'Eat yourself thin' idea may not be so far-fetched after all

Sure, there's still snow on the ground, but the garden supplies are starting to appear in the stores and listen closely and you'll already hear a stray flock of Sandhill cranes on their way north.

The YMCA's annual team weight-loss challenge is in full swing, and while many of us aren't all that concerned about how we'll appear in a bathing suit, it would be nice to shed a few pounds before we shed our heavy winter camouflage -- er, clothing.

Exercise and diet are nothing new when it comes to getting in shape, but a story in the London Daily Mail put a new slant on the topic.

Eat yourself thin.

We've heard those claims before, but according to the story, a number of foods actually burn more calories to eat than they provide by the eating themselves.

For example, 100g of cucumbers contains 16 calories.

The same amount of asparagus has 25 calories, cauliflower 25, tomatoes 18, papaya 43, chili peppers 40, apples 52 and plain, brewed black coffee, two calories.

Lean, low-calorie, high-protein meats like chicken breast, which contains 172 calories per 100g, also take time and energy to digest.

So are we in danger of starving ourselves?

Moderation is important, of course, and most of us aren't going to eat a tomato without a layer of cheese and pizza dough, chicken without breading or at least olive oil, or asparagus, cauliflower without some melted cheddar.

But if you want to look good when the sun comes out and the coats and sweaters come off, consider grabbing some cauliflower instead of french fries.

Read the original story at http://dailym.ai/1AnFrkj