I remember when I bought my first car. I was petrified that I was going to fill the tank with the wrong fuel. I mean, diesel or unleaded petrol.
They’re both fuels, right? What if in my haste to just top up my tank, (cause let’s face it, I’d always left it to the last minute), meant I’d picked up the wrong pump. Would it really matter?
Luckily, the more I learned about my car, the more I learned that it needs fuel, sure..but even different grades of unleaded petrol could make a difference to its performance. Once I knew that a silly mistake like choosing diesel was never gonna happen.
So later in life, once I tried all the diets and realised that enjoying my food & feeling good in my body, (the result of it operating in its optimal state through choosing the right fuel) was more important than my calorie counter app.
Here are the 3 bits of information I didn’t know when I was focused on counting calories:
Firstly, calories are a measure of energy in food and of course, if you consistently over-consume on your energy compared to your usage, this can lead to weight gain, but this is not the only thing to consider. For example, a lot of packaged foods have a margin of error of up to 20%, so are you really getting the exact calories count anyway?
Secondly, not all calories are equal, I remember a popular diet that I went on which involved food combining & I was happy to eat a low-calorie chocolate bar as an option as a daily snack. These days, I understand that a Kit Kat and an apple could be the same calories but how my body interprets them is very different. My hormones & regulatory systems in my body are working really hard to balance my sugar levels with fuel that is artificially made.
Lastly, our body is uniquely designed but every organ, tissue, muscle and nerve was connected to work with the habits that humans were created for. The consumption of food that was created by nature is simply what we are designed to eat. Everything else creates havoc in the body which can not only lead to weight gain but lack of energy, clarity and focus.
When we start to connect the dots of nutrition we become more aware of the benefits that each type of food provides, most importantly the happiness we can take in the enjoyment of eating foods we love and that make our body feel more alive!
Do share this article with anyone you believe would like the support to reach their health goals. You can watch my short video on my Facebook page, vlog and be sure to sign up for my newsletter at elika.co
