| When people hear the term Unified Theory, | | | | true debate and why the two schools of |
| some times called the Grand Unified Theory, | | | | thought are not actually as far apart from |
| or even "Theory of Everything," they probably | | | | one another as they appear to the untrained |
| think of it in terms of physics, where a | | | | eye. What has become abundantly clear from |
| Unified Theory, or single theory capable of | | | | the studies performed and real world evidence |
| defining the nature of the interrelationships | | | | is that to lose weight we need to use more |
| among nuclear, electromagnetic, and | | | | calories than we take in (via reducing |
| gravitational forces, would reconcile | | | | calorie intake and or increasing exercise), |
| seemingly incompatible aspects of various | | | | but we know different diets have different |
| field theories to create a single | | | | effects on the metabolism, appetite, body |
| comprehensive set of equations. | | | | composition, and other physiological |
| | | | variables... |
| Such a theory could potentially unlock all | | | | |
| the secrets of nature and the universe | | | | Brink's Unified Theory of Nutrition |
| itself, or as theoretical physicist Michio | | | | |
| Katu, puts it "an equation an inch long that | | | | ...Thus, this reality has led me to Brink's |
| would allow us to read the mind of God." | | | | Unified Theory of Nutrition which states: |
| That's how important unified theories can be. | | | | |
| However, unified theories don't have to deal | | | | "Total calories dictates how much weight a |
| with such heady topics as physics or the | | | | person gains or loses; macro nutrient ratios |
| nature of the universe itself, but can be | | | | dictates what a person gains or loses" |
| applied to far more mundane topics, in this | | | | |
| case nutrition. | | | | This seemingly simple statement allows people |
| | | | to understand the differences between the two |
| Regardless of the topic, a unified theory, as | | | | schools of thought. For example, studies |
| sated above, seeks to explain seemingly | | | | often find that two groups of people put on |
| incompatible aspects of various theories. In | | | | the same calorie intakes but very different |
| this article I attempt to unify seemingly | | | | ratios of carbs, fats, and proteins will lose |
| incompatible or opposing views regarding | | | | different amounts of bodyfat and or lean body |
| nutrition, namely, what is probably the | | | | mass (i.e., muscle, bone, etc.). |
| longest running debate in the nutritional | | | | |
| sciences: calories vs. macro nutrients. | | | | Some studies find for example people on a |
| | | | higher protein lower carb diet lose |
| One school, I would say the 'old school' of | | | | approximately the same amount of weight as |
| nutrition, maintains weight loss or weight | | | | another group on a high carb lower protein |
| gain is all about calories, and "a calorie is | | | | diet, but the group on the higher protein |
| a calorie," no matter the source (e.g., | | | | diet lost more actual fat and less lean body |
| carbs, fats, or proteins). They base their | | | | mass (muscle). Or, some studies using the |
| position on various lines of evidence to come | | | | same calorie intakes but different macro |
| to that conclusion. | | | | nutrient intakes often find the higher |
| | | | protein diet may lose less actual weight than |
| The other school, I would call more the 'new | | | | the higher carb lower protein diets, but the |
| school' of thought on the issue, would state | | | | actual fat loss is higher in the higher |
| that gaining or losing weight is really about | | | | protein low carb diets. This effect has also |
| where the calories come from (e.g., carbs, | | | | been seen in some studies that compared high |
| fats, and proteins), and that dictates weight | | | | fat/low carb vs. high carb/low fat diets. The |
| loss or weight gain. Meaning, they feel, the | | | | effect is usually amplified if exercise is |
| "calorie is a calorie" mantra of the old | | | | involved as one might expect. |
| school is wrong. They too come to this | | | | |
| conclusion using various lines of evidence. | | | | Of course these effects are not found |
| | | | universally in all studies that examine the |
| This has been an ongoing debate between | | | | issue, but the bulk of the data is clear: |
| people in the field of nutrition, biology, | | | | diets containing different macro nutrient |
| physiology, and many other disciplines, for | | | | ratios do have different effects on human |
| decades. The result of which has led to | | | | physiology even when calorie intakes are |
| conflicting advice and a great deal of | | | | identical (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11). |
| confusion by the general public, not to | | | | |
| mention many medical professionals and other | | | | Or, as the authors of one recent study that |
| groups. | | | | looked at the issue concluded: |
| | | | |
| Before I go any further, two key points that | | | | "Diets with identical energy contents can |
| are essential to understand about any unified | | | | have different effects on leptin |
| theory: | | | | concentrations, energy expenditure, voluntary |
| | | | food intake, and nitrogen balance, suggesting |
