Still believe a calorie is a calorie?
Dr. Robert Lustig released a new article today titled Still Believe a Calorie is a Calorie? I have to admit…I was a little giddy when I read his article. First of all, he is a nutrition rock star. He’s edgy and controversial and pisses a lot of people off. That may be the reason I like him? Any way…I digress. He is the crazy sugar guy…he believes that sugar should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol (I told you he was controversial).
I’m not advocating that this is the right approach; however, I think his science is accurate and he’s trying to make a point that sugar is everywhere and way too many places it doesn’t belong.
Back to why I was giddy…I did a talk last week on The Seven Myths of Healthy Eating. My number one myth (and my biggest pet peeve) is that we assume a calorie is a calorie. It’s not. Our bodies are not designed to digest everything exactly the same way. There are so many factors involved in digestion and absorption. I wish as a society we could focus our efforts on the nutrient density of food vs. the calories. It would be a far more accurate comparison.
I’ll let you read his article for his examples. Beware- his last bullet is a sugar rant, so you can ignore if not interested. I do love his other examples.
Happy reading!
As always…please let me know if you have any questions.
-kristina
Just saw this article today and thought of you: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/20/sugar-deadly-obesity-epidemic. It caught my eye because I’d read your post. Thanks!
Thanks Andrea!