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Article #301: All Calories Are Not Created Equal

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






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