We have a lot to say about calories. We can’t eat to many of them, because we will gain weight, we can’t eat to few of them because we will reach an unhealthy weight. We count them more intense than we ever did our math homework, and we shame ourselves after eating a food containing “too many” of them.
Calories are simple. They are a unit of energy, that our bodies get from food. They are essential for our life and bodily functions. Calories are our gasoline, our fuel, the hype man that keeps us liiit.
When we talk about calories we usually think calories in – calories out, and burning more calories than you consume leads to weight loss or weight gain, if the opposite. This is true, but the kind of calories you consume does make a difference in the way our body processes them, and determine fat loss or weight loss.
Nutrition is science, and just as a science experiment react differently to different chemicals, so does our bodies – chemicals being the different kinds of food we eat. Food comes in three major groups – proteins, fats, and carbohydrates (and vitamins and minerals).
For some reason we have put these these guys in different groups, The good group and the bad group. Lately, carbs have been put into the bad group, while fat and protein are the good dudes.
So calories, are they simply just a matter or calories in – calories out. Yes, they are, but our body does process different kinds of calories in different ways, which will result in different results in terms of our body weight and composition. Let’s paint up an example. You are about to get down and dirty on three plates of food containing equally 1000 calories each. The first plate has 1000 calories of fat, the second plate has a 1000 calories of proteins, and the third plate has a 1000 calories of carbs. Out of all these plates, which one would make you put on more weight? You might say that all of them will make you put on the equal amount of weight, right? Not really.
Carbohydrates contains 4 calories per gram. The carbs that we should be eating, from real whole plant based starch such as potatoes, rice, fruit and vegetables contains a shit load of nutrients and fiber, which helps speed up our digestive system, putting our metabolism in high gear. Carbs are not the enemy, contrary to our believes based on fad diets and media. The right form of carbohydrates will not make us fat, they will help us burn fat. Vegetables, fruits, potatoes, rice, whole grains are your best friend in terms of health and managing a stable weight. Of course there’s bad versions of carbs as well such as processed bread with a ton of added ingredients like corn syrup (fancy word for sugar), vegetables oils, and all those other chemical bullshit. Carbohydrates are not the enemy unless we make them the enemy. A pure baked potato with veggies and salsa is not the same as a baked potato loaded with butter, cheese, and bacon. The potato is not the one causing a flabby stomach, it’s the butter, cheese, and bacon. See the difference. Don’t blame the good guy.
Proteins contain 4 calories per gram, and they are very essential for the majority of things in our body. Our DNA are made out of proteins, our hair, skin, cells, you are basically protein. When you eat the right protein, like whole plant proteins you get your proteins plus an addition of minerals, vitamins, and the astonishing fiber. Our bodies work harder to break the fiber down, and voila, we burn more calories through digestion. Beans and legumes are your best protein buddies! A bunch of your green veggies does also contain a lot of protein, and no additional fat. Eat your plants, people. Another note to think about is that everything contains protein. If you get the right amount of calories that your body needs everyday, you will never become protein deficient.
Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Fat can make us feel fuller when coming from the right sources, such as whole plants like avocados, seeds and nuts. When fat comes from processed fats such as oils and animal based fats without any fiber, it tends to leave us unsatisfied and craving more food, especially more fatty foods and sugar. The fat sources without any fiber isn’t the best friend with our digestive system. Since it’s pure fat, it goes straight into fat storage without leaving us full. It puts pressure on our digestive system, and can cause bloating and constipation. Nobody likes hard shit, let’s get real. Fries, cookies, bacon, and other processed meats will go straight to your waistline, and also into your arteries for that matter, clogging that shit up.
Yes, calories in – calories out is a true statement, but the kind of weight we will gain or loose depends largely on the calories we eat. It also determines how we will loose or put on weight. Processed fats together with animal fat is going to make every calorie less nutritionally dense, and get stored right away on your body as flabby fat. More fiber leads to a higher satisfaction, faster working digestive system, and let’s not forget the most important part – an overall healthy lifestyle! And don’t get me wrong, just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean that everything you eat is magically amazing. Fries are vegan, Oreos, potato chips, and vegetable oils are vegan. The real key here is whole plant based foods. Real foods. Untouched and pure.
Another side note: Of course life is about pleasure as well, and we can’t eat strictly whole plant based all the time. It’s okay to “treat yo self” and live! That’s as important for a healthy lifestyle. Kale might nourish your body, but chocolate will nourish your soul.