If there’s one thing most of us obsess over on a day-to-day basis, it’s calories.  Whether it’s how many we’re consuming each time we eat or how many we’re burning during our workouts, we’ve definitely become a calorie conscious society.  Though taking stock of the number of calories we’re eating daily is integral to maintaining a healthy diet, another issue just as important but infrequently discussed is caloric density or CD. What exactly is caloric density? It’s the calorie content of the food you’re eating by weight.

Determining the CD of what you’re eating is an essential measurement to have if you’re trying to eat well or shed unwanted pounds.  If you have a tendency to eat too many foods with a high CD, then you’re taking in way too many calories in one sitting. If weight loss is your ultimate goal your objective should be to take in fewer calories by eating foods that have a low CD.  Of course, the benefit of consuming low calorically dense foods is that you can eat MORE.  For those of you on a diet plan it doesn’t get any better than that because it gives you the opportunity to eat without the guilt of taking in an excessive amount of calories. 

By now I’m sure it’s obvious to you which foods have the lowest CD – fruit and vegetables. Yet another reason why eating whole, unprocessed, plant-based nutrition is the best diet in the world!  Whatever your specific dietary preference, knowing how to calculate the caloric density of your food intake is valuable information to have.  And it’s quite easy to do!  All it requires is that you take two numbers off the food label – the number of calories per serving AND the weight (in grams) per serving.  Next you divide the calories by the weight in grams and the numeric result is the caloric density. In order to gauge whether the number you got is good, decent or just downright bad, use the following ranges:

to 0.7        = Very Low
0.8 to 1.5 = Low to Moderate
1.6 to 3.0 = Moderate to High
3.1  + up  = Very High Caloric Density

Now, let’s see how this actually translates to a few foods that are commonly eaten:

• An average sized apple contains about 72 calories and weighs approximately 132 grams. If we divide the 72 calories by 132 grams the caloric density of this apple is .54 (78 cal/138 g).  According to the range specifications above, this means that an apple’s caloric density is very low so you can virtually eat as many as you want.
• A plain enriched bagel has about 182 calories and weighs approximately 71 grams.  The CD of the bagel is 2.56 (182 cal/71 g).  This has a moderate to high caloric density so you should definitely watch your portion size and try not to eat several bagels per day.
• One ounce of almonds (24 almonds) is approximately 163 calories and weighs about 28.35 grams.  The CD for this handful of almonds is 5.6 (163 cal/28.35 g)!! This is very high, so you want to eat sparingly.
• A three-ounce piece of lean, fat-trimmed, top sirloin steak that has been broiled contains approximately 163 calories and weighs 85 grams.  This serving has a CD of 1.91 (163 cal/85 g), which is in the moderate to high range so you should watch your portion size.
• One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 119 calories and 13.5 grams. This small amount of oil has a caloric density of 8.8 (119 cal/13.5 g).  This is really high so it’s in your best interest to use oil sparingly.

Figuring out the caloric density of what you eat is pretty easy isn’t it?

What to Eat?

Again, if you’re looking to lose weight or simply want to eat better, you can reduce the CD in your overall diet by understanding a couple of principles. If most of what you consume on a daily basis is fruits and vegetables, then you are doing well and can generally eat as much of these two food groups as you want.  One note of caution though: Try to refrain from eating too much dried fruit because the water content is extracted and what would normally be a low caloric dense food suddenly when dried becomes a high calorie dense food with concentrated sugar.  Your best bet is to eat foods high in water content and fiber (i.e., fruits, vegetables, soups, and cooked grains) because they dilute calories and naturally reduce the CD. They also generally happen to be very high in nutrient density as well.

Cooked whole grains, beans, and potatoes in their skin along with lean fish and poultry, are largely in the moderate caloric density range.  If I’m the one who has to make the choice and I’m trying to reduce my CD, I would select the plant-based foods over the seafood and poultry in part because I am vegan, but also the plant-based foods have fiber, provide more bulk in the stomach, and contain more micronutrients.  Interesting to note, if you take cooked grains and make them into bread with whole or refined grain flour, the CD increases significantly (up to seven times)!

