In a world full of conflicting information on diet and fat loss, it is easy to be confused between the difference in fat and calories. This article aims to clear this up once and for all…

A calorie is simply a unit of energy. It explains exactly how much energy is contained within a foodstuff. The word ‘calorie’ is the name given to describe the units of energy in food, just like miles describe units of distance and minutes describe units of time. There is nothing more to a calorie – your body doesn’t count calories in the strictest sense – it simply breaks down foods into smaller molecules to provide itself with the energy it requires to function.

Remember – a calorie is a human invention that allows us to quantify the energy density of a food.
Fat on the other hand is a macronutrient – one of the major food groups. It is a term used to describe a substance with a particular biochemical make-up. In animals, an excess of energy is stored as fat. Simply put, if you consume too many CALORIES you develop FAT tissue.

It is important to remember that it is not necessarily eating fat that makes us fat. What makes us fat is eating too many calories. A food can be low in fat but high in calories, so be careful. This is true of sugary foods such as sweets and fizzy drinks – low fat, high calorie. Ingesting these foods elicits a specific hormonal response that is proven to increase fat storage, as the energy content within these foods high and often not all of it is required.

The three major food groups are called macronutrients. The macronutrients are more commonly known as:  Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat. They are separated by way of their chemical make-up, and each has a very important role in the human body. It is important that you consume adequate amounts of each to ensure you are eating a balanced diet.

Carbohydrates

There are two different types of carbohydrate – simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are so-called as they break down easily during digestion and release their energy quickly. Simple carbohydrates are generally bad for us. The most common example of a simple carbohydrate is white sugar. Carbohydrates are separated into simple or complex relative to their placing on the glycaemic index (GI) – an index that rates foods based on how quickly they raise blood glucose levels.
Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down, therefore release their energy over a longer period of time. These are better for us as they contain more fibre and stabilise insulin levels better.

Examples of complex carbohydrates are oats and wholegrains. Plants are carbohydrate in nature, so fruit and vegetables count towards your carbohydrate intake. In many cases, substituting an excess of starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, rice pasta) for fibrous carbohydrates (fruit and vegetables) is a very beneficial dietary move. Complex carbohydrates have a low GI score.

It is important to remember that it is not necessarily eating fat that makes us fat. What makes us fat is eating too many calories. A food can be low in fat but high in calories, so be careful.

Carbohydrates consist of sugar molecules, which are broken down to the simple sugar (glucose) the body uses for energy. One gram of carbohydrate contains 4 kilocalories.

Most of our energy is derived from carbohydrates, so the bulk of our diet should consist of foods from this group. Without carbohydrates the body has to rely on other sources for its energy, which is very inefficient and can lead to lots of health problems. This can range from bad breath to death by organ failure in extreme cases.

Proteins

At a cellular level, protein is the macronutrient responsible for building and repairing the body. Without an adequate protein supply, wounds wouldn’t heal, hair and nails wouldn’t grow and muscles would shrink. Put simply, protein is vital for sustaining life.

Proteins are also known as amino acids – this confuses the matter. There are 20 amino acids – these are tiny molecules that when are structured in certain orders form different proteins. There are both essential and non-essential amino acids. The human body cannot produce essential amino acids; therefore it is ESSENTIAL that they are ingested from food sources. The non-essential amino acids can be fabricated by the body. When a protein contains all of the essential amino acids it is said to have a complete amino acid profile.

Foods from animal sources contain a complete amino acid profile. Vegetarians and vegans can ingest all of their amino acids by combining various foods. Proteins are scaled according to their bioavailability – this is the amount of the administered protein will actually be suitable for use and absorption by the body during the digestive process.

One gram of protein contains 4 kilocalories and is a slower-digesting substance due to its biochemical makeup. This means we will feel fuller for longer and as such is a useful dietary tool.

Fats

Despite their bad press, fats are actually very important. They act as a carrier for flavours and aromas, making food more palatable. Dietary fat comes in four different varieties: Saturated, Polyunsaturated, Monounsaturated, and Hydrogenated.

For practical use, these four can be narrowed down some more into good fats and bad fats. Saturated and hydrogenated (trans) fats are known as bad fats as they can clog our arteries, making it difficult for blood to get through freely and potentially causing all types of cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately for us, these are the fats that are easy to come by.

Hydrogenated (trans) fats are liquid oils that have been chemically treated to make them semi-solid. The best example is margarine. Most of the trans-fats we can consume are difficult to spot as they are hidden in foods. Fortunately many food producers and retailers are now starting to ban trans-fats in their products due to their links with a large range of health problems.

Saturated fats are animal fats that come from meat and dairy products. Saturated fats will always be solid at room temperature and are easy to spot – they are found in all animal products, and less obviously to some, butter, lard, pastry etc.

The good fats on the other hand can actually reduce blood cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. These can be found in most oils, e.g. Vegetable oil, nut oil, etc. Fats also contain the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

One gram of fat contains 9 Kcal of energy. It is the most energy-dense macronutrient, so an excess of fat would make us fat, but only because of its calorie content. You can eat fat without worry, as long as you don’t overeat.

Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are carbohydrate in nature. Everyone knows we should eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, but very people know the exact reasons why!

The reason is that they have an extreme density of vitamins and minerals whilst being very low in calories and fat. Fruit and vegetables are commonly referred to as ‘superfoods’ – they are full of goodness and are very low calorie. For this reason they have been treated here as a separate sub-group.

Vitamins and minerals are known as micronutrients. The micronutrients are organic chemical elements and compounds that the human body requires in tiny quantities for optimum health and performance, but which we are unable to synthesise ourselves. Given they are chemical compounds the body cannot manufacture; we have to ingest them from our diet. This means we have to consume a wide variety of foods to ensure we take in our full compliment of vitamins and minerals.

The information to gain from this article is simple – fat and calories are two totally different things. Fat is not always bad, as long as you do not each too much on a regular basis. Due to its high energy density, this is easy to do. That large bag or salted nuts, tub of exquisite ice cream, or big box of Belgian chocolates are all high in the wrong sort of fat. Ensure you stay within a sensible fat and calorie range and you will be able to manage your weight and body composition with relative ease.

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