| Eat less fat. Eat more fat. Carbs are | | | | Just like high quality fuel is better |
| bad. Carbs are good. | | | | for your car than the cheap stuff, some |
| Nutrition advice changes so often, no | | | | calories are better for our metabolism |
| wonder so many people are confused. | | | | than others. That idea flies in the face |
| But when it comes it calories, the | | | | of conventional diet wisdom, but it's |
| advice to consume fewer of them seems | | | | true-and science backs it up. |
| set in stone. After all, "a calorie is a | | | | For example, recent studies show that |
| calorie"-Right? | | | | high-carb diets can boost insulin and |
| Wrong. | | | | blood sugar levels. The result? Weight |
| For years, we've been told that if we | | | | gain (not to mention high cholesterol |
| "eat less and exercise more," we'll lose | | | | and triglycerides). On the other hand, |
| weight. That recommendation is based on | | | | people who eat a healthy low-carb diet |
| the belief that we need burn more | | | | that's rich in vegetables, whole grains, |
| calories than we take in. But this | | | | beans, and lean animal protein-but |
| doesn't tell the whole story. | | | | consume more calories than low-fat |
| As it turns out, it isn't the amount of | | | | dieters-actually lose more weight! |
| calories you consume that really affects | | | | As you can see, the kinds of calories |
| your weight and your health. It's the | | | | you consume can have a big impact on |
| type of calorie. | | | | weight gain, because different foods are |
| It's true-the calories you eat are | | | | metabolized in different ways. Food |
| actually absorbed at different rates. | | | | "talks" to your genes, giving your |
| And the different amounts of fiber, | | | | metabolism specific instructions-whether |
| carbohydrates, protein, fat, and | | | | to lose weight or gain weight, speed up |
| nutrients in these calories can have | | | | or slow down the aging process, increase |
| very different effects on your | | | | or decrease your cholesterol level, and |
| metabolism. There's no difference | | | | produce molecules that increase or |
| between a thousand calories of kidney | | | | decrease your appetite. |
| beans and a thousand calories of a | | | | No wonder you can feel like you're doing |
| low-fat muffin-until they're | | | | everything right and still not lose |
| metabolized. | | | | weight! |
| As you can see, food isn't just a source | | | | The Whole Truth |
| of energy-it's a source of operating | | | | If you want to lose weight and be |
| instructions for your body. | | | | healthy, you have to send your body the |
| Calories 101 | | | | right messages. That means living in |
| So what is a calorie anyway? Simply put, | | | | harmony with your genes. |
| a calorie is just a unit of energy. When | | | | This means different things for |
| we eat food, chemical processes that | | | | different people. Depending on our |
| make up our metabolism break this food | | | | genes, some of us may need more carbs, |
| down and turn it into energy. Burning | | | | protein, or fat than others. |
| this energy lets us do what we need and | | | | But there's one basic principle that |
| want to do-from breathing to running a | | | | works of everyone: Base your diet on |
| marathon. | | | | whole, unprocessed foods. Foods that are |
| It's like your car: You have to put fuel | | | | in their natural state talk to your |
| in it to make it run. For people, food | | | | genes the most effectively-and were |
| is our fuel. Calories are what help us | | | | designed by nature to keep you at a |
| "run." | | | | healthy weight. |
| The Dieting Myth | | | | |