Calorie Counting. Is it time to leave it in the past?

 

Have you ever stopped to consider why, despite all the low-calorie foods available, we as a world population are continuing to see increasing numbers of overweight and obesity and the consequent chronic illnesses?

With so many options available to replace staple foods in the diet of the last century surely, we should be able to maintain stable weights and avoid illness. There are so many health messages out there encouraging us to count calories, track calories and lose weight fast (or your money back) programs and yet the problem is compounding exponentially.

In a recently published study (July 28th 2022) in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-022-01179-2 ) the paradigm of eat less and exercise more is challenged. This long standing and accepted approach that if the energy we take in in calories is less than the energy we expend through daily activities and basal metabolic rate we should always be in an energy deficit and therefore able to lose weight and maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).   

In this afore mentioned study, Ludwig et al suggests an alternative view, that of the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM) which proposes that the way our bodies hormones respond to highly processed carbohydrates is through enhanced fat deposition in our adipose tissue thus leaving less energy (calories) available from these foods for our bodies energy (metabolic) needs. This triggers our bodies to signal the need to eat further in order to receive the needed calories that are being redirected away from the cells that truly need it for fuel.

This is a novel approach to the energy balance model (EBM) that has long been accepted.

How do we take the suggestions from this study and implement them practically?

By choosing whole foods over processed foods particularly when it comes to choosing foods in the carbohydrate category. Our body is primed to digest and metabolize potatoes, fruit, oats, quinoa, starchy vegetables and wholegrains. When we replace these with “skinny pasta” low in calories, eat as much as you want; breakfast cereals, potato chips, oatmeal cookies loaded with preservatives and palm kernel oil, sugar free sweets and foods high in high fructose corn syrup then our hunger is not satisfied and we will end up over consuming.

The message from registered dieticians and holistic practitioners has been consistent in this regard. My advice to my clients is to always prefer foods that look the closet to how nature intended it to be. Does this mean shunned foods like bananas are ok to eat? (a standard question I get asked by my weight conscious and long-time dieting clients) YES of course (with the disclaimer that if they are diabetic to rather eat a less ripe option and within the framework of an overall balanced eating plan). Eat the baked potato instead of a bag of chips, eat a fruit over sweets stay away from artificially sweetened low calorie options and eat real food.

The path to health is through eating a varied and balanced diet with the emphasis on whole foods and limiting or eliminating all the overly processed foods. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food “as said by Hippocrates (ca. 400BC). It is time to move away from the obsession with calorie counting and replacing good food with low calorie nutrient depleted options. Our bodies need sound nutrition and nutrient dense foods!

There is much to be said about the emotional aspect to eating and the impact that dieting has had on our psyche. This must also be considered and has a big role to play in healing the relationship to food, how we eat and how to manage the stressors that trigger emotional eating.

If you are unsure how to transition your eating patterns from a highly processed diet back to a balanced one, reach out to find out how I can support you with this approach.  

justine@justinefriedman.com