The nutrition philosophy of “calories in, calories out” is severely outdated. Our bodies are not PEZ dispensers with a single input and single output. We are complex beings, with billions of processes going on every single second! To simplify it to all to the measure of a single unit and a single equation is a grotesque oversimplification to say the least.
Unfortunately this is not what I learned in school studying Nutrition. Which makes sense when we look at all the dietitians and doctors who still firmly believe it’s all about calories in vs. calories out. The idea that our food contains DNA that intermingles with our own seems completely foreign to most Western minds. However, IT DOES.
In the past ten years of experimenting with my own diet, studying nutrition, and coaching clients, I’ve come to learn a list of factors which can affect how our bodies process, use, and/or store foods.
These factors include..
Sleep
Stress (thought patterns)
Movement (or lack thereof)
Gut Health (Malabsorption)
Hydration (Water and Electrolyte intake)
Caffeine Intake and Tolerance
Immune Health
Prescription Medications
Hormones (including TRT and exogenous BC)
Micronutrient Deficiencies
Genetic Variances
Metabolic Variances
The list goes on…
How do you feel after eating? Bloated? Sleepy? Energized?! These feelings are all cues as to how your body is processing and responding to the foods you eat. Everyone is different.
You may have also noticed how hunger levels drop when you’re mentally stressed, or how it increases when you get in consistent activity.. more cues!
So if we can’t just simplify it to an equation, how are we supposed to know what and how much to eat? ...we listen to those cues!
Here are a few tips for fueling your body well without meticulously tracking calories:
EAT REAL FOODS. As humans, our bodies have been around for thousands of years. We’ve been eating plants and animals from the earth ever since, but have only been introduced to heavily refined and processed foods within the past 100. Within those 100 years, our lifespan may have increased, but our healthspan has decreased drastically. Heart disease, diabetes, and morbid obesity hardly existed before the industrial revolution, and it’s no wonder why. Heavily refined foods (such as sugar and bleached white flours) are incredibly inflammatory in the body and can lead to a cascade of negative effects. Natural foods work with the body, while most processed foods work against it. Think veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, wild-caught, grass-fed and/or cage-free animals, and opt for foods that are ingredients rather than foods that have them.
HYDRATE! Our bodies are 60-70% water. Most people have probably heard this statistic and understand we need to drink water. What most people don’t know is that electrolytes are just as important to hydration as water! Electrolytes are essential minerals (calcium, chloride, sodium, magnesium, potassium) which direct our bodies electricity. Without electrolytes our bodies couldn’t function. They’re responsible for fluid balance, nerve impulses, and even muscle contractions! Without electrolytes, the body cannot transport the water we drink to where it needs to be in the body. (If you’re drinking a ton and peeing it all out, low electrolyte intake is likely the culprit.) So how can you ensure you’re getting adequate electrolytes? Eat ‘em! Natural foods such as leafy greens, veggies, fruits, and grass-fed animals contain some electrolytes, but if you are active and/or sweat frequently supplementing with sodium-rich seasonings (like Pink Himalayan salt and Liquid Aminos) and/or natural electrolyte powders (such as Natural Calm or TraceMinerals PowerPaks) are great options.
MOVE MORE. In addition to eating and hydrating well, moving your body is a great way to improve digestion and utilization of food! Resistance training in particular helps to release a slew of happy hormones (which calm the body and gut) and can actually strengthen your digestive muscles over time. While cardiovascular exercise can help to get the built-up gunk in our digestive tracts moving, and assist in detoxification through sweat. Weightlifting, yoga, hiking, walking the dog.. they’re all great options. Just get moving!
BE MINDFUL. Remember all those cues we mentioned above? This is where we start to notice them! Mindful eating is the practice of eating slowly without distraction, paying attention to how your body feels, and appreciating your food as you consume it. Practicing mindful eating can help to change your relationship with food, empower you to become proactive with your choices, prevent overeating, and clear the stage for your body to do what it’s supposed to do when we consume food: digest.
In summation, there are many factors that can affect your health and fat loss. Many more than the typical “calories in, calories out” mantra alludes to. With focusing on eating real foods and listening to our bodies, we can reverse disease, drop unwanted fat, and feel great so that we can live our lives to the fullest!
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