I don’t believe in calories. I think that we should not use this “calorie” mess to determine how much we should eat. Calories do not determine how much protein, carbohydrates, fats, starches, vitamins and minerals or nutrients we consume. It is just a number that counts how much “food” we consume. They have determined that steamed broccoli contains so many calories, brown rice contains so many calories, devil’s food cake contains so many calories. Each food is given a number. After combining different foods then a bigger number is produced. Then they say watch your calories. You are ingesting too many calories. Okay, what is the definition of a calorie?
A calorie is any of several approximately equal units of heat, each measured as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius at 1 atmosphere pressure. Got that? What the hell!? Somebody else said that a calorie is simply a standard unit for measuring energy. Somebody else said calories are “units of energy” that a food or drink provides. So, a calorie is a unit of energy. There are large calories, food calorie, dietary calorie, kilocalorie and kilogram calorie. Then there are small calories or gram calories. This is “high science” among the scientist of this world. However, it is failing when over half of the population of “Americans” are overweight, obese! Too many calories!
A calorie does not account for the type of food consumed. The calorie according to my understanding counts all foods, the junk food, processed food, fast food, etc. You could do as my mom suggested and make a meal out of sweets and this would total up as a calorie. But it would not be good for your health, longevity and well-being if you did it. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad said “prepare a good meal.” To my knowledge, he didn’t talk calories. He said eat a good meal once a day! What is a good meal? A balance meal. This meal would include the above nutrients proteins, carbohydrates, fats, starches, vitamins and minerals. In my case as a vegetarian a good meal would be spinach casserole, steamed cauliflower and beets, salad, whole wheat rolls, cream of broccoli soup and a slice of natural pound cake with a scoop of natural vanilla ice cream. Instead of counting calories I would rather count nutrition! It is nutrition that maintains, sustains, grows, builds, and heals us as human beings. Got it?