Are All Calories Equal?

If you are a scientist the answer is yes.  The definition of a calorie is “the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1°C and for this purpose it does not matter what the calorie is composed of.

The human body, however, does not merely burn a calorie in order to generate heat.  Looking at calories from a health point of view requires a whole different perspective.  The human body is not interested in calories so much as nutrients.  Nutrients are required in order to allow the body to perform a whole host of functions, from growth of new cells, brain function, movement and even digestion.

So now all calories are not equal because different foods contain different nutrients and whilst burning them in a laboratory to see how much heat they generate will create the same result, burning them in the body is an entirely different thing.

Let me illustrate this in a really simple way.  If you go to a petrol station and ask for a litre of fuel you will be asked what type of fuel you want.  But a litre of fuel is a litre of fuel isn’t it?  Yes, in measurement terms a litre of fuel is a litre of fuel, but from your car’s point of view all fuel is not equal.  If you buy diesel and your car requires unleaded your car will break down.  You must buy the right type of fuel for your car to perform optimally.  Every one who reads this will understand that their car won’t work if you don’t give it the right type of fuel.

Let’s compare this with some food that you will understand.  One serving of spaghetti is recommended as 140g – cooked weight.  Take a look at what happens when you swap for the same amount of courgette spaghetti.  The first column of figures under courgette compares equivalent weight and the second column compares equivalent calories.  A clear indication that all calories are not equal, in this example, equal calories equates to 11 times greater weight of product not to mention the nutrient differences.

Now back to the car analogy.  In this respect your body is no different to your car.  If it doesn’t get the right type of fuel it will break down.  The biggest difference here is that your body is a lot more sophisticated than your car.  Your car will break down almost immediately, whereas your body will try very hard to correct the damage that has been done to it and will only break down after many repetitions of “wrong fuel” applications.

Let’s look at another analogy between the car and human body.  If you put too much fuel into your car, the fuel will spill out onto the forecourt floor and you will visibly see that the car fuel tank is full and doesn’t need anymore.  Again the human body is unlikely to do this.  Instead it stretches and extends to accommodate the extra fuel.  In the past this helped us to survive because it made sense to eat a lot and gain weight when a lot of food was available because some time soon there would not be so much food available and so the body would then burn off the extra fuel.

Even if these calories are the correct type for our body and we eat too many they will still make us expand.  The interesting thing, however, is that if all of the correct nutrients are given to the body each time we eat, the body generally signifies to the brain that it has had enough and there is no craving for more.  Cravings generally arise from the following reasons

1.      The body not having enough of the nutrients it needs so the body will crave more food in the hope that it will get what it needs.  By the way sometimes this nutrient is as simple as the body needing water.  If you constantly override the body’s signal of thirst it will move on to hunger, hoping that you will eat a water rich food in order to fulfill its need.

2.      The body being given highly addictive foods that create a constant longing for more.  High fat, high sugar foods generally fall into this category.

3.      Psychological reasons – or comfort eating.  Often this is where the food has been linked at some point in the past to a pleasurable experience and is craved as a way of recreating the experience.

Now that we have clarified that all calories are not equal, outside of a laboratory, here is how you can apply this to health and weight management.

1.  Firstly look at eating foods that optimise the nutrient intake for your body’s needs.  This will be different for each person depending upon the stage of their life, their lifestyle and activity level.  This is where a nutritional therapist can add massive benefit to helping you get this right for you.

2.  Once the correct nutrients are eaten then match the number of calories to the fuel needs of your body.

3.  If cravings are persistent check if there are psychological cravings and seek help to overcome these if you cannot find alternative ways of filling that need on your own.

If you would like help with creating your ideal diet, reducing food cravings or weight loss please contact me sandra@TheEssenceOfHealth.co.uk or 0775 801 2894.

In January 2016 I will be starting a new weight management class called Natural Weight at Beehive Healthcare in Chester where I will be combining the group weekly meeting with an individually designed plan that addresses your personal needs.  Click on the Natural Weight link above for more details and book a place by contacting Beehive Healthcare on 01244 915 603 or via email to sandra@TheEssenceOfHealth.co.uk.