Even though I encourage my patients to eat whole, sprouted grain breads because they’re more nutritious and promote better health that refined flour breads, the truth is that one slice of bread whether from refined wheat flour or whole or sprouted wheat, has essentially the same CD. For example, the CD for a slice of the sprouted whole grain bread I personally love to eat is 2.64.  The CD of a slice of pure white sandwich bread that I see many shoppers buying in my local grocery story is 2.5!  That’s not that big of a difference. Why?  It’s because breads, no matter what type, are a moderately high calorically dense food. 

Generally (but not always) when the fiber content of a bread increases the CD goes down.  Still, given how similar the caloric density is for both types, this is one reason why it’s often recommended that breads are eliminated or eaten sparingly when following a weight loss regimen.  If (and this is a big IF!) you must make the choice between eating  whole or sprouted-grain breads and refined white bread, the whole or sprouted grain bread is obviously the better choice. With increased fiber and nutrient content, you will likely eat less of it because the fiber provides the feeling of fullness and reduces hunger.

So, as you see, understanding what a “CD” is and how important it is to maintaining a healthy diet, will definitely set you on the path to making better food choices. That, of course, is a good thing.  And for some it may even be a life saver!
 

Energetic Nutrition Suggests: Along with eating healthy, give your body the nutrients it needs with high quality supplements like these:

	A good quality multi-vitamin like Life Essence Multiple provides enzymes, metabolic pigments, flavones, trace elements, amino acids, antioxidants, and countless co-nutrients and phyto-chemicals. Together, these things create a multiple like none you've ever seen before…one that not only supports health, but actually builds it.
	Omega-3 fats like the ones found in ArcticPure Omega-3 support the healthy functions of the brain, joints, and circulatory system. Omega-3 fatty acids also help support a healthy cardiovascular system by thinning the blood, dilating blood vessels, and supporting healthy blood pressure. It also has components that inhibit inflammatory mediators.
	Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant which has been shown to safeguard LDL cholesterol from oxidation.  CoQ10 is a critical component in the primary energy cycle, and is most abundant in the heart. Deficiencies in CoQ10 strongly correlate with heart disease.
	Vitamin E can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, support healthy cholesterol levels, provide positive effects on the growth and regulation of cells and tissues, and even nerve transmission. A deficiency can have a negative impact on these functions.

See all of our natural and healthful supplements on our website at:

About Kirk Hamilton

As a certified physician’s assistant specializing in nutrition, prevention and integrative medicine, Kirk Hamilton maintains that if there’s one cure all for chronic disease it’s what you eat. With his emphasis on consuming more unprocessed, micronutrient dense plant-food along with simple cross-training and mind/body principles, Kirk has been instrumental in guiding his patients and clients toward the path of optimal health since 1983.  He has also been a valued educator to health professionals.  As the founder of Clinical Pearls Publications, Kirk provided summaries of nutritional research to practicing physicians and researchers around the globe until he sold the company to Tishcon Corp. in 2004. Since 2009 Kirk has hosted his own radio program/podcast titled Staying Healthy Today.  He has interviewed hundreds of the top experts in the medical field including Joel Fuhrman, Dr. David Jenkins and Dr. Neal Barnard. Drawing on his 28 year career, in August 2011 Kirk published the book titled “Staying Healthy in the Fast Lane – 9 Simple Steps to Optimal Health.”  His book serves as a guide for individuals, professionals and policy makers on how to create a new health paradigm that is focused on staying well and prevention instead of treatment. 

About Kirk's Book

Staying Healthy in the Fast Lane simplifies the causes and effects of modern chronic diseases by outlining the five dietary changes over the last century that have led to excess calorie consumption, and along with reduced physical activity, have resulted in the epidemics of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

But there is good news! By applying the 9 Simple Steps to Optimal Health TRIAD Wellness Program you can prevent, delay or reverse the course of chronic disease and create real Healthcare Reform.

Within these pages are simple rules for efficient and effective diet, exercise and mind-body practices that make this program easy for even the busiest person.
 

