There is no such thing as empty calories

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metalpalace
metalpalace Posts: 576
in Food and Nutrition
A calorie is a specific measurement of heat.

According to Sports, Science and Medicine a calorie is a "Unit of work and energy. One calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water by 1°C at normal pressure."

In the body a calorie count is a measurement of energy derived from a food source. In this context a calorie is a calorie and has the same value of energy whatever the quality of the food source it is derived from.

Those low calorie fad diets are dangerous. For example, eating only enough food to derive 800 calories worth of energy for the bodies cells is not nearly enough to sustain the energy demands of your body for an entire day even if you live a completely inactive life style (unless you're a very small person). You need more than 600 or 800 calories in the course of a day or you will waste away til death if you're consistent enough with it. To figure out roughly how many calories you should be consuming use this fitness calculator and re calculate once per week: http://passionforfitness.info/tools/fitnesscalculator.html

Now that we know calories are simple because the value of a calorie is always the same from one to the next. Regarding calories All you need to pay attention to is the quantity of calories, not the quality because calorie quality is irrelevant!

Nutrients are the complex factor here, not calories. Nutrients vary in quality from one food source to the next. Some foods are more nutrient dense than others and contain different kinds of nutrients along with different partitions of those nutrients from one to the next. It is a lot to monitor! Generally the body wants the foods that are more nutrient dense and all natural ingredients. Nutrient dense food is far more useful and metabolized by the bodies cells than food with empty nutrients.

If you're interested in eating right for your body so the body can heal itself and prevent illness then avoid the nutrient empty foods such as ice berg lettuce, white colored mushrooms, and foods with artificial sweeteners and trans fats. Instead eat nutrient dense whole foods such as the green leafy lettuce, the various brown colored mushrooms, and foods with all natural ingredients.

The phrase, "empty calories" should be replaced with empty nutrients in everyone's vocabulary. It would clear up a lot of misguided confusion about the "empty calorie" debate.

Tom

Replies

  • vhuber
    vhuber Posts: 8,779 Member
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    Thanks Tom for the info, it was good to read that again! I had read that before in my fitness journal but I too have said "empty calories" when it should have been said"empty nutrients"! You are looking great man and are truly an inspiration!!! Best wishes!
    Verda
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    No iceberg?

    __


    I can't believe your before and after...the changes you've made in your body are mind-blowing.
  • vhuber
    vhuber Posts: 8,779 Member
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    No iceberg?

    __


    I can't believe your before and after...the changes you've made in your body are mind-blowing.
    he looks amazing huh? If he wanted he could model underwear couldn't he???? LOL
    Verda
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    Snickers has peanuts which are nutrient dense and potato chips have a lot of potassium:bigsmile: Now I must go do more work.
  • metalpalace
    metalpalace Posts: 576
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    No iceberg?

    __


    I can't believe your before and after...the changes you've made in your body are mind-blowing.
    he looks amazing huh? If he wanted he could model underwear couldn't he???? LOL
    Verda

    Iceberg isnt bad for you. It's an all natural food unless the manufacturer adds stuff to it. It's just not nutrient dense. It's almost all water and virtually no vitamins and minerals.

    An underwear model hey? You know I get that a lot...hahaha
  • vhuber
    vhuber Posts: 8,779 Member
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    Go for it metalpalace, Jockey is calling!!!! LOL
    No, really you do look awesome and I have liked reading any of your post's! I have always been into fitness just not a clean eater!!
    Best wishes bud!
  • Mangoaddict
    Mangoaddict Posts: 1,236 Member
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    Thanks for the explanations.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    The phrase, "empty calories" should be replaced with empty nutrients in everyone's vocabulary. It would clear up a lot of misguided confusion about the "empty calorie" debate.

    Well said.
    "Empty calories" for me are junk foods like potato chips. Lots of calories, devoid of nutrition!
  • metalpalace
    metalpalace Posts: 576
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    I still think there is a time and a place for the phrase empty calories to be used. If a dietitian is talking to a client about food and calories then empty calories can make it easier for the client to understand what to stay away from; making meal planning easier. However inaccurate the phrase is, it still has a place. I mainly wrote about the subject matter for those interested in what a calorie really is and how it's isolated from nutrients in food. I'm glad you all enjoyed the read :wink:

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