All Calories Are Not Created Equal

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