Do calories have a character?

April 03, 2011 04:50 pm | Updated 06:39 pm IST

BREAD AND CHEES DISPLAY AT RAIN TREE HOTEL CHENNAI.                    PHOTO S_THANTHONI

BREAD AND CHEES DISPLAY AT RAIN TREE HOTEL CHENNAI. PHOTO S_THANTHONI

First of all, what is a calorie? A non-technical explanation — a calorie is a measure of the food energy we consume, which is burned, or stored by the body as fat. So, when you hear about good and bad calorie foods, what does it mean? At a basic level, there is no such thing as “bad food”. You know what happens if you deep fry a “good” potato? It turns into “calorie-dense” potato chips.

However, certain foods contribute more calories than nutrients — think cookies and fast foods such as fries and burgers. Manufacturers process the raw ingredients, often adding trans-fats to enhance taste and prolong the shelf life of the product. A high intake of trans-fat can raise low-density cholesterol levels and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. Manufacturers and fast food restaurants are not concerned about your health. Their job is to cater to your taste buds. Therefore, these foods are viewed as ‘bad' or harmful when consumed in excess quantities.

A large burger meal with fries and a fizzy drink can contain more than half of your total daily calorie recommendation! An occasional burger meal is fine, but keep it as an occasional treat only.

What do excess calories do? Excess calories get into your wardrobe at night and sew your clothes tighter.

While it is true that excess calorie consumption could make your clothes tighter…you should be aware that all calories are not created equal. The 200 calories in a doughnut are not equal to the 200 calories in a wholegrain raisin bran muffin. Nor are the 100 calories in 10 potato chips equal to the 100 calories in a baked potato served in its skin. So, choose your calories with care, and opt for quality over quantity, especially when you're pregnant. Your baby will benefit a lot more from 2,000 nutrient- rich calories every day, than from 2,000 mostly-empty ones. And, your body will show the benefits post partum as well.

Healthy snacking gives you a huge energy boost in the long run, unlike the temporary lift from high- fat and sugary food options. The trick is to find clever alternatives that can replace your favourite munch and still keep you happy.

My rule of thumb: Think natural, think unprocessed, think brown. Brown bread is better than white (the calories are similar) and brown rice is better than white (again, equal portions of white rice and brown rice have similar number of calories) The reason natural or whole-grain foods are better is because they are high in fibre and take a longer time to digest; making you feel fuller longer. By filling yourself with natural high-fibre foods, you are allowing the glucose from these foods to get released gradually into your blood stream. So, if you are in the mood for a sandwich, ask for multi-grain bread with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, peppers, cottage cheese or chicken.

On the other hand, if you constantly eat refined or processed foods, such as a white bread and jam sandwich, you get a quick boost, then you experience a huge energy slump. This drop in energy levels could result in mood swings, because the fast-burning energy leaves your energy reserves depleted.

Watch Out!

Some manufacturers add food colour to regular white bread, to make it “brown, hoping to pass it off as a high-fibre product. Don't be fooled. Check for ingredients such as “whole wheat”, “multigrain” or “whole grain” on labels for bread, biscuits, pastas and other baked products.

Sweet nothings!

Sugar and spice and all things nice…that's what little girls are made of

We have all grown up listening to this nursery rhyme…but the truth is that today we are discovering that sugar is not all that ‘nice'. Researchers have found that sugar may potentially be harmful, in excessive amounts. In addition to contributing to obesity, heavy sugar consumption may be linked to tooth decay, diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.

For nutritious and delicious sweetness substitute fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice concentrates for sugar when you can. Besides being sweet, they contain vitamins, trace minerals and valuable phytochemicals (plant chemicals that help the body defend itself against disease and aging) all of which are absent in sugar.

After reading everything that's been written about the harmful effects of sugar and sweets, you might feel guilty about indulging in your favourite ice-cream or dessert. But, don't do that; allow yourself a treat once in a while. Sure, sugar calories are empty calories and they do nothing for your nutritional bottomline, but what better pick-me-up could you ask for? Try to limit your intake of all forms of sugar, since the calories you save can be spent on foods that pack a much more wholesome punch.

My advice — balance it out. Add a slice of banana and some nuts to your ice-cream sundae; choose a candy bar that's filled with almonds. Eating smaller portions is also a good strategy: share the dessert; take a slender slice of pie instead of a hefty slab. And stop before you get too carried away…otherwise you deserve to feel guilty!

The writer is a certified Clinical Exercise Specialist, Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist.

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