Has anyone ever researched what a calorie actually is? Those sneaky people over at the FDA make everyone believe that calories make you fat. Like they are some sort of extra ingredient in your food that promote fat cells to multiply. People today seem to be so consumed with counting calories that they completely overlook the most important issue when it comes to eating…the ingredients!
Simply put, a calorie is a unit of measurement for heat. Years ago, scientists came up with an experiment and a formula to determine how well different foods were at raising water temperature while being burned. The more the water increased in temperature, the more calories that particular food contained. I know this seems a little bizarre, but it’s completely true. The calorie we all see cited on nutrition labels is the amount of heat required to raise 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
This theory does not translate well to the human body. Instead of heat, our bodies run on chemical energy fueled by the oxidation of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. However, remember that not all calories are created equal. Calories from protein will burn faster and easier than calories from fat and carbohydrates. Depending on your body type, carbs will burn faster and slightly easier than fats. However, carbs and fats provide us with the most potential energy, therefore, they are both essential parts of our diet. Eating a healthy source of protein with every meal and before you exercise will increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day. If you are going to cheat on a diet, it is a good idea to consume a healthy source of protein just before you eat that cheat snack or drink. Because we digest proteins before fats or carbs, eating a source of protein just before that slice of cake will kick start your metabolism and continue through right into that cheat snack.
Another myth that needs to be addressed is that many believe that the most calories are burned during intense sessions of exercise. This is not true. In fact, nearly 65% of your daily caloric intake is burned during the body’s basic functions, such as, digestion, rebuilding tissue, respiration, healing internal wounds, etc. Exercise increases the rate of many bodily functions and acts as a helping hand to calorie burning. Remember, if you are trying to lose weight…80% of your success comes from nutrition and 20% comes from exercise.
The last myth I am going to bust is the notion that low-calorie foods help people lose weight. This one is my favorite. You see, the food industry tricks people every day with the way they label food. For example, I am sure everyone is familiar with all those 100 calorie snack bags. Those are perfect for people who DON’T READ LABELS! Yes, there might be 100 calories of food in each bag. However, the reason there’s only 100 calories is because the food company removes the sugar from the “food” and replaces it with a zero calorie artificial sweetener such as sucralose and aspartame. Artificial sweeteners, which are produced in a laboratory (not in nature), are proven to cause a world of health problems. Many readers of the natural news blogs are familiar with the ill effects of artificial sweeteners, but the majority of people are not. These toxic substances are directly linked to a variety of mental illnesses, diseases, genetic disorders, and obesity. If you want to eat less and still gain weight, eat foods containing artificial sweeteners.
The most important thing to do when trying to lose weight is to READ FOOD LABELS! My rule of thumb is, if you can’t understand the contents of the ingredients, it probably shouldn’t be in your body! I have studied the human body and nutrition for years now, and I have come up with some rules for successfully losing weight. Losing weight (by weight I mean fat) is not that difficult. First, cut sugar out of your diet. If you are motivated enough, then you will do this. Second, avoid large meals toward the end of your day. Breakfast should be your biggest meal simply because you require the most energy toward the beginning of your day. Eat a healthy, lean source of protein with every meal (does not have to be animal protein). Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, preferably raw. Eat when you are hungry! I cannot stress this enough. Do not starve yourself. If you are hungry, eat something that will fill you, but make sure it is healthy. Last but not least, you have to exercise. Raising your heart rate increases the rate of many bodily functions, including your metabolism. Increasing the rate of your metabolism will ultimately increase the rate you will burn excess fat. Also, make sure to choose organic, non-GMO foods!
I hope you have learned a thing or two about calories and are now aware of the dangers of misleading food labels. Stick to these tips I have provided for you, and I am positive that you will lose those extra pounds that you have be dying to get rid of. If you have any further questions, please feel free to comment below!
Stay Tuned…
-noMDdoctor
My name is Michael Swiderski and I am a very recent citizen of Hawaii. I am a certified personal trainer and I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Biology with a concentration in Health Science. My passion and my career revolve around three subjects: Physical Fitness, Nutrition, and Medicine. By medicine, of course I am speaking of natural healing as I am the NoMDdoctor. Rather than using microscopes, text books, and the forced influence of large pharma, I conduct my research with the use of one thing...me! I study topics that hold great meaning to my life, and I am extremely diligent and devoted to my work.
My outlook on life is a bit unconventional to say the least. Shortly after I was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease known as Narcolepsy, my mindset about the meaning of life was severely altered. Things that once held great importance in my life quickly fell by the wayside. However, when certain doors close, others will open...and that they did.
Narcolepsy completely turned my world upside down and inside out. It successfully ended my career in Biotechnology, and ruined many close relationships. Experiencing side effects from Narcolepsy is one thing, but adding in the side effects from pharmaceutical stimulants is a whole other ballgame. I was constantly in pain, irritable, stressed, depressed, exhausted, jittery, anxious, etc. The list goes on, but you get the idea.
The day soon came where I hit rock bottom with this illness and the fake "treatment" that was prescribed to me. I was through with trusting the so-called "medical professionals". Therefore, I finally decided to make use of my free will, and I began my own research on narcolepsy. It took me two years to get where I'm at today, and I am proud to say that no more do I rely on pharmaceutical drugs to manage the side effects of Narcolepsy. I am here to tell my story of freedom, as well as reveal all my findings along the way. Stay tuned, you just might learn something...
