The Calorie Counting Debate

I really hate counting calories.  I know that a lot of people do it out there, but it drives me crazy.  For me, a running tally of calories in my head makes it hard to enjoy my food.  And, I prefer to let my body tell me when I'm hungry and full instead of a number.  That being said, my husband is causing me to re-think my hard, no calorie counting line in that sand that I've drawn lately. 

My husband has had a slight ongoing battle with his weight the past couple of years.  Not a big one, but he's always at a place we're he feels like he needs to lose about 10 pounds to be at a healthy weight.  I've tried to help in various ways...nagging, educating, you name it, but my efforts have only frustrated him.  Very humbling for a dietitian.  Bottom line is, he doesn't really know why an apple is a better choice for him than a slice or pepperoni pizza and he doesn't really care.  He wants to eat what he wants to eat and he doesn't want his dietitian wife interfering with that.  And I get that.  Even though a little bit more effort to listen to me (I mean seriously, this is my job) would be nice!  But I digress...

All that to say, I've seen a change in him the past couple of weeks with his food habits.  He downloaded a calorie counting app on his iphone and he's really working hard to use it.  Now, I made sure his goal calorie count was actually appropriate and I'm not 100% sure it's super accurate, but it's definitely helping him.  It's like a game for him (a game that lets him play on his iphone at dinner without his wife getting too mad) and it's causing him to think twice before grabbing a giant cake-like muffin for breakfast or a third slice of pizza. 

While I still believe strongly that he needs to learn to listen to his body and respect what it's telling him it needs over a calculator, I am seeing the value of this for a season for him.  I'm hoping that it's a transition into a healthier diet for him.  It's getting him at least willing to think about food and helping him to realize what foods are loaded with calories and what foods may be better choices.  And, as long as he chooses real, healthy foods and not fake low-calorie wanna-be foods, I think this just might be ok.

Do you find calorie counting helpful or harmful?

What do you use to count calories?

Love Your Gut!

I went to a fascinating lecture on how gut health relates to overall health this weekend and I wanted to share some of what I learned...

The typical American diet is full of things that inflame our GI tracts (gastrointestinal tract-the part of our bodies from mouth to anus) and cause unhealthy imbalances of bacteria and all sorts of issues.  What's so, so important to understand about this is that when your gut is unhealthy, so is the rest of your body.  Did you know that 80% of your immune system is in your gut?  So, when you have stomach issues (chronic constipation, diarrhea, etc.) that you consider to just be nuisances, it's actually affecting your entire health and your ability to fight disease.

More and more research is linking tons of the diseases that are so common in places that eat Western diets to unhealthy GI tracts.  This includes obvious ones like Chron's disease and IBS but also other things like autoimmune disorders and certain cancers.  We're also seeing that an unhealthy GI tract affects more than just your stomach...it's a whole body issue with whole body ramifications.

So, it's time to start taking care of our guts better.  If you suffer from irregularity or other GI symptoms, please see your doctor and a dietitian to learn how you can start healing your gut.  There are things you can do!  If you don't, it's still vital that you eat in a way that keeps your gut healthy.  A dietitian can show you how.