Between the ever-expanding health movement and massive weight-loss industry, many competing ideas exist about how much one should focus on calorie count. It doesn’t help that the food industry does an amazing job at perpetuating the “low-calorie” fad in terms of producing items marketed towards weight loss, creating millions in revenue. But is there real evidence to back claims about trusting the calorie?
Food scientists first became interested in quantifying aspects of the food we eat in the 19th century. A formula was produced to describe weight loss as simply a calories-expended versus calories consumed equation.
It seems easy enough to believe that if we move more and eat less, positive results will follow. The real debacle lies in describing certain foods as “good” or “bad” based on their calorie content.
If you’ve ever been on a “low-cal” diet, you know how likely it is to fall prey to obsessing over nutritional information. Fortunately, what many nutritionists and other doctors are beginning to observe is the fact that not all calories are created equal.
Further, we’ve always known that different types of foods, comprised of the three macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein) contain different numbers of calories. Per-gram ,fats contain nine calories, while each gram of protein or carbohydrate contains four. This is where the industry began to market low-fat items as “healthier.”
In 2011, a study with over 120,000 non-obese individuals followed men and women for 20 years and recorded their weights and diets. Dr. Mozaffarian of Harvard School of Public Health was able to confirm what matters most is where your calories come from. The body breaks down each macronutrient differently and causes differing levels of fat storage. Regardless, the body still needs each type of macronutrient.
“One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter in my practice is the idea individuals have that if you dramatically reduce calorie count, then you’ll lose weight,” says registered dietician Marissa Lippert. “Your body needs calories just to work—to breathe, beat your heart, and regulate your body temp.”
On average, a 25-year-old woman uses 1,300 calories just sitting around doing nothing. Thus when you consume too few calories, your body believes famine is near and the body slows metabolism.
So in terms of processed (think low-calorie/low-fat/any packaged food “products”) and whole foods, researchers continually prove that digestion happens in entirely different ways. This suggests that you will not get as much usable energy from a 150-calorie snack bar compared to a tablespoon of natural peanut butter paired with an apple.
Calorie counting gives us a decent idea about the quantity of food we are consuming, but a healthy diet goes far beyond Weight Watchers products and 100-calorie packs. It is always best to choose foods closest to the source and eat for nutritional needs.
Recipe of the Week
Carrot Cake Granola: (adapted from healthy-delicious.com)
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded carrot (about 2)
¾ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup shredded coconut
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
dash salt
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons coconut oil (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup raisins
Preparation
Heat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment.
Mix first 10 ingredients (through salt). In a separate bowl, mix together honey, coconut oil, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. Spread in a thin layer on the baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes; stir. Reduce heat to 225˚F and bake 45 minutes, or until ingredients are dry and toasted. Remove from oven and let cool. Stir in raisins.
Store in an airtight container.