| A good unified theory is simple, concise, and | | | | that the physiologic adaptations to energy |
| understandable even to lay people. However, | | | | restriction can be modified by dietary |
| underneath, or behind that theory, is often a | | | | composition."(12) |
| great deal of information that can take up | | | | |
| many volumes of books. So, for me to outline | | | | The point being, there are many studies |
| all the information I have used to come to | | | | confirming that the actual ratio of carbs, |
| these conclusions, would take a large book, | | | | fats, and proteins in a given diet can effect |
| if not several and is far beyond the scope of | | | | what is actually lost (i.e., fat, muscle, |
| this article. | | | | bone, and water) and that total calories has |
| | | | the greatest effect on how much total weight |
| A unified theory is often proposed by some | | | | is lost. Are you starting to see how my |
| theorist before it can even be proven or | | | | unified theory of nutrition combines the |
| fully supported by physical evidence. Over | | | | "calorie is a calorie" school with the |
| time, different lines of evidence, whether it | | | | "calories don't matter" school to help people |
| be mathematical, physical, etc., supports the | | | | make decisions about nutrition? |
| theory and thus solidifies that theory as | | | | |
| being correct, or continued lines of evidence | | | | Knowing this, it becomes much easier for |
| shows the theory needs to be revised or is | | | | people to understand the seemingly |
| simply incorrect. I feel there is now more | | | | conflicting diet and nutrition advice out |
| than enough evidence at this point to give a | | | | there (of course this does not account for |
| unified theory of nutrition and continuing | | | | the down right unscientific and dangerous |
| lines of evidence will continue (with some | | | | nutrition advice people are subjected to via |
| possible revisions) to solidify the theory as | | | | bad books, TV, the 'net, and well meaning |
| fact. | | | | friends, but that's another article |
| | | | altogether). |
| "A calorie is a calorie" | | | | |
| | | | Knowing the above information and keeping the |
| The old school of nutrition, which often | | | | Unified Theory of Nutrition in mind, leads us |
| includes most nutritionists, is a calorie is | | | | to some important and potentially useful |
| a calorie when it comes to gaining or losing | | | | conclusions: |
| weight. That weight loss or weight gain is | | | | |
| strictly a matter of "calories in, calories | | | | An optimal diet designed to make a person |
| out." Translated, if you "burn" more calories | | | | lose fat and retain as much LBM as possible |
| than you take in, you will lose weight | | | | is not the same as a diet simply designed to |
| regardless of the calorie source and if you | | | | lose weight. |
| eat more calories than you burn off each day, | | | | |
| you will gain weight, regardless of the | | | | A nutrition program designed to create fat |
| calorie source. | | | | loss is not simply a reduced calorie version |
| | | | of a nutrition program designed to gain |
| This long held and accepted view of nutrition | | | | weight, and visa versa. |
| is based on the fact that protein and carbs | | | | |
| contain approx 4 calories per gram and fat | | | | Diets need to be designed with fat loss, NOT |
| approximately 9 calories per gram and the | | | | just weight loss, as the goal, but total |
| source of those calories matters not. They | | | | calories can't be ignored. |
| base this on the many studies that finds if | | | | |
| one reduces calories by X number each day, | | | | This is why the diets I design for people-or |
| weight loss is the result and so it goes if | | | | write about-for gaining or losing weight are |
| you add X number of calories above what you | | | | not simply higher or lower calorie versions |
| use each day for gaining weight. | | | | of the same diet. In short: diets plans I |
| | | | design for gaining LBM start with total |
| However, the "calories in calories out" | | | | calories and build macro nutrient ratios into |
| mantra fails to take into account modern | | | | the number of calories required. However, |
| research that finds that fats, carbs, and | | | | diets designed for fat loss (vs. weight |
| proteins have very different effects on the | | | | loss!) start with the correct macro nutrient |
| metabolism via countless pathways, such as | | | | ratios that depend on variables such as |
| their effects on hormones (e.g., insulin, | | | | amount of LBM the person carries vs. bodyfat |
| leptin, glucagon, etc), effects on hunger and | | | | percent , activity levels, etc., and figure |
| appetite, thermic effects (heat production), | | | | out calories based on the proper macro |
| effects on uncoupling proteins (UCPs), and | | | | nutrient ratios to achieve fat loss with a |
| 1000 other effects that could be mentioned. | | | | minimum loss of LBM. The actual ratio of |
| | | | macro nutrients can be quite different for |
| Even worse, this school of thought fails to | | | | both diets and even for individuals. |
| take into account the fact that even within a | | | | |
| macro nutrient, they too can have different | | | | Diets that give the same macro nutrient ratio |
