Why calorie counting should be considered outdated.

What is a calorie? And who came up with this whole system anyway?

First, where did it come from?
 
Well, a chemist in the 1800s used something called a "bomb calorimeter" to measure how much energy was given off when certain food substances were burnt.

A pretty synonymous system to our digestive tracts, don’t you think?

​Why doesn’t this system work well?
 
In a nutshell, it is much too simplistic to be accurate since it does not factor in the numerous complexities found in both food and people. For example:

• How was the food prepared? (i.e. raw food vs. cooked food – this will change both the chemistry of the food and how readily your body digests it)
• What variety or size is the specific food? (i.e. a “large sweet potato” can vary between 231 – 705 calories)
• How well do you chew your food? (This will affect how much food is absorbed and how much work it takes your body to absorb that food.)
• How fast is your transit time, or, how fast do you have a bowel movement after eating? (i.e. how much of what you’re eating is actually getting absorbed)
• How much energy is needed to digest a certain food? (i.e. it takes a great deal more energy to digest a steak than it does a piece of white toast)
• What is your personal health profile? (i.e. what’s your age, how is thyroid health, how is your hormone health, do you have any health conditions or concerns)
• What does your gut flora look like? (i.e. is your flora helping or hindering your digestion?)
• How is your digestive tract functioning? (i.e. from salivation, to stomach acid, to pancreatic function, to gallbladder function, and all the way down – it all impacts what happens to food when we eat it)

​A big part of food is the enjoyment found in eating it. “In America, you look at food as bad and guilty. In France, we love food and we enjoy food; food is pleasure.” –Mireille Guiliano

Where else does calorie counting miss the mark?
 
Calories do not measure nutrition. For example, if a person was choosing between an apple with nut butter or a rice cake simply based off calories – maybe they would pick the rice cake. But this snack will do zero for their body. Healthy fats, proteins and fibers will keep a person off the blood sugar rollercoaster of highs and lows and feelings of intense hunger and binging. These foods will provide actual nutrients that will be used for the proper functioning of the body and will actually keep them feeling satisfied for much longer than a low calorie alternative. Eating this way can even help with mood issues and energy.
Furthermore, calorie counting requires one's mind to stay focus on food
all . day . long.
​Thinking about food is the first process in digestion and triggers the salivation process to begin and before you know it your stomach is growling and you are craving food and feeling hungry all . day . long.

Nothing brings people together like good food.

"A meal is the whole experience of getting together and sharing with friends. It is more than food."
- Jinny Flieschman 

Count the memories, not the calories.

​What is more important than calories?
 
Well, besides the social and relationship part of food... 
What does the food do when it gets inside of you?
If it’s a large portion of refined grain or high sugar non-complex food – it will get absorbed straight away into your blood stream and all of that excess sugar will need to get shunted away into your fat cells.
However, if it’s a large portion of protein or complex carb, it will slowly work its way down your digestive tubes until it is mostly broken down and absorbed – slowly giving you energy and nutrients and using energy during this process to boot!
 
Give your body all the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and macronutrients it needs to function through the food you eat. Choose nutrient-dense food over low-calorie food. Enjoy the experience of your food, distraction-free, seated at a table, in a relaxing environment. When you are good to your body and take care of it, it will take care of you.

Fear less, hope more,
eat less, chew more,
whine less, breathe more,
talk less, say more,
​love more, and all good things will be yours.
- Swedish Proverb