Calorie Counting While Disregarding Ingredients

The illusion of eating healthy is a controversial and confusing topic. Everybody has their own claims about what they consider to be nutritious. The diets that are based on counting calories or macronutrients can be misleading and inaccurate. All calories are not created equal, neither are the sources of fat, carbohydrates and protein. The underlying factor is the quality of the food and the ingredients used to make the food. The concept of counting macros and calories makes sense. Your body needs enough food to provide energy for the physical demands placed on it. The higher your level of activity, the more calories you will need. The problem with this concept is that we look at only the numbers on the labels and not the ingredients. By emphasizing on how much protein, fat and calories the food has, the ingredients are not even a consideration.

Boxed cereals are processed with preservatives and added sugars. Most cold cuts are made with nitrates, high levels of sodium and low-grade meats. Coincidentally, both examples are marketed as healthy.

Suppose you prepared yourself a bowl of oatmeal with sliced bananas and skip the boxed cereal. Instead of the cold cuts, you have a serving of grass-fed beef. Even if the calories are equivalent on both substitutions, they are cleaner options. Take the time to discover what is in the food you are eating. The ingredients are what really matter. Look for minimally processed foods. Organic foods have higher standards that have to be met to be certified as such. Foods with the “all natural” claim do not have to meet any type of criteria so any manufacturer can make that claim.

It’s possible that the red color of a food or beverage is attributed to crushed insects. Refer to carmine and cochineal, which are used as dyes on foods, beverages and cosmetics. Perhaps wood particles are mixed with your cheese. Cellulose is composed of wood pulp and processed in processed in a way that wouldn’t occur in nature. Maltodextrin is a sweetener that is typically derived from corn in the United States. It is highly likely that the corn is genetically modified. This additive is found in a large variety of foods and often gets overlooked, while high fructose corn syrup gets all the bad press. There are many more food substitutions like these, that find their way into your body.

If you do not feel nourished after eating a meal, then that food should not enter your body again. Food should heal and fuel your body. You should not feel lethargic or dense after a meal, you should feel revitalized. Change your approach to eating. Educate yourself about ingredients. Simplify your diet, listen to your body and feel better. There’s no need to read ingredients if you eat real food. We’re quite capable of finding nutrient dense foods without having them artificially added in a lab. Changing your eating habits is a vital step to creating a healthier, fitter you.