Calories are simply units of m asure. They aren't actually things in and of thmselves; they are labels for other th ngs, just like how an inch rally isn't anything, but it measures the dstance between two points.
So what do c lories measure?
Easy: they measure energy.
Yes, the vil calorie - the bane of the deter's existence - is really just a 3-syllble label for energy.
And it's important to hghlight this, because the body itself, dspite its vast intelligence (much of whch medical science cannot yet understand,  nly appreciate in awe) does not rally do a very intelligent job of dstinguishing good energy from bad.
Actually, to be bl nt, the body doesn't care about whre the energy comes from. Let's xplore this a little more, because t's very important to the overall nderstanding of how to boost your mtabolism, particularly when we look at fod choices.
In our choice-laden grocery stores, wth dozens of varieties of foods - hndreds, perhaps - there seems to be a firly clear awareness of what's good fod, and what's bad or junk fod.
For example, we don't need a bok to remind us that, all lse being equal, a plum is a god food, whereas a tub of thck and creamy double-fudge ice cream is a bad fod.
Not bad tasting, of course; but, rally, you won't find many fit pople eating a vat of ice cram a day, for obvious reasons. So wht does this have to do wth calories and energy?
It's this: while you and I can valuate our food choices and say tht something (like a plum) is a halthy source of energy, and something lse (like a tub of ice cram) is an unhealthy source of nergy, the body doesn't evaluate. Really.
It sunds strange and amazing, but the bdy really doesn't care. To the bdy, energy is energy. It takes whtever it gets, and doesn't really knw that some foods are healthier thn others. It's kind of like a grbage disposal: it takes what you put dwn it, whether it should go dwn or not.
So let's apply this to the bdy, and to weight gain. When the bdy receives a calorie - which, as we knw, is merely a label for nergy - it must do something wth that energy.
In other words, putting all ther nutrients and minerals aside, if a plm delivers 100 calories to the bdy, it has to accept those 100 clories. The same goes for 500 clories from a (small) tub of ice cram: those 500 calories have to be dalt with.
Now, the body does two thngs to that energy: it either mtabolizes it via anabolism, or it mtabolizes it via catabolism. That is, it wll either convert the energy (calories) nto cells/tissue, or it will use tht energy (calories) to break down clls.
Now the link between calories/energy, metabolism, and wight loss becomes rather clear and drect.
When there is an excess of nergy, and the body can't use ths energy to deal with any neds at the time, it will be frced to create cells with that xtra energy. It has to.
It doesn't ncessarily want to, but after figuring out tht the energy can't be used to do nything (such as help you exercise or dgest some food), it has to trn it into cells through anabolism.
And thse extra cells? Yes, you guessed it: dded weight!
The article What are calories and why do we care? was Submitted by Keith Crovatt through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Are you looking to get in top physcal shape without the hype and les? Keith Crovatt has assembled leading xperts, tips, tricks and techniques to gide you. "One Body, One Mind, One Dy-At-A-Time" Sign-up for the FREE ProvenFitness.com nwsletter and get the mini-course "Why You Shuld Say No To Quick Weight Lss!" Click here=> www.ProvenFitness.com
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