subject: The Truth Of Calorie Counting [print this page] Many people count their calories hoping that they will lose weight and get into shape. It is not a bad method to getting into shape so long as you also eat rich, raw and nutrient dense foods. But, it is much better to not count calories, but to concentrate on eating raw and natural foods tha have not been processed.
Reducing calories over a long period of time is done by people who have read something about it somewhere and think this is the easiest way to lose weight. What most people fail to realize is that body weight is not the only gauge of health. Most professional models who halve starve themselves in order to look the way they do, have innumerable health problems. This is because although Calories are the unit of measurement of the energy content of food, there is no unit to measure the nutritional value. It is thus theoretically possible to live just on sugar water and meet your daily calorie count, but you will probably die within a couple of weeks because your body is not getting any of the other nutrients that it requires. Proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals are all needed in varying quantities and if the body does not get what it needs even in minute quantities it will seriously compromise your health, starting with the immune systems. This is why most doctors advise a sickly child to eat well.
Calorie counting is the not the best method to getting into great shape. You will be much better off by changing your eating habits. Most of the excess or waste calories that we get is from sugar and fat, and while animal fat is not as harmful as most people think it is if you do moderate amounts of exercise, the excess calories that you get from sugar is not easily disposed off. One can of Pepsi gives you 170 Calories, so you can calculate for yourself how many calories you are getting here. Also most of the bad fat comes not from animal fat, but from eating deep fried food or food cooked in hydrogenated vegetable oils. Eating animal fat is not always bad, such as eating lean steak without frying the food. You might as well eat it with all the fat, it will at least be tastier.
Improving the quality of the food you eat is much better than reducing the quantity of the food you eat. It will not only help you improve your health, but also the quality of your life for as everyone knows, who can be happy on an empty stomach.
