Food and Nutrition - The Skinny on Empty Calories

You’ve probably heard people use the phrase “empty calories” a million times, but have you ever wondered what that phrase really means? What are empty calories? If the very definition of the word ‘calorie’ refers to the energy derived from the food we eat, doesn’t that mean that any food containing calories will provide our bodies with some form of energy?

The phrase “empty calories” would be better translated into “useless calories” or “low quality calories”. Common sense lends itself to the fact that not all calories are created equal. When you eat junky, processed foods, the calories you consume are of low quality. That means, while they do provide the cells of your body with a food source, that food source is often full of carcinogens or sugars that will deplete quickly. Your cells work more efficiently on good nutrition. So, when somebody says “empty calories” they are more accurately referring to calories that don’t do your body a whole lot of good.

You’ve probably also heard people mention that cooking food ruins it’s nutritional content. Well, that’s not entirely true. Cooking food can lower the content and potency of certain vitamins and minerals (especially enzymes), but it won’t ruin your food. Some people can’t fathom the idea of eating 100% raw fruits and vegetables all the time. The good news is, you don’t have to. While eating raw, organic nutrition is wonderful for your overall health, if you happen to cook those organic carrots, you’ll still reap some awesome health benefits. The Vitamin Code raw multivitamins provide a healthy way to give your body raw, whole food nutrition that provides 100% active ingredients, while maintaining more of a traditional or cooked diet.

Is organic food really better? What about processed food and preservatives? They’re everywhere! How can we combat the intake of these foods when we can’t help it? Many people ask the question, “is organic really better?” and the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Organic food is better for you because, when you eat organic, you’re not ingesting any of the dyes, pesticides, and other chemicals that most of our food is treated with. These man made chemicals feed your cells with material that is not designed to be used as food. Regular intake of these chemicals has been proven as the source for a great many diseases and cancers.

How do you combat the intake of these harmful chemicals when you have no other choice? Well, simply insure that your body has enough healthy, proper nutrition to combat any damage caused by the intake of inferior food. The best way to insure your body has an adequate amount of healthy nutrients is to eat organic, whole foods as often as possible. That way, even when you consume meals of a less than savory content, your body will be running on enough ‘good stuff’ to keep it running smoothly. It is also recommended that you take a daily, whole-food living multi vitamin. Whole food vitamins are derived from actual food and will give your body the nutritional support it needs even on the days when you can’t eat right.

Nutrition from whole food vitamins and supplements provide the most complete sources of vitamins and minerals. They also contain important nutritional cofactors and mircronutrients that are missing from isolated vitamin formulas made in a lab. Because whole food vitamin supplements are made from whole food, the body recognizes them as food — so they are absorbed and utilized better by the body. Eating as close to nature as possible, from the Garden of Life, ensures that we are getting the best nutrition possible, instead of ingesting empty calories that may actually deplete valuable nutritional resources from our bodies.