A calorie is not a calorie

A calorie is not a calorie

Are you calorie counting? Do you follow a point system diet where you have a certain daily allowance? In the effort to shed those few extra pounds, calculating what goes in to what goes out is a good way to keep track of where you are. However, it isn’t always as simple as that. Read on.

Have you ever heard the old adage that, ‘A calorie is a calorie’? A lot of diets are based on this premise that as long as you don’t go over your allowance it doesn’t matter what you eat. So eating the equivalent in doughnuts to what you would in vegetables is the same, as long as you don’t exceed the allowance.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that a 1,000 worth of doughnut calories will not do you any good but how does it work?

You see while all foods provide a certain amount of energy, the way these foods are metabolised is different and each food, even those that yield the same calorie amount to each other may still cause fat storage much more than the other.

Take for example protein and carbohydrate. Each yield 4 kcal of energy per gram but did you know that it takes twice or three times as long to digest protein and the process itself actually burns calories? So to eat protein you will burn calories just to digest it. You will also stay fuller for longer reducing your need to eat again soon. Double result! Carbohydrate on the other hand is pure energy. We need energy in the body for movement and organ function. Carbohydrate, including sugar is metabolised by the body quickly. Insulin makes sure of that and after glycogen has been stored in the muscles and liver the rest is stored as fat. It also can cause further carvings. Unless carbs are the non-refined types such as whole grain or from veggies, you’ll find that this food induces fat storage over any other food. Even fat.

"Even fat? But I thought fat was the main culprit with weight gain? I thought that when you eat fat you get fat?”

This is yet another myth. When you eat fat your body uses it for cell structure, hormone production, brain function, vitamin absorption and much more. Fats are essential in the diet and without them we can get sick and suffer from emotional disorders such as depression and memory loss. The problem is the type of fat that is eaten. If you eat good fats, high in monounsaturated and low in saturates you will be doing yourself a favour. Fat is also responsible for satiety (the feeling of being full) and taste. Low-fat diet foods are packed with sugar and salt to give them flavour to compensate for the lack of taste derived from fat.

                      

Your body responds best to nourishment. It will stay content and full and burn more calories. Giving it low calorie foods that are in no way nutritious will defat the object. Even if you lose weight to start with, you will plateau over time and worst still you’ll lack lustre and vitality.

So, next time you are ‘calorie counting’, remember to consider: Is this a healthy option or just a low calorie option?

Healthy is best regardless of the calories.

Go be healthy!

Love Sal x

Next week: Which fats are good for you?