The Double-Whammy
If you believe “a calorie is a calorie”… I have news for you. All calories are not created equal.
For example, it requires more body energy to process calories from protein. You burn about 25 percent of the protein calories you consume just on digestion and biochemical processing. That’s one of the many reasons a high-protein diet burns more body fat.
The other side of the coin is processed foods – white flour, cheap breads, sugar, and so on. It’s not just their calories, which tend to be very high, it’s the fact that these foods rob the body of nutrients that are vital to health.
Many of the natural substances that trigger the brain to recognize that the body has eaten enough are removed from processed foods. That’s the main reason you tend to eat a lot more of these high-calorie foods without feeling full. Some manufacturers even add chemicals to trick the body into believing it is not full so you will eat more!
Talk about a double-whammy!
The best way, by far, to become leaner and healthier is to get 75-80 percent of your food from whole, unprocessed sources. Grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and eggs, lots of fresh organically grown veggies, low-sugar fruits, and a few whole grains.
There’s no reason to deny yourself your favorite foods and try to be “perfect.” I’ve proven you do not have to do that in order to be lean and healthy.
But just remember that when you eat processed foods, you’re getting a double-whammy: more calories, and the food itself makes you want to eat more than you should.
Think about it.
[Ed. Note: If you want to lose weight while enjoying your favorite foods, get your copy of nutrition and fitness counselor Jon Benson’s Every Other Day Diet System. Try it for 60 days and prove to yourself that it works.]