A calorie is a unit of measure. It has the same relation to a heat measurement as the inch does to the yardstick or the ounce to the gallon.
Scientists describe 20 drops of water as a gram. If you heat these 20 drops of water so that their temperature goes up one degree, then the amount of heat that was required to raise the temperature that one degree is called a calorie.
So... the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree is one calorie. The heat required to raise it two degrees is two calories, etc. If you have two grams of water and want to raise it two degrees it will take four calories...
There's a LOT of attention on calories. We count them, we worry over them, we compare them but calories should not be the real focus. Why? Because food, to be burned in the body in the production of calories, is dependent upon the condition of the body doing the burning.
The reality is that most of the heat/energy which results from the burning of food goes to maintain the normal temperature of the body. And, if someone is in poor health due to poor nutrition, no number of calories can help.
Calories is just a word — you don't find "calories" in food — it is just a way to measure. It means nothing to the body really. Protein on the other hand is more than just a word. It is something that is found in food and is part of food. But... no food can produce the desired "caloric" effect unless the organs of the body are actively performing their functions.
They tell us that you need to eat approximately 2,000-2,500 calories a day (as an adult with a normal active {or inactive might be a better word} lifestyle). But what does that mean? The interesting thing is that the foods which have the highest caloric value tend to also be the most deficient in nutrients.
So, the thing to count, worry and fret over isn't calories... it's the nutritional value of the foodstuffs you ingest.
If you take a handful of fertile soil into the lab, you will find these 16 elements:
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Carbon
Chlorine
Fluorine
Iron
Phosphorus
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium
Manganese
Sodium
Sulphur
Silicon
Iodine
If you take a plant into the lab, you will find these same 16 elements (plus two other compounds found in plants but not in soil — fat soluble A and fat soluble B).
If you take a human or any living creature into the lab, you will find these same 16 elements once again.
The consistency with which these elements appear in the soil, in the tissues of the plant and in mans own tissues, and the consistency with which they are found in all UNREFINED foods reveal the operation of the universal intelligence in a fixed and inviolable law.
In other words... it is not an accident that these 16 elements are found in the soil, in the plants and in man! And... it is no accident that man must obtain these elements by way of coordination and relationship with the soil and plants. The human body does not make these elements, they are obtained from the soil and from the plants... from food.
These are the essential elements of life.
All is good until we start messing with this little law of nature. When we start to eat foods that are lacking these elements, we start to deprive the body of things it needs to stay healthy.
This is why there is so much discussion over refined foods. Refined foods are foods where the majority of these elements have been stripped away.
So you can see that if your body needs these life sustaining elements. And...if the body cannot manufacture these elements... And, you are not eating foods with these elements... Something's going to give. And this something is your health.
The really good news is that your body will send you signals well before any major catastrophe. Weight gain is one of those little signals. Allergies, headaches, fatigue, etc. All of these signals are signs that the body is out of balance.
If you are intimately familiar with any of these signals, then take a good hard look at your diet. If you are not eating fresh, organic vegetables, fruits and nuts, then try substituting whatever you are eating with some more of these things. Do what you can to reduce or eliminate all refined foods. See the list of Farmer's Markets around Houston, below. You can get an idea of what refined food is by thinking in terms of what's involved in creating it. The further away it is from its natural state (fresh meat vs. Salami, organic apples vs. apple pie, boiled potato vs. French fries, etc.), the more refined it is.
The most beautiful people in the world are those that look and are healthy. Be more beautiful by being healthier. We can help you eliminate the fat that has built up, but it's up to you to keep it off and stay healthy. We're here to educate you on how to become more healthy and beautiful but it's you who will make the biggest difference. Okay?
To your continued beauty and health,
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