See that smug looking human in the picture above? There’s a reason she’s gazing happily at you through the celery, and not actually putting it her mouth.
It tastes like sadness and Mondays.
And yet, the plant is having a moment right now, due to its supposed magical properties.
Now, let’s tackle the myth that started it all. We’ve all heard the claim – the calories you burn chewing your way through a celery stick outweigh the calories that it contains.
This, according to legend, makes it a ‘calorie-negative’ food.
Here’s The Telegraph:
“A calorie-negative food, by definition, is a food that burns more calories during the course of eating it, than it contains,” says registered dietitian Helen Bond. “However, while that might sound wonderful I’m afraid to say there’s absolutely no scientific evidence to back it up. So-called calorie-negative foods are just a myth, albeit a myth that has been doing the rounds for years.”
Celery is low-calorie, high fibre and crunchy, so that much is true, but chewing it isn’t going to help you burn calories.
“People began believing that the chewing and digesting of these types of foods helped burn calories. And in the case of a low-calorie food like celery, they assumed the theory went you were burning more calories than you were actually eating, meaning you could lose weight just by eating it. But it’s a myth.”
A large stick of celery contains around 10 calories and a typical person would burn around two calories while eating it.
Before you run home to toss out your celery for lying to you all these years, take heart:
“The important takeaway from this story is that celery is a great food, like all green vegetables, and we should all be eating more of them.
We should also be eating them slower, too. Chew your food properly before you swallow, allowing your brain to register that you’re eating, and you will feel full quicker, which should result in eating less.
Personally, I’ll be keeping the celery where it belongs – in a Bloody Mary.
[source:telegraph]
