Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Forget About Counting Calories

I've talked a little about diet in previous blogs but I wanted focus today's blog on one of the biggest misconceptions about food, and that is calorie counting. The problem with calorie counting is too many people tend to focus more on the calories rather than the quality of the food. Many diets will insist that the surefire way to shed those extra pounds is to restrict your calorie intake while maintaining an intense exercise regimen. The problem with keeping this formula so vague is that many people do not understand what types of foods they should be eating. What tends to happen in most cases is people continue to eat the highly refined foods they've been eating and end up on a starvation diet. You cannot expect your body to perform well in the gym if you are not providing it with the proper nutrients it needs for sustainance. Many refined foods like pasta, breads, cereals, and frozen foods are packed with calories and sugar and offer your body little or no nutrients. A single serving of these foods will limit you to such a small portion and the lack of fiber will leave you hungry. So what's the trick?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Natural foods! Natural foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and tons of fiber, leaving you feeling full and energized. For example just one ounce of pasta contains approximately 8 grams of carbohydrates and no fiber leaving you with 8 net carbs per ounce. Now mind you, people will generally eat 6-10 ounces of pasta in one sitting. Now broccoli on the other hand has approximately 2 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fiber per ounce leaving you with 1 net carb per ounce. In terms of nutritional content, it's a no contest. Pasta has no nutrients because it is highly refined, while broccoli contains an array of vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, PP, E, K and A, folic acid and omega 3 fatty acids. What this basically demonstrates is that all calories are not created equal. 1000 calories of pasta will not give you the same benefits of a 1000 calories of broccoli. What's going to make the difference in your diet is the quality of food you are eating. 

Obesity and weight gain are not always signs of over eating. They can also be an indicator of malnutrition. Your body becomes malnourished and it is attempting to store energy as fat for a later use. Now while, weight gain and obesity are a combination of many different factors, just changing your food intake will make the majority of the difference. Eating refined foods offers no nutrients and your body becomes very ill as a result. We all have signs and symptoms but we tend to ignore them. Some of these include weight gain, low energy levels, high-blood pressure, dehydration, headaches, indigestion, hunger, diabetes, Urinary tract infections, bloating, etc. Pay attention to your body and focus on the root cause of the symptoms. There is a reaction for all the food we put into our bodies. Making better food choices will make all the difference.  

How can this be accomplished?

Food preparation is the best way to make sure you are getting the best quality food. This takes time and a great deal of preparation,  but its well worth the work. 

But Adrian I don't have time

Bologna! We all have time, you just need to make time. It takes the same amount of time to drive 3 times a day to your restaurant of choice and wait for your food to be prepared. If it takes you 15 minutes to drive to the destination 10 minutes to get the food, thats 25 minutes for one meal. if you do this 3 times a day, thats an hour and fifteen minutes of time wasted. If you did your shopping at the beginning of the week which will take no more than 2 hours. You can spend each day at the end of your day preparing your meals for the next day. If it takes you 45 minutes to prepare all 3 meals you saved yourself 30 minutes each day, and no loss of daily productivity. At the end of the week you'll save 2 1/2 hours of time and your food quality will be at its highest. As you become more efficient at preparing your meals, you will be able to save more time. If you factor in shopping and food prep time, its still faster than going out to eat. Now this doesn't even account for food that takes longer to grab on the go and other factors like traffic. It takes a little more preparation, but your success depends on it. Don't be lazy! In addition to all of this, it's cheaper to buy your foods in a grocery store, so why wouldn't you take advantage of this? 

But Adrian I don't know how to cook?
Oh shut it! We all came into this world not knowing how to do anything. We had to learn everything we know at some point or another. Stop being lazy and go on the internet and look up some recipes. Pick something you want to make, look up the recipe, and make it! Once you learn how to do it, you'll never forget it and its a skill that is priceless! Many people spend hours a day on Facebook or watching T.V so don't tell me you don't have time! 

Focus on eating natural foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and good fats. My next blog post will get more in detail about what foods to eat and how they can be prepared. I'll also make some suggestions on healthy snacks and foods you can grab while on the go. But for now, take a look at your diet and and evaluate yourself honestly. Does your diet consist of mostly highly refined carbs like breads, cereals, and pasta? Are you eating frozen foods, or eating out at unhealthy restaurants? Try to prepare your meals and store them in containers for a later time. Preparation is key. 

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