation periods during summer or even during the weekends. This is because most hotels raise their rates generally as there is high demand for it. But you can find some portals online that are specializing at offering cheaper deals during peak travel periods. Therefore it is ideal to book hotels using these websites to ensure that the costs of your accommodation remain to be affordable.

To find cheap hotel packages, it may be a good idea to consider selecting hotels further from the heart of the city. If it is not important to stay in a hotel located in the city centre, you can find inexpensive hotels further away from it. This way, you can find local hotel chains that can give you with comfortable stay but will charge you with lower room rates compared to those located near business districts.