| effects on metabolism. This school of thought | | | | to all people (e.g., 40/30/30, or 70,30,10, |
| ignores the ever mounting volume of studies | | | | etc.) regardless of total calories, goals, |
| that have found diets with different macro | | | | activity levels, etc., will always be less |
| nutrient ratios with identical calorie | | | | than optimal. Optimal macro nutrient ratios |
| intakes have different effects on body | | | | can change with total calories and other |
| composition, cholesterol levels, oxidative | | | | variables. |
| stress, etc. | | | | |
| | | | Perhaps most important, the unified theory |
| Translated, not only is the mantra "a calorie | | | | explains why the focus on weight loss vs. fat |
| us a calorie" proven to be false, "all fats | | | | loss by the vast majority of people, |
| are created equal" or "protein is protein" is | | | | including most medical professionals, and the |
| also incorrect. For example, we no know | | | | media, will always fail in the long run to |
| different fats (e.g. fish oils vs. saturated | | | | deliver the results people want. |
| fats) have vastly different effects on | | | | |
| metabolism and health in general, as we now | | | | Finally, the Universal Theory makes it clear |
| know different carbohydrates have their own | | | | that the optimal diet for losing fat, or |
| effects (e.g. high GI vs. low GI), as we know | | | | gaining muscle, or what ever the goal, must |
| different proteins can have unique effects. | | | | account not only for total calories, but |
| | | | macro nutrient ratios that optimize metabolic |
| The "calories don't matter" school of thought | | | | effects and answer the questions: what |
| | | | effects will this diet have on appetite? What |
| This school of thought will typically tell | | | | effects will this diet have on metabolic |
| you that if you eat large amounts of some | | | | rate? What effects will this diet have on my |
| particular macro nutrient in their magic | | | | lean body mass (LBM)? What effects will this |
| ratios, calories don't matter. For example, | | | | diet have on hormones; both hormones that may |
| followers of ketogenic style diets that | | | | improve or impede my goals? What effects will |
| consist of high fat intakes and very low | | | | this diet have on (fill in the blank)? |
| carbohydrate intakes (i.e., Atkins, etc.) | | | | |
| often maintain calories don't matter in such | | | | Simply asking, "how much weight will I lose?" |
| a diet. | | | | is the wrong question which will lead to the |
| | | | wrong answer. To get the optimal effects from |
| Others maintain if you eat very high protein | | | | your next diet, whether looking to gain |
| intakes with very low fat and carbohydrate | | | | weight or lose it, you must ask the right |
| intakes, calories don't matter. Like the old | | | | questions to get meaningful answers. |
| school, this school fails to take into | | | | |
| account the effects such diets have on | | | | Asking the right questions will also help you |
| various pathways and ignore the simple | | | | avoid the pitfalls of unscientific poorly |
| realities of human physiology, not to mention | | | | thought out diets which make promises they |
| the laws of thermodynamics! | | | | can't keep and go against what we know about |
| | | | human physiology and the very laws of |
| The reality is, although it's clear different | | | | physics! |
| macro nutrients in different amounts and | | | | |
| ratios have different effects on weight loss, | | | | There are of course many additional questions |
| fat loss, and other metabolic effects, | | | | that can be asked and points that can be |
| calories do matter. They always have and they | | | | raised as it applies to the above, but those |
| always will. The data, and real world | | | | are some of the key issues that come to mind. |
| experience of millions of dieters, is quite | | | | Bottom line here is, if the diet you are |
| clear on that reality. | | | | following to either gain or loss weight does |
| | | | not address those issues and or questions, |
| The truth behind such diets is that they are | | | | then you can count on being among the |
| often quite good at suppressing appetite and | | | | millions of disappointed people who don't |
| thus the person simply ends up eating fewer | | | | receive the optimal results they had hoped |
| calories and losing weight. Also, the weight | | | | for and have made yet another nutrition |
| loss from such diets is often from water vs. | | | | "guru" laugh all the way to the bank at your |
| fat, at least in the first few weeks. That's | | | | expense. |
| not to say people can't experience meaningful | | | | |
| weight loss with some of these diets, but the | | | | Any diet that claims calories don't matter, |
| effect comes from a reduction in calories vs. | | | | forget it. Any diet that tells you they have |
| any magical effects often claimed by | | | | a magic ratio of foods, ignore it. Any diet |
| proponents of such diets. | | | | that tells you any one food source is evil, |
| | | | it's a scam. Any diet that tells you it will |
| Weight loss vs. fat loss! | | | | work for all people all the time no matter |
| | | | the circumstances, throw it out or give it to |
| This is where we get into the crux of the | | | | someone you don't like! |