Follow Kirk:

	www.facebook.com/kirkhamilton.author
	www.youtube.com/thesloppyvegan
	www.twitter.com/kirk_hamilton
	www.prescription2000.com

Evidently we are. The problem is the average American doesn't get that 7 of 10 deaths in the United States occur from chronic diseases that are largely preventable, and many times reversible with low-fat, unprocessed vegan diets like Dr. Barnard recommends in his 21 Day Kickstart Program. Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) state that these chronic diseases are related to four risk factors: poor diet, inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use.The WHO further states…. if these risk factors were eliminated, 80 percent of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and 40 percent of cancers would be eliminated. That would be the greatest health discovery ever if implemented.  

Why do we keep relying on drugs and surgical procedures to treat these chronic conditions when they are clearly reversible and preventable through diet?

I really believe, aside from ignorance and laziness, it's because insurance companies cover treatments with drugs and surgery that are really ineffective at treating the cause of these illnesses. People would rather take a pill or have a surgical procedure that is paid for by insurance than get off their butts and do an aggressive diet like Dr. Barnard's which has been shown by a variety of researchers using similar diets to reverse or dramatically slow the progression of diabetes, heart disease, obesity related illnesses and cancer (prostate). If insurance companies would only cover catastrophic illness, such as traumas and infections, but not heart or vascular disease related illnesses (except genetic structural disorders), type 2 diabetes, obesity related illnesses and other chronic conditions people would either sink (die) or swim (live)?

It’s Pure Insanity!

If you think I am cruel or crazy remember this definition of insanity by Ben Franklin, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." We will never have a chance at real healthcare reform, a viable economy, or a healthy population if we keep eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). In fact, with the tsunami of boomers that are arriving into their senior years, the American fabric of life may be destroyed because we have no means to take care of all these chronic diseases, and we will go bankrupt spending an ever escalating part of our GDP (17% presently) on healthcare. "In the Long-Term Budget Outlook that the Congressional Budget Office released in June 2009, total spending on health care was projected to reach about 31 percent of GDP in 2035 and about 46 percent in 2080 under the extended baseline scenario." If we didn't pay for medication or surgical procedures with insurance, each individual would be forced to change or die, or pay out of pocket. With the latter they might be more motivated to change. Sound extreme? So is the definition of insanity. Think about it.

About Kirk’s Book

Staying Healthy in the Fast Lane simplifies the causes and effects of modern chronic diseases by outlining the five dietary changes over the last century that have led to excess calorie consumption, and along with reduced physical activity, have resulted in the epidemics of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

But there is good news! By applying the 9 Simple Steps to Optimal Health TRIAD Wellness Program you can prevent, delay or reverse the course of chronic disease and create real Healthcare Reform.

Within these pages are simple rules for efficient and effective diet, exercise and mind-body practices that make this program easy for even the busiest person. 

Energetic Nutrition Suggests:

Along with whole foods, try Almased Natural Weight Management and Dietary Supplementation.

Lose weight in a healthy way by taking advantage of your body's own metabolic processes. Almased uses your body's own mechanisms and processes to burn long-term fat deposits without the use of stimulants or artificial fillers. Its formula prevents the loss of lean muscle mass, which means more calories burned. It reduces blood sugar and insulin fluctuations that cause cravings during other diet programs.

More about Kirk Hamilton

Kirk Hamilton graduated from the University of California, Davis Physician’s Assistant Program through their Department of Family Practice in 1983.

Since 1986 he has been a practicing Physicians Assistant at Health Associates Medical Group in Sacramento, California, a nutrient oriented general practice. Kirk has worked in a variety of practice specialties including: Family Practice, Nutrition, Prevention, Cardiology, Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement, Allergy, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine. He is the author of Staying Healthy in the Fast Lane.

Kirk Hamilton's website is Prescription2000.com

Follow Kirk:

	www.facebook.com/kirkhamilton.author
	www.youtube.com/thesloppyvegan
	www.twitter.com/kirk_hamilton
	www.prescription2000.com