Do you feel like there’s a constant challenge between you and your cravings on some days, especially after a few failed diet and exercise attempts? If so, it may be time to seek nutritional coaching! Nutrition coaches don’t just provide meal plans. They help people understand the science of nutrition and teach them how to make healthy food choices that promote lasting lifestyle changes. But when it comes to calories, are all calories really equal? Read on as you dive into this question and find out how understanding calorific values can contribute to better overall health.
All calories are the same no matter where they come from: A misconception.
Conventional wisdom holds that all calories are equal, regardless of the source they come from. While this may be true from a physiological perspective, in terms of weight loss and overall health, the type and quality of calories consumed have a dramatic effect on the body’s response.
For example, research has shown that consuming calories from nutrient-dense whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates, can promote weight loss and improve overall health. Conversely, consuming too many calories from processed foods high in saturated fat and refined sugars can lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Similarly, the quality of calories also influences how our bodies store fat: eating healthy sources of calories can limit fat storage, while unhealthy sources tend to be stored more easily as fat stores. fat. Ultimately, all calories count towards your daily calorie intake. However, the quality of those calories matters when it comes to achieving your health goals.
How many calories in each micronutrient?
According to nutritionist Dr Jean-Michel Cohen, 1 g of fat is equivalent to 9 kilocalories (Kcal), 1 g of carbohydrate is equivalent to 4 Kcal, the same for 1 g of protein (equal to 4 Kcal). This means that fat contains more calories than protein and carbohydrates. One gram of fat contains almost twice as many calories as one gram of sugar or protein, making it an important macronutrient to consider when evaluating a food’s calorie content. In addition, fats also play an important role in providing the body with essential fatty acids and facilitating the absorption of nutrients. Therefore, even though fats are more caloric than other macronutrients, they should be included in a balanced diet for optimal health.
Before setting up a system for calculating calories, it is necessary to understand how they are absorbed.
Calories are absorbed when ingested in our food and drink, and the amount of calories they contain depends on their composition. The amount of energy derived from a calorie depends on its source, with some sources providing more energy than others.
For example, fats contain more energy than carbohydrates or proteins. In order for the body to access this energy, it must be broken down in the small intestine and then absorbed into the blood in the form of molecules such as glucose, fatty acids and amino acids. From there, these molecules can be distributed throughout the body to fuel different functions like movement and metabolism.
The number of calories absorbed also depends on the quality of digestion. If digestion is not optimal due to poor food choices or pre-existing health conditions, fewer calories will be available for absorption. Therefore, understanding your own metabolism and digestive system can help you make better nutritional decisions when implementing a calorie counting system.
Weight gain despite a healthy diet: How to explain it?
Weight gain despite a healthy diet is often due to a calorie imbalance. While a healthy diet typically consists of micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and other trace minerals, it is the breakdown of these nutrients that can cause significant changes in calorie intake. For example, when carbohydrates are broken down, they turn into glucose and can be used as simple energy for the body. However, if one consumes too many carbohydrates, it can lead to the storage of excess carbohydrate molecules as fat on the body – leading to weight gain.
Similarly, protein breakdown also produces a kind of glucose, called glycogenesis which can be used as energy or stored as fat in the body. However, excessive protein consumption can lead to weight gain.
Finally, fats provide a concentrated form of energy; when consumed in excessive amounts relative to other macronutrients (protein and carbohydrates), they can contribute to an increase in total calories and subsequent weight gain. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a balance of all three macronutrients so you don’t exceed your calorie intake while meeting your nutrient needs from whole foods rather than processed options.
