Staying healthy is an effort that we must make all the time. However, today is a difficult task, because there is so much information that might get you a bit confused. We’ve always heard that calories are all that matters. Burning or not more calories than you eat is what will keep you in good shape. The problem is that this theory is not entirely correct. We know so much little about the importance of nutrients and their impact on our health.
Importance of nutrients in our body
Most of the people in the United States and around the world are overfed, despite this, they are malnourished. It is indicative that food lacks nutrients, that they eat too many calories but not enough nutrients. In fact, malnutrition is a very serious problem in the United States.
Part of the problem is due to bad eating habits. Junk food, preserved foods, low-fat, light, diet or even protein bars foods, are very low in nutrients. The importance of nutrients in our body is to prevent dietary deficiencies, which is the cause of most diseases today. Some of these meals are considered ‘healthy’ because many people don’t know what a healthy diet is. They ignore the difference between nutritious-dense food and empty calories.
Lack of essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) is a type of malnutrition, and the deficiency of any specific nutrient has become a general health problem worldwide. Some scientists are beginning to refer to people that suffer from this type of malnutrition as “skinny fats”. It may sound contradictory, but people who don’t have overweight are not necessarily healthy. A total lack of nutrients can trigger all kinds of degenerative, involuntary and old-age diseases.
Calories have nothing to do with our health, nutrition, regeneration, body recovery or even keeping us alive. It is just an energy unit to measure the amount of energy we could get from food. However, it seems that people only care about the amount of calories contained in meals they eat and overlook the importance of nutrients in our body.
How to help your body absorb nutrients
First, stay away from processed foods and cream or brown foods and add an organic supplement to your diet. Organic supplements are ideal for this job, they will add extra nutrients required in daily food intake. For example, an Eveliza sachet of approximately 20g contains more than 50 nutrients and it only has 70 calories, however, it provides all kinds of nutrients needed to keep healthy. However, eating 100 calories of pasta or sweet bread doesn’t give you almost any nutrients. In fact, these types of foods contain compounds such as phytates that make it difficult for the body to absorb the nutrients you get from food.
As you can see then, it is not that difficult how to help your body absorb nutrients. It doesn’t matter how many calories you eat, but the type of calories – nutritious calories or empty calories. Eveliza is developed in a left molecular position and complementarity that allows its total absorption and non-competition of nutrients.
Develop healthy eating habits
If you’ve tried to lose weight by counting calories, it’s time to pay more attention to the importance of nutrients. You should eat nutritious, fresh foods and if possible organic as well.
To be in good health you need to develop healthy eating habits, focusing more on nutrients than calories. Nutrients are responsible for performing all the functions of the body, your health and the body’s resilience among many other functions. You should indeed pay attention to the number of calories in terms of the energy you gain and burn. But if those calories don’t contain nutrients, they won’t provide you with adequate cellular nutrition and repair, which you do from Eveliza thanks to its nutritional content and form of elaboration. Ultimately, a healthy eating habit is the first step to an ideal weight and revitalize.
Is Calorie Counting Bad? Why You Should Focus On Nutrition, Not Calories
If you’ve read a Nutrition Facts label before, you’ve seen the footnote that states, “Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.” The 2,000 calorie diet is a standard set by the FDA to give Americans a reference for their calorie intake. Percent Daily Values refer to our intake of important nutrients, including fats, fiber, vitamins, and sodium. Factors such as age, sex, activity levels, and overall health affect the amount of food you need on a daily basis to maintain a healthy weight and immune system.
While the FDA’s nutritional guidelines have helped set a standard for our modern diets, it’s important to understand that calorie counting isn’t the only way to achieve a balanced, healthy diet. First, let’s define what a calorie is before we discuss its implications. The USDA defines the calorie as a “measurement tool” that measures the energy a food or beverage provides. Foods and beverages can vary in calories based on the nutrients they contain. How do you know how many calories are in your food? The easiest way is to check the Nutrition Facts label on a product, or use helpful online tools such as the USDA’s SuperTracker database.
Pros |
Cons |
It gives you a tangible, numerical way to monitor food intake | You can become obsessed with keeping track of the numbers |
It helps you stay accountable for your food choices | You may overthink your food choices and ignore your body’s nutritional needs |
It motivates you to reduce your calorie intake as a means to lose weight | You may opt for lower calorie foods that are less nutrient-dense |
It helps you control portion sizes | It’s tedious and time consuming |
It can give you exercise goals to burn off excess calories | It’s difficult to keep track of calorie count in non-labeled meals |
But what do you do when you are unsure of calorie count? When you cook a homemade meal, dine out at a restaurant, or visit a friend’s house for a potluck dinner, it’s difficult to know the exact calorie count. In reality, it’s nearly impossible to track every calorie consumed and to know exactly how many calories your body needs in order to stay healthy. Oftentimes, food cannot be neatly segmented into calories and pre-designated portions. This is where mindful eating plays a large role in helping us listen to our bodies instead of basing all our choices off a standardized number.
When we focus on nutritional value instead of calories, we make smarter, healthier choices. According to the FDA, most Americans do not get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets, which contribute to an increased risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. A diet rich in whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain naturally occurring nutrients that our bodies recognize as good, healthy forms of energy.
How can you evaluate the nutritional value of a product instead of focusing on calories? Ask yourself the following questions next time you take a snack break or sit down for a meal:
- Is this food processed? A processed food is commercially prepared to have a long shelf life with no need for preparation. While a processed bag of chips might be lower in calories than an avocado, the avocado packs a powerful punch of healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin C, and dietary fiber, and is the healthier choice.
- Am I eating too much added sugar? Added sugars do not provide any additional nutritional value to your diet.
- What colors are my foods? A vibrant food palette is a healthy one, as long as you are focusing on unprocessed ingredients.
- How does this food make me feel? Do you feel energized? Is your stomach settled? Or do you feel groggy and maybe even have a headache? Pay attention to these side effects from food.
- Am I allowing enough variety in my diet? Variety is the key to a well-rounded diet. No single food supplies all the necessary nutrients you need for the day.
When you take the time to evaluate the nutritional value of your food rather than focusing solely on calories, you will find yourself making more informed decisions about your diet. So as an alternative to complementing the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of nutrients, Eveliza is a good balanced source of concentrated organic food supplement.