The Downside of Calorie Counting: Focusing on Long-Term Health and the Role of Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Calorie Counting – In my decades of experience as a dietitian, I’ve seen many diets come and go. A popular one that never seems to go out of favour is calorie counting. This is continueally promoted as the ultimate solution to weight loss and better health and I see it every day pushed by companies, PTs etc wanting to sell you a plan. For some this is right up their street, others maybe a useful starting point and for the rest a numerical nightmare leading them into a bad relationship with food. I have observed time and time again that focusing on counting calories can be detrimental to our well-being and you can see more about this in my YouTube video or click on the image below. As this is typically the time of year when panic sets in advance of the summer holidays and crash diets are underway I thought I would return to this topic. In this blog, we will explore why calorie counting is not always recommended and how focusing on anti-inflammatory foods and the correct ratios can promote long-term health and longevity. Conclusion While calorie counting may offer short-term benefits in weight management, it often neglects the importance of nutritional quantity and quality, individual variation, and psychological well-being for the long-term. A good example is to take a low kcal cake bar, it may be 100 calories, but it fails to offer any nutritional value instead likely highly processed with a long list of ingredients and inflammatory. A bowl of berries with natural dairy topping – yoghurt/cream however may have more calories but also provides essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin C, polyphenols and fiber making this a better choice for a dessert for your body. Enjoying good quality choices ensures you are physcially and mentally optimised. As an expert dietitian, I am passionate about getting this right for you for life and I teach that long-term health and longevity are best achieved by focusing on anti-inflammatory foods and adopting a holistic approach to nutrition. By emphasizing whole, nutrient-dense foods, flexibility, kindness to ourselves and considering the broader aspects of well-being, we can relax around foods and enjoy a healthier and more fulfilling life. So, what to do next or for anything else.. If you are needing help with your diet and health, activity, sports performance we can assist you with this. Maybe you wish to change your eating habits, stop tracking or need help optimising the foods you eat and are not sure what programme to select, please do contact us. We would love to help you or your family and friends with any nutrition-related queries big or small. If you want to book your programme TODAY we would love to help you. You can book a 121 Dietitian Programme today by clicking on the link below If you have enjoyed this blog we would love you to share this with your family and friends on your social media channels. Do visit our YouTube Channel for more on keeping your health optimal. If you are interested in how I overcame my Thyroid Autoimmune Condition do check out the About section below Before you go please check out our 121 Dietitian Shop created specifically for optimising your health. Gillian x
