Fitness Friday: Calories: Good or Bad?

As my kids have heard me talk about nutrition through the years, sometimes marveling at how many calories one thing may have in it, I have encountered the question: "Are calories good or bad?" I know what those of you who know me best THINK I would say: Calories are bad, right? No, calories are neither. Calories are fuel. But, like lycra, political news, and information on your preacher's s*x life, all things in moderation. Calories don't get us in trouble -- gluttony gets us in trouble.

A calorie is a calorie, right? Yes and no. (see? I'm all about not really giving information on this FF). Yes, a calorie is a calorie. If you keep the number of your calories within the range you will burn off in a given day, no problem. If you go over that number -- even with "healthy" food -- it's still too much. Where a calorie is not a calorie is when your body needs fuel for a specific activity. Carbohydrates are quick-burn fuel, easily transferring to sugar in the body ready to be burned. If not burned, then stored (bummer -- we don't want storage). Protein is slow-burning fuel, also used in repairing muscles that have worked hard recently. Fat is VERY slow burning, and if too much is consumed, the body can't burn it before it needs to store it. If you have a meal that "sticks with you" for HOURS: a)you ate too much and b) there was A LOT of fat in it. Yeah, I know -- BIG bummer.

I see so many people chafe and rebel at the thought of counting calories and paying attention to the way they are fueling their body. I'm not advocating counting every bite, every day. I would encourage you to look at what you are using to fuel your body. If your diet (by "diet" I mean -- the foods you regularly consume) doesn't fuel you to be energized and feel well, then you need to fire the foods that aren't doing their job for you. Heavy, greasy foods, encourage us to take a nap ('cause your gut has to spend all of that energy digesting!), empty, high sugar calories cause our blood sugar to crash and we feel awful. A healthy, light meal that includes a high-fiber carbohydrate, some lean protein, and a little fat for flavor will fuel us for a period of time without keeping us too weighed down.

Nutrition isn't rocket science, but many of us would rather memorize the TV schedule or our fantasy football stats than learn which foods will fuel our bodies to work for His glory, rather than for a nap!

Fuel well, stay healthy, and be fit!