Choosing the Correct Calories, “Nuts or Crackers? Which would you choose?

Eating enough calories is necessary for fat loss – because when we just cut calories, our bodies turn up our fat storage mechanisms. See full article here.

But what calories do we choose? Because despite what the food industry tells us, NOT all calories are created equal. Calories from one food to the next can be drastically different – in the way they are digested, absorbed, utilized, and stored by our body. Calories also differ in the way they affect our appetite control centers and cravings throughout the day. 

We want to choose calories that will balance our blood sugar, keep us satiated, and regulate our hunger hormones. These are also the calories that fuel our metabolism and shift our body from fat storing to fat burning mode. 

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN TERMS OF FOOD OPTIONS?

Don’t focus on the calorie count. Instead focus on the calorie quality. Prioritize calories from clean proteins, healthy fats, and fibers. Don’t opt for a food just because it is “low cal”.

Nuts, for example, might have a high calorie content but you get more bang for your buck compared to a snack like crackers that may have less calories. Nuts are high in protein, fat, and fiber, while crackers alone will supply you with only carbs. Crackers will shoot your blood glucose way up, give you a spike of energy, and then quickly come crashing down. Nuts however will supply you with a longer digestion process and signal release of satiety hormones that will keep you full and energized longer. The protein will decrease production of Neuropeptide Y (your “I’m craving carbs” hormone) and GLP-1 (your “I’m hungry” hormone), and the healthy fats will increase CCK (your “I’m satiated” hormone). Nuts, despite the higher calorie content, are a much better option than crackers when it comes to fat loss. 

And what about something like full fat yogurt compared to non-fat yogurt? Non-fat yogurt is processed to remove the fat and some protein that yogurt contains naturally. Full fat yogurt might seem like an unusual choice when trying to lose fat since it has more calories, but digesting a snack that contains protein and fats is a better choice overall for your metabolism and feeling full longer. Even better, throw some nuts on top to slow absorption and keep you full longer.

Finally, let’s not forget about our salads! Not all salads are created equal. We think that loading up our salad with lettuce and other low cal vegetables is going to be the key to fat loss. But that’s usually not enough to calm our hunger hormones when afternoon cravings start to kick in. So consider adding protein (like eggs or salmon) and some fat (half an avocado, handful of walnuts, or olive oil) to your salads. This is more likely to keep your body in fat burning mode later in the day than just eating those veggies alone. 

We like focusing on what we should eat, as opposed to what we shouldn’t eat. The simplest tool of all is the Key3. This reminds you to check off clean proteins, healthy fats, and fibers in each of your meals, smoothies, or snacks.

SO HOW DO WE GET YOUR METABOLISM IN FAT BURNING MODE? 

1. Look at ingredients over calories: When putting together your meal or snack, check if you have the Key3 (clean proteins, healthy fats, fiber). This will give you the nutrients you need for a healthy metabolism.
2. Avoid “low calorie” foods: foods that are labeled low calorie are usually higher in sugar and more processed.
3. Change your relationship with fat: the word fat has a nasty reputation. We associate the word with being overweight and food with high fat content gets the same rep. But fat is essential, and fats in foods like avocados and olive oil (the monounsaturated fats, MUFAs) are good for our health!