Numbers and Nutrients
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I often hear people who are trying to lose weight, myself included on occasion, talk about lowering, restricting or counting calories. It is easy to see why focusing on calories alone is an easy trap to fall into since numbers are easy to track and count.
Calories are an easy thing or goal to measure and this makes it appealing. But calories are only half the picture, and perhaps the less important half too.
Food labels have come a long way and they now contain plenty of information about the food we consume. But the labels themselves also fuel our obsession with calories. Often the number of calories in any given product is at the top of the label and it’s often larger and bolder.
The problem with this obsession with calories is that we are tempted and often neglect the more weightier matter of nutrients. It’s true that our bodies need calories, but calories that are devoid of nutrients are worthless and do very little for our body other than create cravings and obesity.
Before we look at the number, or at least right after, we should look further down the label to the ingredients, vitamins and minerals the product contains. Some ultra-refined products have certain vitamins added in an attempt to make them healthier, but these are always inferior to naturally occurring ones.
Nutrients are more important than the numbers. Fresh fruits and vegetables, starches, legumes, and whole grains contain all the nutrients (except B12) and protein that a body needs to thrive. These foods naturally contain what we need and help to diminish cravings, and promote wellness and healing.
Our bodies crave nutrients which is why we can eat refined and processed foods and very quickly find ourselves wanting to eat more. Our bodies cannot be satisfied when they are fueled with nutrient deficient foods.
Some are tempted to compensate for a bad diet with supplements. This I think is a flawed strategy. One because supplements are second-rate to naturally occurring nutrients and two, this strategy still leads to obesity and ensuing chronic illnesses.
I am not going to say that I am perfect at this, but I rarely, if ever, calorie count these days. I am increasingly concerned about the nutrients I need and how to get them through eating a plant-based diet. We don’t need animals, supplements or fortified foods to get what we need, we can get everything we need, both calories and nutrients by eating a more whole-food plant-based diet.
If ever you want to explore this diet further, my beautiful wife Cassandra has spent years researching and cooking this way and together with me we could help start your journey.
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