All Calories are Not Created Equal

This sounds suspiciously like the drum Gary Taubes has been banging for a few years. Might we finally be seeing this leaking into the mainstream?

What i don't understand is why the heck does stuff high in fiber have so many calories? Like oatmeal and any cereal that's high in fiber(kashi) they have SO many calories compared to other foods like it. I love them but cannot space the extra calories to eat these "healthy foods"

Several researchers in the low glycemic index area have also stated that controlling blood sugar - and hence insulin - are keys to losing weight. Several books, including those written by the GI researchers, talk about this. Gary Taubes merely popularized this contemporary line of thinking.

An obvious example to illustrate is that the fiber in most high fiber foods is not digested into your blood stream and is a decent example of why calories there are not the same as calories of sugar, for example. But when the food is literally burned to determine its calorie content, does that calorie content of high fiber food really mean much?

I tend to agree with Ed...it's not so much that the calories are "equal" per se; it's more that when you eat foods with a lot of naturally occuring fiber, the fiber prevents your intestines from absorbing some of the nutrients in the food (c'mon, you've all seen this, right? Just look in the toilet after you've eaten an ear of corn if you don't believe me. You definitely don't have that same effect if you eat say, corn chips). That's why I never really bothered with counting calories. It's way too putzy for me and I figure you can't really go wrong by eating a lot of fruits and veggies and other non-processed foods.

I hope this research gets more attention. It's actually already been proven many times that all calories are not created equally when it comes to weight control, but some schools of nutrition are so married to old ideas that they can't except that something else might be true.

Let me explain a little. Hormones and Enzymes not calories affect our biochemical processes.

Our weight is regulated by our hypothalumus and pituitary gland. Our endocrine system (all our hormones) controls our weight.

Have you heard of people with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. When your thyroid gland does not work as well as it should you gain weight, regardless of how much you eat.

Conversely, when you have an over-active thyroid you will lose weight even if you overeat. If fact some people with hyperthyroidism, lose weight faster when they consume more calories.

Here's the kicker foods and drugs affect our hormones.

In nutrition, Insulin is the most popular hormone that people talk about and carbohydrates have the greatest effect on insulin. Protein has a slight effect on insulin, and fat has no effect on insulin.

All of those foods affect 1 hormone differently and since hormones control our weight all of those foods affect our weight differently.

Here are just a few other hormones that effect weight and the foods we eat all have different affects on them... Testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, adrenaline, insulin, glucagon, and the thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronie).

Needless to say broccoli and fish have beneficial affects on our weight control hormones and soda and cookies have a negative effect on those hormones.

It's not all about the calories... It's all about the hormones.

Finally some common sense. I've never understood how diet experts could postulate the idea that "a calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from" and then go into recommending how you divide up the calories you consume between proteins, carbs, and fat. I thought a calorie is a calorie, why should the ratio of proteins to carbs to fat matter?

With my body, a calorie is not a calorie. The source matters. Switching to whole foods instead of packaged and fast food, while keeping calorie levels the same, completely changed my body.

I think this article gives (ignorant/lazy) people the wrong view. It was probably written by one trying to come up with excuses so they don't have to count calories.

Counting calories is a smart thing to do if you want to get/stay not-fat. It's really not as hard as you make it out to be.

It's amazing to me that some people will read this article and then go "see, that's why I don't count calories, it is not reliable".

But what this article doesn't say is, the difference between the various food calories is so slight that it will make very little difference in the long run. Just count your calories vary your foods; but don't try and complicate things by trying to come up with some 'true' calorie value.

Yes, "Calorie counting" is not the only task when you try to get / stay healthy. Nevertheless it is an important task, together with watching the nutrients.
First, it is not at all "hard" or "impossible" to keep track of your cal intake.
Second, you always have to count. Even if you are an "Atkins believer" (some of them still exist today, so I am told), you count something.
Like it or not: Most people simply must watch what they eat to stay healthy.

Dr. Atkins, Sears, and every low carb guru has been saying this for years and years. Even Bating. My mother helps control diabetes eating low gi/ low carb. Nothing new here.

This article just boils down to healthy eating. If you eat a diet high in fruits, veggeis, whole grains, and lean dairy and protein sources, you will limit your caloric intake and total overall sugar intake. Eat healthy and it does not matter if a calorie is a calorie or not.

I count calories every day. It's easy. Takes about 5 minutes.

If you're unwilling to count calories, consider that you don't really have what it takes to change your health and your body.

If you ate a diet made up exclusively of potatoes and white bread, and compared it to a diet matched *precisely* for calories yet with a healthier range of macro and micronutrients . . . would the first high-carb, high-GI diet make you fatter?

I'll bet good money it would not. The 'insulin makes you fat' idea is bunkum. In any case, protein is also a potent inducer of insulin secretion. (See Holt et al, 'insulin index' work.)

And so what if something gets converted to fat? Fat IS fat. Replace carbohydrate with fat and you still store fat. And, fat from de novo lipogenesis is just like any other fat and can be used for energy.

Yes, there is a slight advantage in thermic effect of protein compared to carbohydrate -- and also carbohydrate over fat; but overall this is a small effect. A calorie is not quite a calorie, but it's pretty darn close!

Concentrating on trivia like this in weight loss really is distracting from the main game of eating less and moving more.

Can you provide the research mentioned in the article? This all seems very interesting to me and I would love to see some evidence for both side of the cases. Thanks

Have you checked out Kimkins low carb diet?? I was impressed with the before and after shots. I wonder if it works?

Has anyone heard of the Kimkins low carb diet?? The before and after pics look very good. I'm thinking of trying it.

Why is there never any hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism in starving third world countries?

Broccoli vs Potato Chips.

High fiber, slowly digested,unprocessed food that makes you feel full and addresses your body's needs vs fatty, salty, even sugary fast "food" snack that has been processed unmercifully and does absolutely nothing good for you.

A calorie definitely does not equal a calorie. As well as counting how many calories, we need to be very informed about what sort of calories we fuel our bodies with.

Thank you for this discussion provoking piece.

Rosie